last updated on October 30, 2026

For day 9 of my “12 Days of Christmas Recipes” we are making chocolate orange pie! If you are a fan of chocolate orange combination, then you will love this pie. It’s a graham cracker crust, filled with a chocolate pudding mixture with a hint of orange flavor, all topped with whipped cream, chocolate orange shavings, and orange zest! The perfect Christmas dessert!

When I was a kid we always got a Terry’s chocolate orange in our stockings. My brothers and I would all break them open and eat them all day. Since then I’ve loved chocolate orange flavor! It’s soo good. I also love chocolate orange sticks. We always have those at Christmas time, and my mom would keep them in the freezer — if you’ve never tried them in the freezer, it’s a must.

My husband Connor also loves chocolate orange flavor, and he was hyped when I told him about my idea for this pie, and he also loveddd the final product. In his words, “it has the perfect balance of chocolate and orange flavor.” The orange flavor in this pie comes from two different things. We are adding orange extract to the chocolate pudding. This gives a strong enough flavor that you can taste it in every bite! We are also adding orange zest to the whipped cream! The orange zest gives us the super fresh orange taste that keeps the flavors of this pie balanced and bright.

what ingredients do i need for this pie?

graham crackers
butter
brown sugar
milk
instant chocolate pudding mix
orange extract
heavy whipping cream
orange zest
chocolate orange shavings

how to make this pie ahead of time?

If you need to make this pie ahead of time, you’re in luck. This pie is the perfect make ahead pie! The chocolate orange pudding filling needs at least 3 hours to set up, but it can set up overnight if you’d like! So, if you want to make this pie the day before, then let it set up overnight, it will be ready to go the next day.

For the whipped cream, half of it goes into the chocolate pudding filling, then the rest goes on top! For simplicity, we whip it all up at the same time. Then add half to the pudding, and save the rest. Let the pie set up, with just the pudding filling, then add the whipped cream on top right before serving! This keeps the whipped cream really fresh.

leaving out the orange

If you are not a fan of chocolate orange flavor, but still want a great chocolate pie, just leave out the orange extract and orange zest! I’m obviously biased and like the chocolate orange combination, but this pie would be excellent without the orange flavor too. It will be a nice, rich chocolate pie.

other recipes from my 12 days of christmas recipes

chocolate orange pie with orange zest and chocolate shavings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs about 12 sheets of graham crackers
1/4 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp melted butter
2 cups whole milk
2 3.9oz boxes of instant chocolate pudding
1 tbsp orange extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp orange zest + extra for serving
Terry chocolate orange optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Add graham cracker sheets to a food processor and pulse until smooth crumbs remain. You can also use a pre-made graham cracker crust and skip these first steps.
Add the graham cracker crumbs to a bowl and add brown sugar and melted butter. Stir and transfer to an 8 or 9 inch round baking dish. Press down using your hands or the back of a measuring cup. Make sure the bottom and edges are evenly covered. Bake for 9-10 minutes and let it cool completely.
If you are in a hurry, you can transfer the crust to the fridge so it will cool quickly.
In a large bowl, add the milk, instant chocolate pudding mixes, and orange extract to a bowl. Whisk until well combined. The mixture will be really thick. Set aside while we whip the cream.
Add the heavy cream, sugar, and orange zest to a large bowl. Whip using a stand mixer or hand mixer for 4-6 minutes, until soft peaks form. Add half of the whipped cream to the bowl with the chocolate pudding. Gently stir the mixture until the whipped cream is completely mixed in. The mixture will still be quite thick, but will be lighter and fluffier.
Transfer the pudding to the cooled graham cracker crust. Cover and transfer to the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Store the extra whipped cream in a separate bowl.
Right before serving, top the pie with the remaining whipped cream. Spread the whipped cream nearly to the edge of the pie. Top with orange zest. Use a vegetable peeler to shave off shavings of the Terry chocolate orange. Add them to the top of the pie. Enjoy!
If you have leftover pie, cover and keep in the fridge. The pie will stay good for 1-2 days.

What’d you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts or if you have any questions!