Chocolate Meringue Pie is an old fashioned chocolate pie recipe with a dark, rich chocolate filling balanced by a soft, fluffy meringue topping. I’m sharing my grandmother’s signature recipe and all my best tips for a successful pie every time!
Homemade chocolate pie was my grandmother’s signature dessert. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember her making any other dessert. Ever.
It’s smooth chocolate filling was so rich, dark and sweet only a small slice was needed… even though just one slice never seemed like enough. It was completely decadent, indulgent, and she kept the recipe close like a well-guarded family secret.
RELATED RECIPES: Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
But over time, she did end up sharing how to make her chocolate lover’s dream. A cream, or custard pie, it’s chocolatey pudding filling is made with cocoa powder, sugar, egg yolks, flour and butter, cooked low and slow on the stove top, poured into a flaky, buttery crust and finally topped with a soft meringue crown.
The salty crust and lightly sweetened meringue perfectly balance the chocolatey-est of desserts perfect for every special occasion and family gathering, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas!
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in this section along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie Ingredients
- 9 inch pie crust
- cocoa powder
- sugar
- eggs
- salted butter
- flour
- evaporated milk
- cream of tartar
How to Make Chocolate Pie Filling
Mix the Wet Ingredients. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, beat egg yolks, evaporate milk and water. Set aside.
Mix Dry Ingredients. In a medium sauce pan, whisk together all of the dry ingredients- sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt.
Cook the Filling on the Stove Top. Place the dry ingredients over medium low heat. Whisk in wet ingredients, continuing to whisk until mixture begins to heat up and become very smooth. Add butter. Use a wooden spoon to stir until butter melts. Stir continuously, paying close attention to the edges of the sauce pan to keep pie filling from scorching.
Cook Until the Filling Is Almost Set. Continue to stir and cook filling over low heat for 10 minutes or until filling becomes very thick and shiny. Remove from heat and set aside. Cover with a kitchen towel to keep in the heat.
Why is My Chocolate Pie Runny?
Most of the time, a chocolate pie is runny when sliced into because the filling wasn’t cooked long enough on the stove top. The filling will start to thicken as it heats up. But a little bit thick, or thicker than it was when you started, isn’t nearly thick enough.
The filling needs to be almost the consistency you want it when you slice into that pie before you take it off the heat. It should cling to your wooden spoon without running when lifted from the sauce pan. If you have a candy thermometer, the filling should be around 160 degrees when you remove it from the heat.
The chocolate filling will set up completely as it cools, but it won’t dramatically transform. So make sure that it is close to the consistency of a finished pie before removing from the stove top.
How To Make A Meringue Topping
Beat Egg Whites. Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with whisk attachment and a metal bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until egg whites become solid white and soft peaks begin to form.
Add Sugar. Turn mixer to high speed. Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time as you continue to beat the egg whites. Make sure the sugar completely dissolves before adding the next tablespoon. Continue mixing at high speed until meringue is glossy and stiff peaks have formed.
Soft peaks: The egg whites will have turned solid white and will make little peak, or point, when the mixer’s whisk is lifted from the bowl. However, the point will fold over on itself.
Stiff peaks: When the egg whites have become glossy and very stiff, they will form a point that will stand straight up and not fold over or bend down. This can take 4-5 minutes of continuously beating the egg whites.
More Meringue Tips
- Using a metal or glass bowl and room temperature egg whites yields the best results.
- The bowl and the mixer attachments must be clean and dry. Any sort of residue will keep the egg whites from fluffing up. This also includes bits of egg yolks.
- Meringue should be added to hot pie filling so that the underside of the meringue cooks (and not just the top in the oven). This also keeps the meringue from sweating, or seperating and leaving a watery residue on your pie.
- When topping a pie, meringue should be spread to the edges of the filling so that it touches the fluting of the crust (NOT like the photos which I did just so the filling would show in the pictures). This keeps the meringue from shrinking.
- Cook your pie on a day that isn’t humid. Humidity will ruin a good pie and meringue every time.
Keep Your Crust Being Soggy
Want to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom in your finished pie? Brush the bottom of your pie crust with an egg wash that will seal your pie crust when it’s baked. Also, avoid making your pies too far in advance. The longer they sit, the more the pie crust will absorb moisture from the filling.
More Classic Pie & Cake Recipes
- Mamaw’s German Chocolate Cake
- Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
- Mamaw’s Fresh Apple Cake
- Old Fashioned Coconut Ice Box Cake
- Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
If You Love Classic Pies & Have Made This Recipe, Give It All The Stars & Leave A Fun Comment! I Love Hearing From You!
Old Fashioned Chocolate Meringue Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9 inch pie shell, blind baked
- 2 cups sugar
- â…” cups cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, heaping tablespoons
- 3 large egg yolks (save egg whites for meringue)
- 1 ¼ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, sliced into smaller pieces
Meringue Topping
- 3 large egg whites
- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Homemade Chocolate Pie Filling
- In a small bowl or large measuring cup, mix together wet ingredients- egg yolks, evaporate milk and water. Set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, whisk together all of the dry ingredients- sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt. Place over medium low heat on the stove top. Whisk in wet ingredients, continuing to whisk until mixture begins to heat up and become very smooth. Add butter. Use a wooden spoon to stir until butter melts. Stir continuously, paying close attention to the edges of the sauce pan to keep pie filling from scorching.
- Continue to stir and cook filling over low heat for 10 minutes or until filling becomes very thick, shiny and clings to the wooden spoon without running when lifted from the sauce pan. Remove from heat and set aside. Cover with a kitchen towel to keep in the heat.
Meringue Topping
- Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with whisk attachment and a metal bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until egg whites become solid white and soft peaks begin to form.
- Turn mixer to high speed. Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time as you continue to beat the egg whites. Make sure the sugar completely dissolves before adding the next tablespoon. Continue mixing at high speed until meringue is glossy and stiff peaks have formed.
Assemble Pie
- As soon as the meringue is ready, pour hot pie filling into blind baked pie crust. Spoon meringue onto hot pie filling. Use the back of spoon to push the meringue to the edge of the filling so that it touches the fluting of the crust. Use the back of the spoon to create swirls and peaks in the meringue.
- Immediately place in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the meringue begins to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely for 1 hour. Cover with a pie dome or pie carrier and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
love this post ~`and all the tips for making it ~~thank-you ~`old tried and trey recipes are simply the best & when they come from Grandma even more so ~~Merry Christmas & now i know what to make ~~ smile
Hi, Denise! You are so very welcome! I am a sold out fan of old, tried and true family recipes. Lots of love have gone into them, and that should be shared. I am just tickled you will be making pie for Christmas. Merriest of Christmases to you!