Cream Puff Pie (aka cream puff cake or eclair cake)

Published July 24, 2012. Updated January 15, 2019

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Cream Puff Pie – this is one of the easiest and tastiest pies I’ve ever made. I adore cream puffs. Basically I could eat about 20 or more in one sitting (if I didn’t exercise any self control). So, when I saw this cake, and noticed how many of the reviewers had made a pie version of it I knew I had to give it a try.

I don’t want a little wimpy piece of cake I want a big slice of pie! I’m so glad I tried this pie. I like it equally as much, if not more than cream puffs.

Cream Puff Pie | Cooking Classy
I used a different pastry cream than that listed on the original recipe. I like to call it “cheaters pastry cream” because it is made from a boxed pudding mix. It’s not often I use mixes when I cook and bake but in this case, for pastry cream, I love to. It always guarantees the perfect consistency, a great texture, and I also like how it’s just a bit sweeter than your average pastry cream that’s made from scratch.

I don’t know if I would love it so much if it weren’t loaded with so much cream though =). I’ve said it before, cream makes everything better. Yes, my Momma taught me right. She loves cream and she definitely handed that down to me.

You will find this pie is anything but shy on the cream. That is what makes it so incredibly creamy, delicious and decadently divine. You may even want to make two of these because they are going to go quick. Enjoy and share!

Cream Puff Pie | Cooking Classy

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5 from 2 votes

Cream Puff Pie (aka cream puff cake or eclair cake)

An easy to make rich and creamy pie! Made with an eclair style crust and finished with a creamy vanilla pudding and fluffy whipped cream.
Servings: 10
Prep20 minutes
Cook35 minutes
Cool30 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

To prepare puff pastry pie shell:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter a 9 inch pie dish, set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Once mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes together forming a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. 
  • Remove from heat and while stirring, add in eggs one at a time mixing until well combine after each addition. Using buttered hands, spread mixture into an even layer over the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pie dish. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes until golden brown. Cool pie shell completely. 
  • Meanwhile (you can do this while the pie shell bakes), prepare chocolate sauce by combining semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave chocolate mixture on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. 
  • Cool completely (it needs to be cool or it will melt the whipped cream, you can chill it in the fridge while the pie shell bakes and cools, then reheat it slightly in the microwave on HIGH power in 5 second intervals, stirring after each interval until desired consistency is reached).

To prepare cheaters pastry cream

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, milk and pudding mix, for about 3 minutes until mixture has thickened. Spread pastry cream into an even layer over cooled puff pastry pie shell (note that it's pretty much inevitable that you're going to have some bubbles in the pie shell, you can try and flatten them a bit before spreading in the filling).

To prepare sweetened whipped cream

  • In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip 3/4 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add in granulated sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Spread sweetened whipped cream evenly over pastry cream layer.
  • Cut pie into slices and drizzle each slice with cooled chocolate sauce. Serve immediately. Note: this pie is best served the day prepared. Also note, the sweetened whipped cream will begin to separate after about 3 hours so plan accordingly. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
  • Recipe Source: adapted slightly from allrecipes.com

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38 Comments

  • Cary

    This was awesome! Tastes exactly like eclair. Simple to make also

  • Katie

    WOW! so simple, yet SO tasty! The crust is fantastic, yum. Thanks for the recipe.

  • Sandy Sutton

    I have probably made this pie 10 times since I first found it and pinned it. My grandson requests it every time that we are having dessert. It turns out great every time! So quick and easy and easy to have the simple ingredients on hand. Everyone is impressed and no one guesses how truly easy it is. Thank you so very much for sharing!!

  • Melissa Howell

    Hi Jaclyn! Just made this for Thanksgiving, and it was fantastic! The crust puffed WAY up, but I just pushed it down and it was fine :) This pie tasted exactly like a cream puff!

  • Autumn

    Tried to make several times but the crust never came out right. It keeps shrinking to the middle in a think biscuity form. I’m not sure what I am doing wrong. Was trying to make as a Thanksgiving treat.

  • Robert

    I made this for church picnic July 4th. Very hot day and the topping melted, but everybody still loved it. I usually make cream puffs. I thought of a trick I use for cutting Napoleons, I freeze and then take to where I am going and by the time I get there it is perfect. The cheater cream filling is to die for and that is what everybody loves the most. Very delicious pie, thanks for the recipe.

  • Liss

    This pie was the highlight of our weekly teatime! It was one of the biggest hits we’ve ever had. The crust and the filling have such genuine creme puff qualities, I was stunned. I can say for certain that I will be making this again – in fact, my mother told me so. Thanks for another great recipe.