Sourdough French Silk Pie Cookies

These sourdough French silk pie cookies are everything you love about a slice of French silk pie, piled onto a fudgy, chewy, deep chocolate sourdough cookie! Each cookie gets a wide, shallow well filled with a real, from-scratch French silk filling (no pudding mix and no raw egg), then a cloud of lightly sweetened vanilla whipped cream and curls of dark chocolate on top. These chocolate silk pie cookies are rich, silky, and so chocolatey, with that melt-in-your-mouth filling that you already love in every bite. One taste and you’ll understand why my sister-in-law called these the best cookie I’ve ever made!

Perfect For…

• Thanksgiving dessert tables: Set them out next to the pies (and my sourdough pumpkin pie cookies!) for a handheld twist on a holiday classic.
• Christmas parties: A tray of these chocolate pie cookies looks so elegant on a holiday dessert table.
• Valentine’s Day: Rich chocolate, silky filling, and whipped cream make them a sweet treat to share with someone you love.
• Mother’s Day: Make them for the chocolate lover in your life (or for yourself, Mom!).

Why I Made These Sourdough French Silk Pie Cookies

French silk pie is probably my favorite dessert of all time, tied only with a good chocolate brownie. My sourdough double chocolate cookies already take care of my brownie cravings, and I’ve been dreaming about a cookie that could do the same for French silk pie for about a year now. My mother-in-law and I get so excited every time Dairy Queen brings back its French Silk Pie Blizzard, and I wanted that same happy feeling any time I wanted it, straight from my own oven. I started testing this recipe about six months ago and then waited (very im-patiently!) for its turn on my content calendar.

I knew from the start that I wanted a true French silk filling. Most French silk pie cookies call for instant chocolate pudding mix, but a real, from-scratch French silk pie is made with chocolate, butter, sugar, and eggs, whipped until it’s light and silky. So that’s what I made, completely from scratch. I also cook the sugar and eggs together to 160°F, so there’s no raw egg in this filling, and it’s still every bit as silky as the pie.

For the cookie “crust,” I took inspiration from my sourdough chocolate crinkle cookie dough, because it bakes up fudgy and chewy and stays that way even straight from the fridge. Right out of the oven, I press a wide, shallow well into each cookie with the back of a spoon, just like I do for my sourdough apple pie cookies and peach cobbler cookies, so there’s plenty of room for a thick layer of filling. When my family taste-tested them, my sister-in-law said they were the best cookie I’ve ever made. And though each of my sourdough cookie recipes has a special place in my heart, I might have to agree!

Essentials for the Perfect Sourdough French Silk Pie Cookies

• Digital Kitchen Scale: This recipe has three parts, and a scale keeps every one of them accurate. Weighing the flour and starter keeps the cookie fudgy and chewy, and weighing the filling ingredients (like 112g of chocolate chips and 133g of sugar) keeps that French silk texture just right. I’ve used this exact scale for years, and it has never let me down!
• Stand Mixer: A quality stand mixer does a lot of work here! I use the paddle attachment for the cookie dough and for beating the butter into the filling until it’s light and fluffy, and the whisk attachment for whipping the cream for both the filling and the topping. A handheld electric mixer works too.
• Large Cookie Scoop: A large cookie scoop (3 tbsp) gives you evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate. Big cookies also mean a big well in the center, with plenty of room for that thick layer of French silk filling!

