Chocolate lovers rejoice! We've uncovered the secret to a heart-meltingly delicious dessert, the chocolate chess pie, that's guaranteed to win over anyone who savors the combination of a crispy crust coupled with a fudgy, brownie-esque filling.

In the tradition of the Southern classic chess pie, our indulgent version harmonizes everyday pantry ingredients like eggs, butter, cornmeal, sugar, and vanilla with high-quality bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder to conjure an extraordinary flavor. Pepped up by secret ingredients espresso powder, bourbon, and a generous toss of salt, this chocolate-laden goodness is far from being an average pie.

Our chocolate chess pie recipe allows the flexibility of using either a homemade pie dough or a store-bought frozen shell. Our recipe keeps the preparation involved to a mere half an hour. A garnish of unsweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream is the only added indulgence to best savor this pie.

The chess pie, traditionally enjoyed in Southern states, boasts a creamy filling made with cornmeal, eggs, butter, flour, milk, sugar, often coupled with vanilla. The sweetness is generally piqued with a dash of lemon juice or vinegar. Our recipe sways away from tradition, replacing the acidity with chocolate, poured into a semi-baked pie shell which undergoes another round of baking before being cooled and ready to serve. The bonus is a hint of espresso powder and a splash of bourbon which elevate the chocolate tinge.

The secret to nailing the perfect chocolate chess pie lies in its crusty top. As the pie bakes and sets, its surface hardens and then crackles as it cools down, creating delightful, meringue-like toppings. Don’t fret over slicing up immaculate pieces, the rough shards on top make up the most scrumptious part!

Whether you opt for a commercial pie shell or roll out one from scratch, remember to roll it out, stiffen the edges, fit it snugly onto a nine-inch pie plate, and keep it frozen for at least sixty minutes before baking. Pre-made crusts are deeper than regular nine-inch pie shells so they may need extra baking time.

The filling can be prepared by melting the chocolate and butter together either in a microwave or a double boiler. Pause every 30 seconds to stir it until the chocolate melds seamlessly.

The freshly baked pie can be stored at room temperature, covered firmly, for a day or can be refrigerated for three days. For those baking their crusts from scratch, the shell can be frozen and stored up to a month.

To prep, preheat your oven lined with a layer of parchment paper or aluminum foil covering the crust and its edges. Fill it to the top with pie weights or dried beans after placing the pie shell on a baking sheet. As it bakes and acquires a light golden hue, the crust is taken out, the weights are carefully removed, and the pie crust returns to bake until its bottom feels dry. Subsequently, it is set aside for cooling, with the oven temperature turned down to 325°F.

As the pie shell cools, a small saucepan simmers water over medium heat to form a double boiler for melting butter and chocolate. After a whisk of eggs, sugar, cocoa, cornmeal, bourbon, espresso powder salt and the cooled chocolate mixture, a creamy filling rests ready until the pie shell cools down.

The cooled pie shell is filled with the prepared mixture and baked until puffed and set with slight jiggling in the center. On cooling, the top of the pie is lightly tapped to form dramatic cracks, garnished with flaky sea salt if you'd like, before slicing and serving.