Rich chocolate ganache, heavenly white chocolate cream filling, and beautifully glazed raspberries all in a buttery flaky crust!
Of all the berries in the berry kingdom, raspberries are definitely my favorite! (Marionberries come in a close second!) I love the tart sweetness and fresh flavor they add to pretty much anything. Whether it’s simply enjoying them by the handful or baking them into a delicious pastry or dessert, I don’t think I could ever get sick of raspberries.
ESPECIALLY when you pair them with chocolate…
Not only does this Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie look gorgeous, but every single bite is pure bliss. With layers of velvety chocolate ganache and creamy white chocolate filling, this pie contains a double dose of chocolate.
Although I tend to avoid making any kind of pie that requires a pastry crust, this pie is SO totally worth it. There’s just something so divine about an old-fashioned flaky pie crust paired with rich chocolate and creamy filling. However, if you’re also not a fan of making pie crusts, I won’t judge you if you use the store-bought frozen pie crusts. You could even do a graham cracker crust if you like!
If you DO go the store-bought route (or graham cracker route), just make sure to bake it fully in the oven and allow it to cool completely, so that it’s ready to hold all of the deliciousness that goes inside of it!
Deliciousness layer #1 is the ganache! And for something so incredibly heavenly, it’s the easiest part of this whole recipe. You’ll start by heating up some heavy cream until it begins to simmer. This can either be done on the stove or in the microwave. I prefer to heat the cream in a glass measuring cup in the microwave since it requires less dishes. Once you’ve got your hot cream, pour it over a bowl of semi-sweet chocolate (chips or chopped), cover it with plastic wrap, and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and stir until smooth and spellbinding! If you still see a few unmelted pieces in the ganache, return the bowl to the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
After the ganache is poured into the crust, it goes into the freezer to firm up while you work on the next layer of deliciousness–the white chocolate cream filling!
This is one of my favorite pie fillings because it pairs so well with literally any fruit or berry. In fact, I’ve already used this filling in my White Chocolate Blueberry Cream Pie and White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Pie. Rich, slightly tart, and lusciously creamy, this white chocolate filling is absolutely exquisite. And with just four ingredients, it’s also one of the easiest pie fillings you’ll ever make!
You’ll start off by whipping up some heavy cream until nice and fluffy. Then you’ll beat some cream cheese with a dash of vanilla. In order to make the melted white chocolate easier to incorporate into the cream cheese, a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream are added to thin it out just a tad. Once the melted white chocolate and cream cheese are combined, the whipped cream is folded in before the whole thing is poured on top of the now-firm ganache layer. You’ll need to allow the filling to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours so that it can set up properly.
Instead of making a cooked raspberry topping, I opted for a much simpler route–glazed raspberries. Not only is it much easier, but they look so elegant when lined up neatly on top of the pie.
All you have to do is heat up some seedless raspberry jam just until it’s thinned out and easier to coat the raspberries. Don’t heat the jam up too much or it’ll cause the raspberries to soften and release their juices. To prevent the raspberries from breaking as you’re coating them with the jam, I recommend doing this part in 2-3 batches. I also recommend topping the pie with the glazed raspberries ON the day you plan on serving it. After a while, the jam starts to “bleed” into the filling, so it doesn’t look as fresh if done a day or two in advance.
Although this pie has Valentine‘s Day written ALL over it, you could definitely still enjoy it during the spring and summer months. With light and fluffy cream filling, rich and velvety chocolate ganache, and plump raspberries, it has everything your tastebuds could ever ask for!
Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons shortening cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter cold
Chocolate Ganache:
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped or chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
White Chocolate Filling:
- ⅔ cup + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream divided
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 6 ounces white chocolate
Glazed Raspberries:
- 14 ounces fresh raspberries
- ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- In a small bowl, combine the water and sour cream; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, sugar and salt together. Scatter the shortening over the flour, then use a cheese grater to grate the butter on top. Using a fork or a pastry blender, cut the mixture together until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the sour cream mixture and use a stiff rubber spatula to stir and press the dough together until it forms one big mound. If dough is still too dry and doesn’t hold together, add another tablespoon of water.
- Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a 5-inch disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Once chilled, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle and fit into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Trim, fold, and crimp the edge of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 15 minutes until chilled and firm.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. To blind-bake, I like to press a sheet of aluminum foil into the pie pan since it gets into the crevices better than parchment paper. I then pour two cups of granulated sugar on top of the foil, and use a spoon to press the sugar down into the foil. Place pie plate onto a baking sheet and bake until the edges of the crust are starting to brown, about 15-16 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and carefully lift the aluminum foil (with the sugar) out of the pie. Return the pie crust to the oven and bake until the bottom crust is golden brown, about 10-13 minutes longer. Remove and cool completely.
Make the Ganache:
- Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Pour heavy cream into a glass measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it begins to boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to sit for 4-5 minutes. Remove wrap, and stir until smooth. Pour the ganache into the crust, and spread into an even layer. Chill in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Make the White Chocolate Filling:
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the 2/3 cup heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl and return bowl to mixer.
- Switch the whisk attachment out for the paddle attachment and beat the cream cheese on high until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine the white chocolate and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Heat in the microwave, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is smooth. Pour white chocolate into cream cheese mixture and beat until combined. Add a third of the whipped cream to the bowl, beating until smooth. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the remaining whipped cream by hand with a spatula.
- Pour white chocolate filling into the pie shell and smooth out evenly with a spatula. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Make the Glazed Raspberries:
- Place the fresh raspberries into a large bowl. Place the jam in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, or until thinned out. You don't want it hot, or else it'll cause the raspberries to soften and release their juices as you stir them into the jam.
- Pour warmed jam over the raspberries and use a spatula to gently toss them together.* Place the raspberries on top of the pie, working from the outside in. Slice into pieces and enjoy!
Notes
**I recommend topping the pie with the glazed raspberries ON the day you plan on serving it. After a while, the jam starts to “bleed” into the filling, so it doesn’t look as fresh if done a day or two in advance.