Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie

From the kitchen of Carly

A buttery oat crust cradles dark chocolate filling in this stunner of a pie. Crisp pastry, nutty oats, and rich chocolate layers create the kind of contrast that makes dessert worth the calories. Pure comfort in every forkful.

Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie

Chocolate and oats sound wholesome until a spoonful of corn syrup custard hits your tongue. Black bottom pie marries an oatmeal filling (nutty, substantial) with a dark chocolate layer that catches at the bottom of the pan. The crust gets brushed with egg white for shine, and ginger adds a whisper of spice that keeps things from tipping too sweet. Built for a crowd, but honestly good enough to hoard.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 1/4 cupunbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tspkosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tspgranulated sugar
  • 1/4 lbcold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cupcold water
  • 2 tbspcider vinegar
  • 1/2 cupice
  • 1egg white glaze
  • 1 1/2 cuprolled oats
  • 1/4 cupheavy cream
  • 4 ozbittersweet chocolate , chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 3/4 cuppacked light brown sugar
  • 1/4 tspground ginger
  • 1/2 tspkosher salt
  • 5 tbspunsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cupdark corn syrup
  • 1 tspvanilla extract
  • 2 tspcider vinegar
  • 4 largeeggs
  • 1Pie weights or beans
  • 9-inch pie plate

Instructions

  1. Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl, then add the butter pieces and toss them through the flour mixture with a bench scraper or spatula. Switch to a pastry blender and cut the butter in quickly until mostly pea-size pieces remain, with a few larger chunks here and there. Stop before it gets too smooth.

  2. Mix the water, cider vinegar, and ice together in a large measuring cup or small bowl. Scatter 2 tablespoons of that ice water over the flour mixture and work it in with a bench scraper or spatula until fully absorbed. Keep adding the ice water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing and pressing with the scraper, your hands, or both, until the dough gathers into a rough ball with a few dry bits. Pinch and squeeze those dry bits in, adding tiny drops of ice water as needed. Pat the dough into a flat disc, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

  3. Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough into a round 2 to 3 inches wider than your pan and about 1/8 inch thick. Lay it into the pie pan, trim the overhang to 1 to 1 1/2 inches, and slide the pan into the freezer for 20 minutes. While that chills, position racks on the bottom and middle levels and preheat the oven to 425°F. After 10 minutes in the freezer, pull the crust out and press a sheet of aluminum foil tightly against it.

  4. Scatter the pie weights or beans into the foil-lined shell, concentrating them toward the edges rather than the center. Set the pan on a preheated baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the crimped edges are set but still pale. Pull the pan and baking sheet from the oven, lift out the foil and weights, and let the crust rest for a minute. Brush a thin coat of egg white glaze over the bottom and sides to seal the crust, then return the pan, still on the baking sheet, to the middle rack for 3 more minutes. Cool completely before adding any filling.

  5. Turn the oven down to 350°F. Spread the oats on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden. Set them aside to cool, then drop the oven temperature to 325°F.

  6. For the ganache, heat the heavy cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until it just reaches a boil. Take it off the heat and pour in the chopped chocolate. Swirl the pan to let the cream surround the chocolate, then cover and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. Whisk gently until the mixture is completely smooth. Scrape the ganache into the cooled pie shell, spread it evenly across the bottom, and park the shell in the freezer to set while you prepare the filling.

  7. Whisk the brown sugar, ginger, salt, and melted butter together in a large bowl until combined. Pour in the corn syrup, vanilla, and cider vinegar and whisk again. Crack in the eggs one at a time, blending thoroughly after each one, then fold in the cooled toasted oats.

  8. Set the ganache-coated shell on a rimmed baking sheet and pour the filling in. Bake on the middle rack for about 55 minutes, rotating the pie 180 degrees somewhere between 30 and 35 minutes in, once the edges begin to set. The pie is done when the edges are puffed and firm and the center feels slightly firm to the touch but still has a gentle give, like gelatin. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely, 2 to 3 hours, before slicing. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Make your pie dough at least a day ahead. The rest mellows the gluten and makes it easier to roll without shrinking in the oven.
  • When you scatter the chopped chocolate into the blind-baked crust, it won't melt completely. That's the point. You want those distinct chocolate chips throughout the filling, not a uniform layer.
  • Chill the formed, trimmed crust in the freezer for the full 20 minutes before blind baking. Cold dough doesn't puff and shrink like dough at room temperature.

Variations

  • Skip the ginger and add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne for a chocolate heat version. Change nothing else.
  • Toast your rolled oats in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes before mixing into the filling. Extra depth, barely any fuss.
  • Use pecans or walnuts chopped fine in place of half the oats. You get crunch and nuttiness that plays well with the chocolate layer.
  • Swap half the corn syrup for molasses if you like a darker, almost burnt-sugar note under the oats.

Make ahead and storage

Keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended because the custard filling can separate when thawed. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven if you want a slice warm.