This Chocolate Meringue Pie is one of my favorite recipes. I can’t really tell you where it came from, who invented it, or who it “belongs” to (a big deal in the food blogging world), but what I can tell you is that it’s magic.
Magic in that it can disappear. Right before your eyes. Before you know it, it’ll be completely gone without a trace. Except for maybe the telltale smudges around a few little mouths :-)
This was my Uncle Bud’s favorite pie. His wife, my Aunt Marjorie, was one of the best cooks I’ve ever known. Aunt Marjorie taught me Chemistry and maybe Biology, I forget, in high school, but I believe she was actually a home economics major.
She was an absolute whiz in the kitchen and a wonderful homemaker along with being a professional, career woman. I have to believe she would thoroughly approve of my chocolate pie recipe. And I have no doubt you will, too!
Fair warning – this pie is very sweet and very, very rich. You’ll only need a small slice (yeah, right). It easily serves 8 and could stretch to 10.
Chocolate Meringue Pie - an old fashioned, rich, and deliciously indulgent dessert. Click To Tweet
How to Make Chocolate Meringue Pie:
In a medium bowl, whisk the 3 egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, salt, and cornstarch.
Stir in about one cup of the milk. Place over medium high heat and with a large whisk, gradually add the remaining milk, whisking constantly until well blended.
Bring to a low boil. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add a small amount of the hot mixture to the egg yolks, stirring well, then add the egg mixture back to the cocoa mixture in the saucepan. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
Pour into the cooked, cooled pie shell.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Spread immediately on hot filling and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top.
Makes 8 servings.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Meringue Pie
Ingredients
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 3 cups milk
- 3 tblsp. butter, softened
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 9-inch baked and cooled pie shell
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the 3 egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, salt, and cornstarch. Stir in about one cup of the milk. Place over medium high heat and with a large whisk, gradually add the remaining milk, whisking constantly until well blended. Bring to a low boil. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Add a small amount of the hot mixture to the egg yolks, stirring well, then add the egg mixture back to the cocoa mixture in the saucepan. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour into the cooked, cooled pie shell.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Spread immediately on hot filling and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top.
Notes
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More Pie Recipes on Never Enough Thyme
- Coconut Meringue Pie
- Egg Custard Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Pecan Cheesecake Pie
- Vintage Hot Fudge Pie
More chocolate pie recipes you might enjoy:
- Chocolate Pecan Pie from Handle the Heat
- Chocolate Chess Pie from Add a Pinch
- Mile High Chocolate Stout Pie from The Beeroness
- Chocolate Cream Pie from Tide and Thyme
- Chocolate Dream Pie from Taste and Tell
My husband doesn’t like meringue. Much prefers whipped cream. Would the pie still need to be baked if I do not use the meringue?
PJ – no, you would not bake it if not topping with meringue. The baking is for cooking the meringue. Just cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
When I had my little Home Sweet Home Bakery in NC, I sold hundreds of this pie…one of the favorites. This exact recipe is in my cookbook, “Turnip Greens, Ham Hocks & Granny’s Buns” ! I take it to family gatherings…a favorite! I compared our recipes and they were exactly the same…South Georgia girls!!!! Love your site…Dianne
Yes, this recipe has been around for a long time! I have a feeling it was developed by Hershey to sell cocoa powder :-)
Oooooh…. when I saw the picture, I immediately said “Uncle Bud.” He would have loved it. And, Aunt Margie was hands down a fantastic cook, especially sweets.
Thanks for the memory.
Miss P
I know. I was thinking of him the whole time I was making this pie. And Aunt Margie was something else in the kitchen!
My Mother used to make this when I was a girl. My Dad absolutely loved it. Thanks for the memory. –Rocquie
My momma made the best chocolate meringue pie,but every time l have tried the bottom of crust is soggy,l always wanted for pudding to cool completely before putting in cooled baked pie shell,then l put meringue on and put in oven to brown.Is that the problem ,should l put pudding in shell as soon as it cooks,without cooling it then put meringue on and put in oven,my mom is no longer with us and my son’s miss her chocolate pie so much,please help what am l doing wrong.
It’s always hard to say what might be wrong without being in the kitchen with someone, but a couple of things you can try to prevent a soggy crust are 1) brush the crust with beaten egg and 2) bake on a hot baking sheet (heat the sheet in the oven while it preheats). Hope that helps!