Gather all ingredients.

Beat sugar and egg yolks together in a large bowl until creamy.

Mix in cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt until well blended.

Gently stir in milk.

Pour mixture into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until boiling and thickened enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla extract. Set aside to cool slightly.

Pour mixture into prepared pastry shell; chill pie in the refrigerator until set, 2 to 4 hours.

Garnish with whipped topping. Enjoy! Indulge in this decadent chocolate cream pie recipe that makes a silky smooth pudding-like filling from scratch for a chocolate lover's dream dessert. This impressive dessert comes together in no time, and the cornstarch helps stabalize and thicken the filling with ease.