Easy Chocolate Icebox Pie

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/6/22
Tested by Mary Jo Romano
easy chocolate icebox pie

The Spruce/Abbey Littlejohn

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 8 mins
Chill Time: 30 mins
Total: 53 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Yield: 1 pie

This easy chocolate pie is made with prepared instant pudding, whipped cream or whipped topping, and an easy homemade graham cracker crust. To make things even simpler, a purchased 9-inch graham cracker crust can be used. The assembled pie must be chilled for at least 30 minutes before serving so plan accordingly. For a mousse type of pie, fold 1 cup of frozen (thawed) ​whipped topping into the pudding mixture.

“Oh, my tender heart remembers! Enjoying a slice of the Easy Chocolate Icebox Pie, my mind was flooded with exquisite childhood memories. Make the graham cracker crust because it is worth the work and worth the flavor and crunch it imparts!” —Mary Jo Romano

Easy Chocolate Icebox Pie/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs, from about 12 graham crackers, regular or honey

  • 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

For the Chocolate Filling:

  • 2 (3.9 ounce) packages chocolate instant pudding and pie filling

  • 2 3/4 cups milk

For the Garnish:

  • 2 cups whipped topping, or whipped cream, sweetened

Steps to Make It

Make the Crust

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F. 

    ingredients to make easy chocolate icebox pie crust

    The Spruce/Abbey Littlejohn

  2. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar.

    crumbled graham crust in bowl

    The Spruce/Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake the crust until it just begins to turn golden in places, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

    graham cracker crust

    The Spruce/Abbey Littlejohn

Prepare the Pie

  1. Gather the cooled crust and remaining ingredients.

    ingredients to make easy chocolate icebox pie

    The Spruce/Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Prepare both packages of pudding according to package directions using the quantity of milk recommended for a pie.

    easy chocolate icebox pie filling

    The Spruce/Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Pour the prepared pudding into cooled graham cracker crust. Chill pie for at least 30 minutes before serving.

    easy chocolate icebox pie

    The Spruce/Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Garnish the pie with 10 dollops of whipped topping. Slice the pie so each serving includes some of the cream topping.

    easy chocolate icebox pie

    The Spruce/Abbey Littlejohn

What is the origin of icebox pies?

Iceboxes used to keep food cold first appeared on the scene in the 1830s. Not long afterward, the icebox pie, a classic Southern dessert named after the storage device they were kept cool in, became a part of the culinary repertoire. This type of pie was quick and easy to make and required no cooking in the heat of summer.  Lemon icebox pie was one of the most popular types of this ilk but today there are hundreds of varieties. Some are made with cream cheese, unflavored gelatin, fresh fruits, fruit purées, and other ingredients. While the crust in this recipe is baked, a traditional icebox pie features a crumb crust that is just pressed into a pie pan and then filled and chilled.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
289 Calories
14g Fat
38g Carbs
4g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 289
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 9g 44%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 500mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 28g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 99mg 8%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 173mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)