Chocolate shoofly pie is a delightful variation of traditional Amish shoofly pie. While the classic wet-bottom, crumb-topped version is well known in Lancaster County Amish kitchens, this lesser-known chocolate version is a rich and irresistible twist.
Instead of a gooey molasses base with crumbs on top, this pie features a layer of thick chocolate pudding, a moist chocolate cake layer made with molasses or syrup, and a smooth chocolate frosting. If you love chocolate, this Amish chocolate shoofly pie just might become your new favorite dessert.
Why You'll Love This Chocolate Shoofly Pie
- Rich Chocolate Flavor: This pie has layers of chocolate: thick chocolate pudding, moist chocolate cake, and smooth chocolate frosting - a chocolate lover's dream.
- A Twist on a Classic: Inspired by the traditional Amish shoofly pie, this version keeps the familiar wet-bottom and cake-like layer but adds chocolate for a decadent dessert.
- Simple Enough to Make at Home: Despite having four layers, each step is easy, and you can even use a store-bought crust or frosting to save time.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Whether for dessert, a special breakfast, or a treat with coffee, this pie is sure to impress family and friends.
- Amish-Inspired Authenticity: A Lancaster County classic with a chocolate twist - full of rich flavor but still rooted in traditional Pennsylvania Dutch baking.
How to Make Amish Chocolate Shoofly Pie
Chocolate Shoofly Pie Layers Overview
- Bottom Layer: Sugar, flour, cornstarch, cocoa, butter, water, egg → makes thick pudding
- Top Layer: Egg, brown sugar, butter/shortening, molasses or King syrup, hot water, flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon → moist chocolate cake
- Frosting: Butter, cocoa, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, cream → chocolate frosting
This pie has four layers (including the unbaked pie crust), which may sound time-consuming, but each layer does not take long to make.
Bottom Part:
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add butter, water, and egg to the saucepan. Whisk to combine.
- Cook: While whisking, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook until thickened.
- Cool: Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Tip: Whisk constantly to avoid lumps. Once thickened, it will have a pudding-like texture - that's exactly what we want!
Top Part (Cake Layer):
- Cream Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, cream together egg, brown sugar, and softened butter (or shortening/lard).
- Add Molasses and Water: Mix in molasses (or king syrup) and hot water.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix to combine.
- Tip: Don't overmix the cake batter; mix gently so it stays light and moist.
Assemble the Pie:
- Spread Bottom Layer: Once the bottom layer has partially cooled, spread it into the bottom of an unbaked pie crust.
- Add Top Layer: Spread the top cake batter part over the pudding layer.
Bake:
- Bake Pie: Place the pie on the bottom rack just below the middle of the oven. Bake for about one hour. The top part should have a cake-like consistency; a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with only a few crumbs (avoid poking through to the bottom layer as it will still be wet).
- Tip: Place on the bottom rack to prevent the chocolate cake top from over-browning while allowing the crust to bake properly.
Frosting:
- Cream Butter and Cocoa: Cream softened butter with cocoa powder.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream. Beat well.
- Tip: If frosting feels too thick, add a teaspoon of milk or cream at a time to reach spreadable consistency. If it seems too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
Finish:
- Cool and Frost: Once the pie has cooled, spread the frosting over the top.
- If you want to cut out one of the steps, you're welcome to use your favorite store-bought frosting. You can use vanilla or chocolate, whichever you prefer. But since I'm a chocolate lover, of course, I use chocolate frosting.
Crust Options
Pie crust can feel intimidating, but it's easier than it seems! You can use a store-bought crust for convenience, or make your own with my flaky pie crust recipe (video included). The more often you make homemade crust, the more confident you'll become - and it's not hard at all.
Chocolate Pie
I'm a chocolate lover! So, of course, I love anything chocolate. I'm a sucker for chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream, chocolate whoopie pies, chocolate pies, etc.
And talking about pies, perhaps you are more familiar with chocolate cream pie made with homemade chocolate pudding. It's good stuff! And I'll never turn down a slice of any kind of chocolate pie.
