Chocolate Meringue Pie - an old fashioned, rich, and deliciously indulgent dessert. Velvety chocolate filling topped with clouds of fluffy meringue.
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!
More Pie Recipes on Never Enough Thyme
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
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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
Nutrition
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Lana Stuart is the cook and occasional traveler here at Never Enough Thyme. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
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Jacinda says
I just made this pie... took it out of the oven and it didn't set. :( Was the filling supposed to be thick? I followed the times when cooking on the stove top but it remained a liquid. It tastes good but it's not right. :(
Lana Stuart says
Yes, the filling should be thick like chocolate pudding and should have already been thick when placed in the pie crust. The baking is only to cook and brown the meringue.
Nechama Yehuda says
How long will this keep?
Lana Stuart says
Well, the standard recommendation for keeping refrigerated cooked/prepared food (leftovers, etc.) is about three days.
Anonia Tutor says
I'm a student at South Pontotoc Middle School in Mississippi I love this recipe and was going to use this picture in a website of mine but i have one question what is the copyright?
Lana Stuart says
Hi Anonia. Thanks very much for asking. All images on my site are protected by copyright. However, I would give you permission to use it on your web site so long as you are not using it for profit. I'd like to see how you've used it if you'd could send me a link when you've placed it in your web site.
Penny Hein says
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.
Lana Stuart says
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!
Rocquie says
My Mother used to make this when I was a girl. My Dad absolutely loved it. Thanks for the memory. --Rocquie
Miss P says
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
Lana Stuart says
I know. I was thinking of him the whole time I was making this pie. And Aunt Margie was something else in the kitchen!
Dianne Evans says
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
Lana Stuart says
Yes, this recipe has been around for a long time! I have a feeling it was developed by Hershey to sell cocoa powder :-)
Denisa says
Hi Lana... I just had to tell you that I made this pie last night and it literally is the first of who knows how many failed attempts that it set up and worked! They always tasted and looked fantastic but practically needed a straw to eat it. I thought I had tried every variation but seems I have barely scratched the surface. I am making 2 more today as I am so excited to show any and everyone that’s had mine in the past.
Anyway - thanks so very much for posting this and making such a large part of my youth back to life. Sincerely- denise
Lana Stuart says
I'm so happy to know that the recipe worked out well for you! It's definitely a good one.
PJ Copeland says
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?
Lana Stuart says
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.