How do I Use Chocolate Chips in Pies?

Chocolate chips are a sweet addition to pies.

Chocolate chips are not just for cookies. Use these chocolaty morsels in other desserts, such as pies. Chocolate chips are a sweet addition to any dessert pie, but they will also readily stand in as the star of the pie filling.

Crust

Instead of a vanilla cookie or graham cracker crust, make a chocolate chip cookie crust. Use your favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe and press it into the bottom of a pie plate instead of making cookies from the dough. Bake this cookie pie crust at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes for a chilled filling such as a crème pie filling or a pudding filling. Reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes to set the cookie before adding a filling that needs to be cooked on top. The crust will finish baking with the pie filling.

Whole Chips in a Nut Filling

Stir whole chocolate chips into a nut pie filling for tiny bursts of chocolate in each slice of pie. Pair the chocolate chips with the type of nuts. For instance, make a pecan pie and add in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Prepare a macadamia nut pie and add white chocolate chips. A peanut butter pie pairs with milk chocolate chips for a dessert with the taste of a chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candy. The naturally bold flavors of almonds or walnuts pair well with dark chocolate chips.

Melted Chips in Filling

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave for a silky, smooth chocolate crème pie filling. Replace the bar chocolate in any recipe for chocolate pie with chocolate chips, but skip the step requiring you to chop the bar, as chocolate chips are already in small pieces for easy melting. Use dark chocolate chips for a rich, chocolatey flavor, but substitute milk or semi-sweet chips for a sweeter, less intense chocolate taste in the pie filling.

Topping

Keep a bag of chocolate chips handy for garnishing pies with light meringue or whipped cream toppings. The chocolate chips add color to the pale white topping. Top pies with chocolate in the filling or crust for the best flavor. The chocolate chip garnish should suggest that there is chocolate in the pie. The eater may be disappointed if you add chocolate chips to the top of a chocolate-free pie.

References

• Epicurious; Banana Cream Pie With Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust; Bon Apetit; April 2001
• Family Fun: Chocolate Chip Walnut Pie Recipe
• Food Network; White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie Recipe; Paula Deen
• Hershey's: Gone to Heaven Chocolate Pie Recipe