But honestly, between chocolate cream pie and chocolate shoofly pie, the shoofly version wins every time with its gooey bottom, moist cake, and chocolate frosting. It's Amazing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chocolate shoofly pie is a variation of traditional wet-bottom shoofly pie, made with a layer of thick chocolate pudding instead of molasses filling. It still includes a cake-like top layer made with molasses or syrup, but instead of crumbs, it's finished with chocolate frosting. This Lancaster County Amish version is richer and more dessert-like than classic shoofly pie.
Traditional shoofly pie gets its name from the sweet molasses filling that supposedly attracted flies while cooling on farmhouse windowsills. While chocolate shoofly pie tastes very different from classic molasses shoofly pie, it keeps a few key similarities.
Like traditional wet-bottom shoofly pie, it has a gooey bottom layer and a cake-like top made with molasses or syrup. However, instead of a crumb topping, this version is finished with chocolate frosting. It's richer, more chocolate flavored rather than molasses flavored.
Traditional shoofly pie has a gooey wet-bottom layer made from molasses and is typically topped with crumbs. Chocolate shoofly pie keeps the familiar wet bottom, but instead of molasses filling, it features a thick layer of chocolate pudding.
The top layer is also different. Classic shoofly pie has a crumb topping, while chocolate shoofly pie has a moist chocolate cake layer made with molasses or syrup and is finished with chocolate frosting. It's richer, more chocolate-forward, and feels more like a true dessert than a breakfast pie.
Since we want the chocolate flavor to shine in this pie, I recommend using a very mild, light-tasting molasses or syrup. King syrup is actually my first choice for this recipe because it adds sweetness and depth without overpowering the chocolate.
I use Golden Barrel baking molasses in many of my baked goods, and it's a great light molasses option. But for this chocolate shoofly pie, a milder syrup like King syrup works really well.
Store at room temperature for up to four days, or tightly wrap and freeze for longer storage. Frost just before serving if frozen.
More Amish Pie Recipes
If you love pie as much as I do, you might like to try more of my pie recipes...
This rich Pennsylvania Dutch chocolate shoofly pie is every bit as good as the traditional shoofly pie. It's rich, chocolatey, and perfect for sharing!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and if you make it, I'd love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a comment and a star rating below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe Card
Chocolate Shoofly Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Bottom Part:
- ⅔ c. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 scant Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- ⅔ c. water
- 1 egg
Top Part:
- 1 egg
- ½ c. brown sugar
- ⅓ c. softened butter, shortening, or lard
- ⅔ c. molasses or king syrup
- ½ c. hot water
- 1 ½ c. flour
- 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
Chocolate Frosting:
- 4 Tbsp. softened butter
- 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- ½ c. powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 (9") unbaked pie crust
Instructions
Bottom Part:
- Mix the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and cocoa in a saucepan.⅔ c. sugar, 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, 1 scant Tbsp. cornstarch, 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.1 Tbsp. butter, ⅔ c. water, 1 egg
- While whisking, bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Top Part:
- Cream egg, brown sugar, and butter. Add the molasses and hot water and mix to combine.1 egg, ½ c. brown sugar, ⅓ c. softened butter, shortening, or lard, ⅔ c. molasses or king syrup, ½ c. hot water
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix.1 Tbsp. cocoa powder, 1 ½ c. flour, ½ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. cinnamon
Frosting:
- Cream the butter and cocoa powder.4 Tbsp. softened butter, 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- Add the remaining ingredients and beat well.½ c. powdered sugar, pinch of salt, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
How to put the pie together:
- Start by making the bottom part. Then you can make the top part while the bottom is cooling.
- Once the (bottom layer) pudding has partially cooled, spread it into the bottom of an unbaked pie crust.
- Spread the top part over the pudding layer.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for about one hour.
- I recommend baking your pie on the bottom rack just below the middle of the oven. The top part is a cake-like consistency, so a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with only a few crumbs when finished. (Don't poke through to the bottom part since it will still be wet.)
- When the pie has cooled, spread the frosting over the top.
- Store, covered, at room temperature for up to four days. This pie can also be tightly wrapped and frozen.
Jessica
So good! Thank you sharing this recipe.
Anna
Thanks for taking the time to leave a positive review! I appreciate it!!
Anna
Perfect!!
Kathy Roberts
We tried this recipe for Father’s Day dinner. Delicious! We should have tempered the egg before we added it to the pudding but otherwise it was perfect.