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This Old Fashioned Chocolate Meringue Pie has a rich chocolate filling topped with soft meringue inside a pastry crust. This recipe came from my Grandma Zola.
Today’s recipe is an old family recipe for Chocolate Meringue Pie. It actually belonged to my grandmother and I am lucky enough to have the recipe written in her own handwriting!
Pie is one of my favorite desserts. There are a lot of pie recipes I love, but I think there is nothing quite like a homemade chocolate pie. Add a topping of meringue and you’ve just about got perfection.
Chocolate Pie Ingredients
- Sugar
- Cocoa Powder. Use a baking cocoa
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Egg Yolks
- Milk. Whole milk
- Vanilla
- Pie Crust
What Kind of Pie Crust Do I Use?
This recipe calls for a pre-baked pie crust. You can use a frozen pie crust and just bake it according to the directions on the package. You can also make one from scratch and use my Perfect Pie Crust Recipe. Bake the crust at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
How to Make Chocolate Meringue Pie
- Mix together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in a medium size sauce pan.
- Add in milk and bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
- Whisk egg yolks together in a small bowl.
- Add small amount of hot milk mixture into eggs, stirring as you add. You do not want to cook the eggs.
- Pour egg/milk mixture into saucepan with remaining milk mixture.
- Over medium heat, stir constantly for about 3 minutes or until thickened.
- Remove from heat and add in vanilla, chocolate chips and butter and stir until melted.
- Pour mixture into baked pie crust. Add meringue layer while filling is still hot.
Meringue Ingredients
- Egg Whites. These are leftover from the pie filling, make sure there is no yolk in the whites!
- Sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla
How to Make Meringue for Pie
- Beat egg whites and pinch of salt until stiff peaks form with an electric mixer.
- Slowly add in the sugar and vanilla.
- Spoon meringue over the top of the hot filling. Be sure meringue covers the entire surface and is sealed around the edges. No filling should show!
Tips for perfect meringue
- Make sure all your equipment is cleaner, especially your beaters and bowl.
- Don’t allow any egg yolk to get into your egg whites.
- Room temperature eggs whip up fluffier and lighter.
Important Tip!!
The trick here is you want to make sure that the meringue is totally sealed around the edges of the pie crust, no holes or filling peeking out!
How to Bake A Meringue Pie
- Put the pie in the oven for 15 minutes or so until the meringue is nice and golden brown. Watch it closely.,
- Allow pie to cool for several hours before slicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Weeping” is when the meringue separates from the filling and liquid forms between the two layers.
To prevent this from happening, put the meringue onto the filling while it is still hot. The heat from the filling helps to cook the meringue on the bottom which prevents it from shrinking and weeping.
Allow the pie to cool completely and then refrigerate. Chill for 3-5 hours before serving. You do not need to cover it unless it will be in the refrigerator longer.
To store the pie longer, insert toothpicks into the meringue and loosely drape plastic wrap over the tops of the toothpicks, don’t let the plastic wrap touch the meringue.
You can refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Cream or meringue topped pies do not freeze well and the crust becomes soggy if frozen.
This happens if the meringue is over baked. Overbaking causes the meringue to shrink which releases little beads of liquid.
How to Cut Meringue Pie
The secret is to dip your knife into warm water first. This will prevent the meringue from sticking to the knife.
Check the Weather!
Try and make your chocolate meringue pie on a clear, dry day. A rainy or humid day can effect the success of your meringue.
Check out more of my meringue recipes:
Chocolate Meringue Pie
Ingredients
- 9 inch pre baked pie crust
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp cocoa heaping Tbsp
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- pinch salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- few drops of vanilla
Instructions
- Mix sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt together in a pan.
- Add in milk. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
- Beat egg yolks together in a bowl.
- Add small amount of hot milk mixture into eggs, stirring as you add. You do not want to cook the eggs.
- Pour egg/milk mixture into pan with remaining milk mixture.
- Over medium heat, stir constantly for about 3 minutes or until thickened.
- Remove from heat and add in vanilla, chocolate chips and butter and stir until melted.
- Pour mixture into baked pie crust. Add meringue layer while filling is still hot.
Meringue
- Beat 4 egg whites, pinch of salt and cream of tartar until stiff.
- Add sugar and few drops of vanilla.
- Spread on top of warm pie and bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Be sure to seal meringue to edge of pie crust so no air can get in.
- Allow pie to cool and set up before serving.
Tips & Notes:
Recommended Products
Nutrition Facts:
Originally shared November 13, 2012
Kathy says
Made this for Thanksgiving. Followed recipe exactly. It turned out perfect! It was my first attempt at making meringue. I didnt think it was that hard. Just follow the recipe and read the suggestions. The pie was absolutely delicious! Great tasting!! My fiance said it was just as good if not better than his grandma use to make. I’m making another one today for Christmas dinner! Thanks for the great recipe with very clear instructions and helpful suggestions!!
Patrick O'Neill Wilson says
I’ve made this recipe several times now…and it is the closest I have come to my Grandmother’s choc.meringue pie..A wonderful pie that grandma would make for my Bday instead of cake
JoJo says
Everyone loved the pie