This Mayan Chocolate Pie recipe has been here for years, but I didn't give it enough attention nor did I bother changing the photo. Maybe it's just that we love chocolate pie and there are so many different good recipes out there. But I have a renewed appreciation for Mayan Chocolate Pie. The spices make it a little more interesting, and it doesn't have a ton of expensive ingredients. Plus it's versatile. You can make it in a pastry shell, graham crust or even in a casserole dish.
Since posting, I've made the pie several more times to fine-tune the sweetness level, adjust the spice, and confirm which type chocolate works best. The result? A new and improved version of the Mayan Chocolate Cream Pie originally published in Texas Co-op Power Magazine.
A Note on the Name
Let’s get this out of the way first: Should it be Maya or Mayan Chocolate Pie? Technically, "Maya" refers to the people and their culture, while "Mayan" is used for the language—but in food circles, Mayan Chocolate has become the catch-all term. So it's called Mayan Chocolate Pie or you could just change the name to Mexican Chocolate Pie.
How to Make Mayan Chocolate Pie
This pie is fairly easy to prepare. You start with a baked crust -- graham cracker or pastry. To make the filling, whisk cornstarch, milk, egg yolks and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk over heat until thick, then add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Scrape chocolate mixture into a bowl with spices, softened cream cheese and vanilla. Let cool slightly and fold in freshly whipped cream. Spread it in the pie shell and top with more whipped cream. It's a small pie to begin with, but you can make it even smaller by preparing half batch in a small casserole dish -- something I discovered while testing.
Baking Notes
- Chocolate Chips --This part is key! Be sure to use semisweet chocolate chips or a 48 to 52% chocolate. The filling needs the sweetness from the chocolate. The recipe needs too many adjustments with 70% or above, and the filling comes out too thick. This recipe was a good example of how small differences in cacao % can change results.
- Cayenne Pepper -- The original version of this pie called for a full tablespoon of cayenne. I used that much for the first pie and had to throw it out. A teaspoon should be plenty, but you can always add more if needed.
- Whipping the Cream -- One of the last steps is whipping some cream, sweetening it and folding part of it into the chocolate mixture. If you'd like a less sweet chocolate mixture you can fold in unsweetened whipped cream, but I think the sweetness level is just right with cream that's been sweetened with a tablespoon of sugar.
- To save time and maybe even $, you could probably get away with whipped topping. I've not tried this, but plan to!
- Chill Time -- Six hours is probably ideal for this pie, but with the cream cheese, egg yolks, cornstarch and all that chocolate it gets stiff pretty quickly. I've been able to serve it in as little as 4 hours. But chill for longer if possible.
So here is the new and slightly improved recipe for Mayan Chocolate Cream Pie. It's the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and creamy. You can make it in a pie shell, or assemble the whole pie in a small casserole dish. For a small batch pie, I used a little yellow dish measuring about 4x6.
Recipe
Mayan Chocolate Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch graham cracker crust or baked pie shell (graham cracker crust recipe in notes)
Chocolate Filling
- ¼ cup cornstarch (32 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk (225 grams)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or 6 oz chopped chocolate (170 grams)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (divided use)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Off heat, Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan. Add a little of the milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks, then gradually whisk in remaining milk.
- Set over medium heat and whisk until mixture thickens – this should happen pretty quickly. Mixture will get thick and lumpy.
- When the mixture is thick, turn off the heat and whisk in the chocolate and spices.
- Scrape the chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl and add the softened cream cheese and the half of the vanilla. Mix well and let stand to cool. It probably won't look very pretty at this point, but should smooth out a little when you fold in the cream.
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream and 1 tablespoon of the sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold about one third to one half of the whipped cream (depends on how much you want to lighten the chocolate) into the cooled. chocolate mixture. Spread the chocolate mixture in the crust. Add the remaining vanilla to the remaining whipped cream and spread over the chocolate mixture.
- Chill for 4 to 6 hours or overnight if you have time.
Katrina says
Thanks for the photo, it looks de-lish!
Katrina says
Quite the vivid imagination, you! I'm beginning to like/tolerate a little heat with my chocolate lately. Sounds yummy. No photo?
Anna says
Well, I guess you have to think about whomever will be eating this pie's tolerance of peppers. The food editor I emailed with (we didn't talk on the phone) is actually really in the know when it comes to recipes and food and he always picks winners. He thought the 1 T. was strong, but multiple people tasted it and liked it that way. Plus, the lady who submitted the recipe says 1 tablespoon was right. All I know is I made the first pie with 2 teaspoons and THAT was too much so I can't imagine 1 tablespoon. It does mellow out the next day, though.
Sue says
Oops! I guess you wrote them a letter, but even so I'd go with your version. BTW, I love the first paragraph!
Sue says
If I were to make this there is no doubt whose judgment I would I trust on how much cayenne to use. Yours of course!! The person you talked to on the phone might not even know the difference between 1 t. and 1 T.
I'm glad you gave it another try with less pepper!