A slice of espresso martini pie on a plate. — Photo:
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Purcell

Active Time:

1 hr 5 mins

Chill Time:

4 hrs

Total Time:

5 hrs 55 mins

Servings:

Yield:

10 slices

The Espresso Martini is one of the most popular cocktails out there for a reason — and we turned it into a rich and creamy chocolate pie. Instant espresso powder and Kahlúa coffee liqueur give each layer of this decadent dessert — a chocolate cookie crust, a French silk-inspired chocolate filling, and a pile of whipped cream — a strong coffee flavor. The silky, mousse-like filling also gets spiked with vodka for a little extra booziness. Garnish with a dusting of espresso powder and a trio of espresso beans to create the dessert of an Espresso Martini lover’s dreams.

Frequently asked questions

What’s in an Espresso Martini?

An Espresso Martini combines vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur like Kahlúa, and sometimes simple syrup. Much like a cup of coffee, it can be tweaked to taste — some versions use cold brew concentrate instead of espresso, and some omit the simple syrup for a less sweet cocktail. This modern classic cocktail was invented in London in the 1980s by legendary bartender Dick Bradsell.

Is there alcohol in the Espresso Martini Pie?

Yes — there is vodka and coffee liqueur in the filling that does not get baked off, and also coffee liqueur in the whipped cream. If you’d like to skip the alcohol, you can simply omit the coffee liqueur in the whipped cream. For the filling, you’ll want to replace the vodka and coffee liqueur with another liquid to ensure it sets. Five tablespoons of brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature, is a good substitute.

How do you crush cookies for a cookie crust?

To crush cookies for the crust, pulse them in a food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Alternately, you can place them in a ziplock bag and crush them with the bottom of a skillet or with a meat mallet.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Since the filling is not baked, our test kitchen calls for heating the eggs and sugar over a water bath to 160°F to prevent any risks of consuming raw eggs. Make sure to whisk constantly during this process to ensure the egg mixture cooks evenly. This process will take 10 to 15 minutes, but you can use an electric hand mixer if you prefer. If you have pasteurized eggs, you can skip Step 3 and gradually add sugar using a stand mixer or hand mixer in Step 4. If you’d like, you can swap the chocolate wafer cookies in the crust for another cookie of your choice. You can also make this even easier with a storebought cookie or plain pie crust, and proceed to Step 2.

Make ahead

You can make the pie through Step 6 up to three days in advance; cover and store in the fridge. Add whipped cream layer and garnishes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookie Crust

2 cups lightly packed finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies (from 1 [9-ounce] package)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons finely ground instant espresso powder (such as DeLallo)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

8 ounces 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 large eggs
1 cup (about 7 ounces) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa)
2 tablespoons vodka
1 tablespoon finely ground instant espresso powder (such as DeLallo)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

Whipped Cream Topping

1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon inely ground instant espresso powder (such as DeLallo), plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa)
Espresso beans, for garnish

Directions

Prepare the Chocolate Cookie Crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together cookie crumbs, sugar, espresso powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Stir in melted butter until evenly moistened. Transfer mixture to a regular 9-inch pie plate, pressing mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of dish. Bake in preheated oven until fragrant and dry to the touch, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, 45 to 60 minutes.
Prepare the Filling

Fill a small saucepan with water to a depth of about 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium, then reduce heat to low. Place chocolate in a medium-sized heatproof bowl and set bowl over saucepan, ensuring bottom of bowl does not touch water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Set melted chocolate aside at room temperature, and increase heat under saucepan to medium.
Whisk together eggs and sugar in a large heatproof bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water, ensuring bottom of bowl does not touch water. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is pale, thickened, and registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or use an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until egg mixture is very thick and pale and has cooled to room temperature, 5 to 8 minutes. With mixer on medium-low, add coffee liqueur, vodka, espresso powder, and salt; beat until fully combined, about 1 minute. With mixer running on medium-low, pour in reserved melted chocolate; beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium. Gradually add softened butter, a few pieces at a time, beating until fully incorporated after each addition, about 2 minutes total. Set aside.
Beat cream in a separate large bowl with a hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (no need to clean attachment) on medium-high speed, or whisk by hand until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold whipped cream into chocolate-egg mixture with a flexible spatula until no streaks remain; you should have about 4 cups of filling. Spoon mixture into cooled Chocolate Cookie Crust.
Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. (Cover with plastic wrap once firm if storing for longer than 4 hours.)
Before serving, prepare the Whipped Cream Topping: Beat cream, powdered sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Add coffee liqueur, and beat on medium speed until medium-stiff peaks form, about 30 seconds. You should have about 3 cups of cream. Spoon mixture over cooled pie. Dust with additional espresso powder and garnish with espresso beans, if desired. Serve cold.