Mini Chocolate Pudding Pies with Blueberries Recipe (4 Ingredients, No-Bake)

For most of my childhood, my grandmother lived on the beach in southern Connecticut. Not once but twice in her years there, the little house washed away in hurricanes, but the appeal of the surf was too much for her. She always stayed. 

Grandma wore her reputation as the most popular girl in her high school with pride throughout her long life. She continued to entertain large groups of friends and family at the beach well into her eighties.

Though she was a master hostess, I never really understood her mantle as my family’s culinary doyenne. Her specialty at the beach was making large fruit salads, which required, well, cutting up fruit. I was never a fan of her signature lemon chiffon pie either, despite its layers of whipped cream so thick that my grandfather simply couldn’t help but throw it in her face during one fateful party. She didn’t think it was as funny as he did, and their marriage didn’t last into my lifetime.

But there was another pie that she made almost as often as the lemon one. I didn’t inherit her role as the cook of the family—that went to my chef-restaurateur brother—but I’m the keeper of the mini chocolate pies.

An Easy, No-Bake Dessert for Summer

To make these mini wonders, all Grandma did was purchase some Keebler mini graham cracker pie crusts, make some Jell-O instant chocolate pudding, then spoon the pudding into the crusts and chill. My innovation? Adding fresh blueberries. Since the pudding is already cool when you make it, the berries don’t cook or get mushy.

I love that I can make a satisfying dessert without having to turn on the stove. The petite size of each serving means that I never feel overly full after having a pie. I always wondered if my Grandma liked making them because there was no danger of one being thrown in her face. 

Either way, it’s my favorite summer dessert, not only because it reminds me of her and the cool waves of the beach, but because it’s always a hit. Everyone I serve it to thinks that I’m a genius for putting together something so simple and satisfying. Maybe Grandma had more acumen in the kitchen than I thought—perhaps it’s not about the complexity of the recipe, but the enjoyment the people around you get from it.

How To Make My Grandma’s 4-Ingredient Mini Chocolate Pudding Pies

For six servings, you’ll need:

• 6 store-bought mini Graham cracker pie crusts
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 (3.4-ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 3 cups cold milk

Arrange the pie crusts on a baking sheet or serving tray. Place a few blueberries in the bottom of each crust.

In a medium bowl, combine the pudding mix with the cold milk. Whisk until well combined but not yet set, about 2 minutes. Spoon enough pudding into each crust to fill to the top. There will be some leftover—go ahead and eat it! Place a single blueberry on top of each pie to garnish. Serve immediately or cover loosely with foil and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Theoretically, these will last in the fridge for about a week, but chances are they’ll be gone well before that.

More Refreshing Desserts for Summer Entertaining