Ingredients

Sourdough Chocolate Cookie Ingredients

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed (220g): Pack it tight for a fudgy, chewy cookie.
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar (25g): Helps the cookies spread just enough for slightly crisp edges.
• ½ cup salted butter (1 stick / 113g), slightly softened: I use it just softened enough to dent when pressed, but still cool, never shiny or oily. To use unsalted butter, add ¼ tsp additional salt.
• ½ cup sourdough starter, active or discard, stirred down (150g): I use cold starter straight from the fridge. That’s how I always bake, and how this recipe was tested. For best accuracy, measure by weight.
• 2 large egg yolks (40g): Yolks only (no whites) keep the cookie dense and fudgy, never cakey.
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (10g): Pure vanilla extract rounds out the chocolate flavor.
• ½ tsp salt (3g): Sea salt is preferred over iodized salt for a cleaner flavor.
• ¼ tsp instant coffee, or ⅛ tsp instant espresso powder (optional): It makes the chocolate taste even deeper without making the cookies taste like coffee. I always add it!
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, scooped (not spooned or sifted) (198g): Scoop it straight from the bag, no tedious spoon-and-leveling needed! Pro Tip: For the best accuracy, measure flour by weight.
• ⅓ cup cocoa or cacao powder (35g total): I always use 2 tbsp (13g) black cocoa powder for the dark, Oreo-like flavor, and the rest of the ⅓ cup (22g) unsweetened cacao powder. This blend gives the cookies their deep, dark “pie crust” color and an extra-rich chocolate flavor. It’s a similar blend to the one I use in my sourdough hot chocolate cookies. No black cocoa? Use a full ⅓ cup (35g) of cacao or cocoa powder instead. The cookies will be a lighter brown, and the chocolate crust flavor will be milder and not as rich, but they’ll still be delicious!
• 1 tsp baking soda (6g): Baking soda, not baking powder. They’re not interchangeable here!

French Silk Filling Ingredients

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar (133g): Cooked with the eggs, it dissolves completely for a perfectly smooth, silky filling.
• 1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks: The extra yolks make this filling extra rich and silky. You’ll cook them with the sugar to 160°F, so there’s no raw egg!
• ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips (112g / 4 oz), melted: The same semisweet chips I use in my other chocolate cookies. They give the filling that classic French silk chocolate flavor. I melt them in the microwave in 15–30-second bursts, stirring between each.
• Pinch of sea salt: Just a pinch makes the chocolate taste richer and keeps the filling from tasting flat.
• ½ cup heavy cream, cold (120g): Whipped to stiff peaks and folded in at the end, it makes the filling light and airy.
• 5 tbsp salted butter, softened (71g): Beaten into the chocolate mixture one tablespoon at a time, it gives French silk filling its signature fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Whipped Cream & Garnish Ingredients

• ½ cup heavy cream, cold (120g): Cold cream whips up faster and holds its shape better.
• 1½ tbsp powdered sugar (12g): Just enough for a lightly sweetened whipped cream, so the whole cookie stays perfectly balanced instead of overly sweet.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract: A full teaspoon gives the whipped cream a real vanilla flavor.
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar (optional): Helps the whipped cream hold its shape on top of the cookies. If you’re making the whipped cream just before serving, you can omit this.
• Dark chocolate bar, for shavings: I use a vegetable peeler to make shavings and curls from a Ghirardelli bittersweet baking bar. The dark chocolate shavings sprinkled on top add a little bitterness and texture that really bring the whole cookie together, and they make these cookies look like a slice of pie!

How to Make Sourdough French Silk Pie Cookies

Step 1: Preheat Oven & Prep

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: Cream the Butter & Sugars

Beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and slightly softened butter until well combined and slightly aerated, about 2 minutes. If you still see chunks of butter, keep mixing! This works best with a stand mixer (paddle attachment) or a handheld electric mixer.

Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients

Add the sourdough starter, egg yolks, vanilla extract, salt, and instant coffee or espresso powder (if using) to the bowl. Beat until smooth and slightly frothy. Pro Tip: Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl so the starter is fully mixed in with no streaks remaining.

Step 4: Incorporate the Dry Ingredients

Add the flour and cacao or cocoa powder (I use the black cocoa and cacao blend from the ingredients list), then sprinkle the baking soda evenly over the top. Mix on the lowest speed just until combined. Critical Step: Don’t overmix! Overmixing once the flour goes in can make the cookies tough instead of chewy.

Step 5: Scoop the Dough

Portion the dough into large scoops using a cookie scoop or spoon (3 tbsp / 65g each). Place 6 scoops per baking sheet to allow space for spreading.

Step 6: Bake & Press

Bake for 13–15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove when the edges are set but the centers still look soft and slightly underbaked. Immediately press the back of a spoon into the center of each cookie to flatten it slightly and create a wide, shallow well for the filling, leaving a ½-inch rim around the side. Bake 6 cookies per sheet. This recipe makes 12, so you’ll bake 2 batches.

Step 7: Cool on Baking Sheet

Allow the cookies to set on the hot baking sheet for 7 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Let them cool completely before adding the filling, or the filling will melt.

