This gluten free French silk pie is an oldie but goodie! It gets its name from the luscious silky smooth texture of the chocolate filling!!
I remember making French silk pie when I was a teenager or a pre-teen. My sister found the recipe in one of those little Pillsbury Bake-off cookbooks my mom had. We both fell in love with this pie, but eventually the experts said that raw eggs were too dangerous to eat. After that, I don’t remember ever making the pie again 😥
Fast forward several years to now, when I was watching Joanna Gaines’ cooking special on Food Network, and bam! There was our French silk pie!! Only she cooked the eggs and the sugar together first before mixing it with the butter. GENIUS!!! Leave it to Joanna to get it right and re-imagine one of my favorite old pies.
What is French Silk Pie?
The original French silk pie recipe was created by Betty Cooper in 1951 for the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. It was a chocolate pie that began with butter and sugar whipped into a light and fluffy filling. Then chocolate and eggs are added and the entire mixture is whipped to oblivion! Beating the eggs for 5 minutes each produced a filling that was super fluffy, soft, and silky.
Through the years, it’s been re-formulated to try and solve the problem of raw eggs in the filling. Or they just use the raw eggs and don’t think it’s a problem.
Making the Filling (A New Way)
I recently updated my post for gluten free pie crust and if you haven’t made it yet, now’s your chance. It rolls out smoothly, holds together well, but most importantly–it’s light and flaky and delicious!
When I recently saw Joanna Gaines make French silk pie on the Food Network, I thought she was a genius! She cooked the sugar with the eggs on the stove. I borrowed that idea, but added my own twist.
Add the sugar, eggs, and unsweetened chopped chocolate to a heat-proof bowl. Set it over a pot of simmering water (essentially a double boiler). By adding the chocolate to this mixture, it eliminates the step of needing to melt the chocolate separately. Heat the mixture to a temperature of 160 degrees F.
While this mixture is cooling, beat the butter until light and fluffy, a few minutes. Once the egg/chocolate mixture is cooled enough, add it to the butter and beat on high for 5 minutes. This will create a light and fluffy, silky smooth filling so don’t cheat on the time.
Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Cover the pie and refrigerate it for a few hours.
Whipping the Cream
Making freshly whipped and lightly sweetened cream is one of the easiest things. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip on high until stiff peaks form.
Dollop the whipped cream onto the pie in a large billowy mound. Or fill a pastry bag with an open star tip and pipe the cream onto the pie. If desired, sprinkle chocolate shavings or curls onto whipped cream.
Gluten free French silk pie is sure to become one of your new favorite pies of all time!!
Gluten Free French Silk Pie
Ingredients
- 1 blind baked gluten free pie crust
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226 g) butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla
Sweetened Whipped Cream
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or one vanilla bean, seeds removed
- chocolate shavings or curls for garnish
Instructions
- Make the pie crust according to recipe instructions and let cool.
- In a large heat-proof bowl set over a small pot of simmering water (double boiler), whisk the sugar, eggs, and chopped chocolate. Whisk occasionally until the chocolate and sugar melt completely. Then whisk more frequently until the mixture reaches 160° F on an instant-read or candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally.
- Cream butter and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Turn down the speed and slowly add the chocolate/egg mixture. Increase the speed to high and beat for five minutes, until very light in color and increased in volume.
- Dollop the filling into the cooled crust and level off the top with an angled spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- To make the whipped cream, pour the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip on high until stiff peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream over the top of the chocolate filling OR fill a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip and pipe stars or rosettes on top of the pie. Garnish with chocolate shavings or curls.
Notes
Inspired by Joanna Gaines’ recipe for French silk pie in her latest cookbook, Magnolia Table, Volume 2.
Really enjoy the texture of this recipe over other recipes I’ve tried.
Question – I attempted to double the recipe yesterday and after adding chocolate mixture to butter and whipping for 5+ minutes, it was still soupy . Per Google, I added a few tbs of corn starch and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes and whipped again and was able to mostly salvage it. Any idea what may have been the issue in your experience?
I wouldn’t have added the cornstarch, but the filling for French silk pie is essentially a variation of a French buttercream, which can often become soupy just from the temperature of the syrup that is added to it and can easily be rectified by refrigerating the mixture for one hour or so and whipping again. I would try this the next time, if it becomes soupy again.
Can this be frozen?
That’s a good question! I’ve never done it before so I wish I could tell you either way for sure, but unfortunately I can’t and don’t want to steer you wrong. I’m so sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Can’t believe how delicious this is. No one realized it was gluten free. Do you have nutritional info available for this recipe?
I’m sorry, I don’t. The “package” to add the nutritional value onto the website is so much more expensive that I just can’t swing it right now. I hope to in the future.
THIS PIE IS PERFECTION!!! TY! I love every recipe you have so far and I especially think that your pie crust blend is GENIUS! My GF family says I should sell these pies because they are delicious! I am so glad i found YOU!
Oh, thank you so much, Barbi!! You are too kind 🙂
When do I add the vanilla in the chocolate filling? I see it listed, but never said to add it so I guess I am skipping it, this go around!
I’m so sorry! You can add it when you add the butter next time.
Thank you for catching that!!
I’m sorry, Ciara! Thank you for catching that and I corrected it in the recipe card 😊
This recipe was always a favorite growing up. Whenever my mom would make it, it was a REAL TREAT! I love that you doubled the filling, I do that, too! Love your site, just discovered it and am so excited !! XO
Thanks so much, Becky! It was one of my favorites growing up, too 🙂