This Silky Champurrado Chocolate Pie Will Steal Thanksgiving

Slice of champurrado pie

By Hallie Davison

Every family has its non-negotiable holiday dessert. In mine, it’s chocolate pie — my husband’s specialty, a Mississippi Mud Pie he’s made every Thanksgiving since childhood. It’s rich, nostalgic, and it just wouldn’t feel like the holidays without it. 

This year, I decided to bring a little of my own tradition into the mix. One of my favorite winter comforts is champurrado. What I love about champurrado is its restraint. It’s indulgent, yes — thick, chocolatey, steaming in the mug — but never cloying. The masa gives it earthiness, a kind of grounding that tempers the sugar and softens the rush of chocolate. So I decided to merge the two: his pie and my champurrado. The result is a Mississippi-meets-Mexico confection that is satisfying like a good brownie, but with its own unique layering of flavors. The pie has been a hit with everyone, young and old, which makes it a recipe we’re putting in the keeper pile for Thanksgivings to come. 

Have you made this pie? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Champurrado Pie

Champurrado Pie

Hallie Davison

Servings

Makes one 9-inch pie

Category

Baking

A silky, chocolate-corn custard inspired by one of our favorite seasonal delights: champurrado. This pie brings together the warmth of cinnamon, the richness of dark chocolate, and the subtle texture of masa in a crust made of crushed galletas Maria. This can be made gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free cookies in the crust.

Ingredients

    blank

    • 240 g or 1 ¼ packages of galletas Maria (or your favorite gluten-free alternative)

    • 113 grams or 1 stick salted butter, melted*

    blank

    • 8 tbsp (1 stick) salted butter

    • 4 oz unsweetened dark chocolate

    • 5 tbsp masa harina

    • 4 large eggs

    • 3 tbsp light corn syrup (such as Karo)

    • 1 1/4 cups sugar

    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

    • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

    Directions

      blank

      1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

      2. Pulse cookies and salt in a food processor until finely ground, and then pulse in the melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. It will taste much better than wet sand — we promise. Note: We’ve found that the amount of butter required varies based on type and brand of cookie used. If your crust isn’t holding together, add more melted butter, one tablespoon at a time until it does.

      3. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until your filling is ready.

      blank

      1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Whisk in the masa harina until fully incorporated, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.

      2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until light and frothy. Whisk in the corn syrup, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Slowly pour in the cooled chocolate mixture, stirring until well combined.

      blank

      1. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top with a spatula.

      2. Bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is only slightly jiggly. Let cool at least an hour before slicing. If you cut into it warm, it will have a molten center. If you let it rest overnight, it will set and have a firmer texture.

      5 comments

      CAMERON |

      I must admit I have thus far just made the filling as a pudding in a double boiler – cooked to 150f which set to a thick pudding texture (will try lower next time for more jiggle, probably too much starch gelatinization at that temp). Anyway, it’s fantastic. I did find that 1/2 tsp of salt added to the filling improved/integrated the flavor considerably (as it often does in bitter contexts). Not sure if that’s particular to the pudding I made, but will plan to cook the pie recipe as written and make that addition as well. Great recipe, thanks!

      MASIENDA |

      Hi Don! You can use any of our four types of masa harina for this recipe.

      DON |

      Which Masa Harina? Yellow, White, Blue,or Red?

      VICKY |

      Probaré hacerlo, se me antojo lo bueno que tengo algunos ingredientes en casa ahora si. Vamos con todo

      ANA SUÁREZ |

      Esta Deliciosa

      Leave a comment

      Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.