I’m sharing my Hot Fudge Pie, a cross between a brownie and molten lava cake, with a crisp top and a fudgy molten center that will make you keep reading to find out why.
I love how Hot Fudge Pie looks harmless until you slice it and molten chocolate starts creeping out, like it has a secret. It’s richer than you’d expect, somewhere between a brownie and molten lava cake, with a crisp top that fights to hold the gooey center.
I always reach for semisweet chocolate and an unbaked pie crust (store-bought or homemade), the contrast makes your fork hesitate. Every time I serve it with vanilla ice cream people go quiet, not sure if they should talk or just eat, and that little pause is exactly why I keep making it.
Ingredients
- Semisweet chocolate adds rich cocoa flavor, some antioxidants, fat and sweetness to the filling
- Butter brings silkiness and richness, mostly saturated fat, helps texture and mouthfeel
- Granulated sugar sweetens and helps set the custard like center, adds calories
- Eggs provide protein and structure, they set the filling and give richness
- Flour gives body and slight chew, adds carbohydrates and helps thicken
- Vanilla adds aromatic sweetness and depth, tiny calorie boost, big flavor lift
- Pie crust it’s the crunchy base, mostly carbs and buttery fat, great contrast
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
- 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving (optional)
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and place a rack in the middle position. Fit your 9-inch unbaked pie crust into a pie plate, crimp the edges, and set aside.
2. Chop the 4 ounces chocolate and cut the 1/2 cup butter into pieces so they melt faster.
3. Melt the chocolate and butter together either in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring until smooth, or in the microwave in 20 second bursts stirring between each one. Let it cool a little so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
4. In a medium bowl whisk the 1 cup granulated sugar and 3 large eggs until combined, then slowly whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until silky and uniform.
5. Add the 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt and the 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder if you are using it. Stir just until incorporated, don’t overmix.
6. Pour the batter into the unbaked pie crust and gently tap the pie plate on the counter to settle the batter and release any big air bubbles. Put the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.
7. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. You want the top to look set and slightly crackly while the center still jiggles a bit when you gently shake the pan. If the crust or top browns too fast, loosely cover with foil after about 20 minutes.
8. Cool the pie on a wire rack for about 20 to 30 minutes so the fudgy center sets up a bit, but it’s best served warm if you like that molten center feeling.
9. Serve slices with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, and a pinch of flaky salt or chopped toasted nuts if you want. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and warm gently before serving to bring back the gooey texture.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven (preheat to 350°F) and middle rack
2. 9-inch pie plate fitted with an unbaked pie crust
3. Rimmed baking sheet to catch drips
4. Heatproof bowl and small saucepan for a double boiler, or a microwave safe bowl
5. Medium mixing bowl
6. Whisk
7. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
8. Knife and cutting board for chopping chocolate and cuting butter
9. Measuring cups and spoons
10. Wire cooling rack
FAQ
Hot Fudge Pie Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- 4 ounces semisweet/bittersweet chocolate: swap for 4 ounces chocolate chips or chopped dark baking chocolate, same weight. Chips melt fine, just don’t overheat them or they can get grainy.
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter: use 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or 1/2 cup vegan butter, measured by weight if you can. Coconut oil will give a slight coconut note, vegan butter keeps it dairy free.
- 3 large eggs: for each egg use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water (let sit 5 minutes) or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce per egg. Flax gives the best structure, applesauce makes it a bit denser but still tasty.
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour: substitute a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (with xanthan) for an easy swap, or use whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for a nuttier flavor though texture will be slightly different.
Pro Tips
– Pull the pie when the center still has a little jiggle, not when it looks totally set, because it keeps getting firmer as it cools so if you wait too long it’ll turn dry and fudgeless.
– Let the melted chocolate cool until just warm before you add it to the eggs, otherwise you risk scrambled eggs. And when you add the flour stop as soon as it’s mixed in, overmixing makes the filling more cake-like than gooey.
– To avoid a soggy crust try one of these: brush a thin layer of melted chocolate or jam on the blind crust before filling, or chill the filled pie for 10 minutes before it goes into the oven so the batter settles better. Either trick helps keep the bottom from getting soggy.
– For best leftovers warm slices gently in a low oven or microwave in very short bursts so the center loosens without overheating. A tiny pinch of flaky salt and a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes the whole thing taste way better.

Hot Fudge Pie Recipe
I'm sharing my Hot Fudge Pie, a cross between a brownie and molten lava cake, with a crisp top and a fudgy molten center that will make you keep reading to find out why.
8
servings
430
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat to 350°F) and middle rack
2. 9-inch pie plate fitted with an unbaked pie crust
3. Rimmed baking sheet to catch drips
4. Heatproof bowl and small saucepan for a double boiler, or a microwave safe bowl
5. Medium mixing bowl
6. Whisk
7. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
8. Knife and cutting board for chopping chocolate and cuting butter
9. Measuring cups and spoons
10. Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and place a rack in the middle position. Fit your 9-inch unbaked pie crust into a pie plate, crimp the edges, and set aside.
- Chop the 4 ounces chocolate and cut the 1/2 cup butter into pieces so they melt faster.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together either in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring until smooth, or in the microwave in 20 second bursts stirring between each one. Let it cool a little so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
- In a medium bowl whisk the 1 cup granulated sugar and 3 large eggs until combined, then slowly whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until silky and uniform.
- Add the 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt and the 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder if you are using it. Stir just until incorporated, don’t overmix.
- Pour the batter into the unbaked pie crust and gently tap the pie plate on the counter to settle the batter and release any big air bubbles. Put the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.
- Bake 25 to 35 minutes. You want the top to look set and slightly crackly while the center still jiggles a bit when you gently shake the pan. If the crust or top browns too fast, loosely cover with foil after about 20 minutes.
- Cool the pie on a wire rack for about 20 to 30 minutes so the fudgy center sets up a bit, but it’s best served warm if you like that molten center feeling.
- Serve slices with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, and a pinch of flaky salt or chopped toasted nuts if you want. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and warm gently before serving to bring back the gooey texture.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 140g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 430kcal
- Fat: 23.4g
- Saturated Fat: 12.9g
- Trans Fat: 0.25g
- Polyunsaturated: 1.25g
- Monounsaturated: 5g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
- Sodium: 152mg
- Potassium: 118mg
- Carbohydrates: 50.8g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Sugar: 31.3g
- Protein: 4.6g
- Vitamin A: 400IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 25mg
- Iron: 0.75mg