How to Make the French Silk Filling

Step 1: Cook the Sugar & Eggs

In a saucepan over low heat, whisk the granulated sugar, egg, and egg yolks constantly until the mixture reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. This takes about 8–10 minutes. Low and slow is the key here, so keep whisking!

Step 2: Add the Chocolate & Salt

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the melted chocolate chips and a pinch of sea salt, and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a clean stand-mixer bowl or mixing bowl and let it cool to room temperature, about 30–40 minutes. You can stir it often and swipe it up the sides of the bowl to help it cool faster.

Step 3: Whip the Cream

While the chocolate mixture cools, whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks (I use the whisk attachment). Keep it in the fridge until the chocolate mixture has cooled.

Step 4: Beat in the Butter

Once the chocolate mixture is at room temperature, beat it with the paddle attachment, adding the softened butter 1 tbsp at a time. Beat until the filling is lighter in color and very fluffy, about 3–5 minutes. Critical Step: Make sure the chocolate mixture has fully cooled before adding the butter. If it’s still warm, the butter will melt instead of whipping into the filling.

Step 5: Fold in the Whipped Cream

Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture with a spatula until no white streaks remain.

Step 6: Fill & Chill

Spoon 3 level tbsp (38g) of filling into the well of each cooled cookie, spreading it to about ½ inch from the edge. This is a soft filling, and it spreads a little on its own before it sets. Refrigerate the cookies for at least 1 hour, until the filling is set.

How to Top & Finish the Cookies

Step 1: Make the Whipped Cream

Whip the cold heavy cream until soft peaks form. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and optional cream of tartar, and whip to stiff peaks.

Step 2: Assemble the Cookies

Top: Pipe or spoon about 1 tbsp of whipped cream onto the center of each chilled cookie. Keep it compact, so that thick ring of chocolate filling still shows around the edge!

Add the Chocolate Curls: Run a vegetable peeler along the edge of a room-temperature dark chocolate bar to make shavings or curls, and sprinkle them over the whipped cream and filling.

Serve: These are delicious straight from the fridge! The cookie stays chewy (not tough) even when cold, so you can serve them cold or let them sit out for a few minutes first.

Storage Tips

• Store filled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Don’t stack them! The filling sets up in the fridge but stays soft, so store the cookies in a single layer.
• Unfilled cookies (cookie base-only) can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Baking ahead for a holiday? Bake the cookies a day or two early and store them unfilled. Make the filling right before you assemble them. Filling made ahead sets up in the fridge and won’t spread smoothly.

Why This Recipe Works

A great French silk pie is rich, silky, and light all at once. Here’s how these French silk cookies capture that in every bite:

• A real French silk filling. No pudding mix here! Chocolate, butter, sugar, and eggs are whipped into a silky, melt-in-your-mouth filling, just like the pie.
• No raw egg. Cooking the sugar and eggs to 160°F means you get that classic French silk texture without the raw egg.
• A dark, fudgy chocolate “crust.” My chocolate crinkle cookie dough, made extra dark with a little black cocoa, bakes up fudgy and chewy, and it stays that way even straight from the fridge.
• A wide, shallow well. Pressing the warm cookies with a spoon makes room for a thick layer of filling, so every bite tastes like pie.
• Dark chocolate curls and a pinch of salt. A little bitterness and salt balance the sweet filling and whipped cream, so the chocolate flavor really shines.

The Sourdough Cookie Lady Tips

• Press the wells right away. The cookies are soft for only a minute or two out of the oven. Press each one with the back of a spoon immediately, before they start to set.
• Cool the chocolate mixture completely. It should be fully at room temperature before you add the butter, so the butter whips into the filling instead of melting.
• Make the filling right before you assemble. Fresh filling spreads smoothly into the wells. Bake the cookies ahead if you like, but save the filling for assembly day.
• Use slightly softened butter. The butter should dent when pressed but still feel cool and offer some resistance. Don’t let it get melted, shiny, or oily.
• Do not overbake the cookies. Remove them when the edges are set but the centers still look soft and slightly underbaked. They’ll keep firming up on the hot baking sheet, giving you a fudgy center instead of a dry one.
• Measure the flour and sourdough starter by weight if possible. The balance between flour and the moisture from the starter makes a big difference in texture. Weighing them helps prevent cookies that spread too much or turn out thick and dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there raw egg in French silk pie cookies?

