Brown Butter Chocolate Cream Pie (Print Version)
Silky chocolate custard infused with nutty brown butter, topped with vanilla whipped cream in a flaky, buttery crust.
# Ingredients:
→ Crust
01 -
Pie Crust or Cocoa Pie Crust (fully blind baked)
→ Brown Butter Chocolate Custard
02 -
113g unsalted butter (½ cup)
03 -
180g whole milk (¾ cup)
04 -
100g light or dark brown sugar (½ cup)
05 -
4 large egg yolks (reserve whites for another use)
06 -
300g semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
07 -
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
08 -
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
09 -
80g full fat sour cream (⅓ cup)
10 -
2 tablespoons whole milk
→ Whipped Cream
11 -
240-480g heavy whipping cream (1-2 cups)
12 -
2-4 tablespoons brown or granulated sugar
13 -
Pinch fine sea salt
14 -
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste
15 -
2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa per cup of cream (optional)
# Instructions:
01 -
Fully blind bake a pie crust according to recipe instructions.
02 -
Chop the chocolate finely and place in a bowl with a fine mesh sieve positioned over it.
03 -
In a light-colored pot, melt the butter and continue cooking as it sputters and foams. Once the milk solids at the bottom turn toasty brown and emit a nutty fragrance, immediately proceed to the next step.
04 -
Pour the milk into the browned butter while whisking (this will cool the butter). Add salt, sugar, and egg yolks. Whisk thoroughly and cook on medium-low heat until the custard slightly thickens and reaches approximately 70°C (160°F).
05 -
Pour the hot custard through the fine mesh sieve over the chocolate. Stir gently, then let stand for 20 seconds. Add vanilla and stir until all chocolate has melted completely.
06 -
If the mixture appears to be separating, add the sour cream followed by the milk, stirring vigorously as you pour. The custard will come together with a thick, shiny ganache-like texture with small brown butter bits throughout. Pour into the prepared pie shell.
07 -
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until fully set.
08 -
Place all whipped cream ingredients in a food processor and process on high for 1-3 minutes until thick. Spread over the chilled chocolate custard.
# Notes:
01 -
For a sweeter filling, use semi-sweet chocolate; for deeper flavor, use dark chocolate
02 -
The small bits in the custard are intentional - they're from the brown butter and add flavor