No, there isn’t! Many classic French silk pie recipes use raw eggs, but in this recipe, the sugar and eggs are cooked together on the stove to 160°F, the temperature the USDA recommends for cooking eggs. You still get that silky, fluffy French silk texture.

Do these French silk pie cookies use pudding mix?

No, they don’t! Most French silk pie cookies that I’ve seen use instant chocolate pudding, but this filling is a true French silk filling made from scratch with chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, and whipped cream.

Do sourdough French silk pie cookies taste sour?

No, they don’t! The sourdough starter works behind the scenes for texture more than flavor, and the rich chocolate takes center stage. To make sure the cookies do not taste sour, use starter or discard that has been fed within the last two weeks. Older discard and the long-fermented option (up to 48 hours in the fridge) may give them a more noticeable tang.

Do French silk pie cookies need to be refrigerated?

Yes, they do. Because of the filling and whipped cream, keep the filled cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cookie stays chewy, not tough, even cold, so they’re delicious straight from the fridge.

Can I make sourdough French silk pie cookies ahead of time?

Yes, the cookies can be baked ahead! You can store them unfilled at room temperature, then make the filling right before you assemble them. Or, you can fully assemble the cookies (be sure to use the cream of tartar in the whipped cream if making in advance), and store in a single layer for up to 3 days in the fridge. Do not make the filling until you are putting it on the cookies.

Can I make these without black cocoa powder?

Yes, you can! Use a full ⅓ cup (35g) of cacao or cocoa powder in place of the black cocoa and cacao combo. The cookies will be a lighter brown instead of that deep, dark “pie crust” color, and the crust will not have that rich Oreo-like flavor found in black cocoa. But they will still be delicious!

Can I use active starter instead of discard?

Absolutely! Both active starter and sourdough discard work well here. The baking soda does the heavy lifting for leavening, so the starter doesn’t need to be active. Just be sure to stir active starter down if measuring by volume.

Do I have to chill the dough before baking?

No, you don’t! The cookie dough is no-chill, so you can bake right away. The only chilling in this recipe is the hour the filled cookies spend in the fridge to set. If you’d like deeper sourdough flavor, you can refrigerate the dough scoops for up to 48 hours. See the long-fermentation directions below for the full method.

Can I freeze sourdough French silk pie cookie dough?

Absolutely! For best results, follow this flash-freezing method:

1. Scoop: Portion the dough into balls (3 tbsp / 65g each) and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. They can be close together, but make sure they are not touching.
2. Flash Freeze: Place the sheet in the freezer for about 1 hour, or until the dough balls are firm to the touch.
3. Store: Transfer the frozen dough balls into a gallon freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months!

Pro Tip: Freeze a batch of dough before the holidays! On Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve, bake the cookies, press the wells, and make a fresh batch of filling while they cool. You’ll have a showstopping dessert with half the work.

Tips for Baking Frozen Dough:

Thaw Partially: For best results, allow frozen dough to sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before baking. This helps achieve a texture and baking time nearly identical to a fresh batch of dough.

Potentially Increase Bake Time: You may need to add 1–2 minutes to the baking time if the dough is still colder than fresh dough would be. Press the wells right out of the oven, just like a fresh batch.

How to Make Long-Fermented Sourdough French Silk Pie Cookies

For deeper sourdough flavor and a slower fermentation that some bakers prefer, follow these simple directions:

1. Prepare & Portion: Make the dough as directed, then portion it into large scoops (3 tbsp / 65g each).
2. Cold Ferment: Place the scoops in an airtight container, or cover them tightly on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for up to 48 hours. The longer the dough ferments, the tangier it may taste.
3. Soften the Dough: Let the portions sit at room temperature for about 15–30 minutes, until they feel cool but not cold and a gentle press leaves a slight dent. Warmer kitchens will be on the shorter end.
4. Bake & Fill: Place 6 portions on a lined baking sheet, bake, and press the wells according to the recipe directions. Then cool, fill, and top as directed!

More Chocolate Sourdough Cookies

• Sourdough Double Chocolate Cookies
• Sourdough Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Sourdough Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies
• Sourdough Cookies and Cream Cookies

Sourdough French Silk Pie Cookie Recipe:

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