Grandma’s Chocolate Pie with Meringue
This chocolate meringue pie with old-fashioned flavor is one of the best holiday desserts.
Gorgeous browned meringue and lovely layers make this a recipe your guests will oooh and ahhh over.
Grandma’s Chocolate Meringue Pie
Equipment
- Pie plate
- Electric Mixer
Ingredients
Chocolate Filling
- ⅓ cup cornstarch 1.5 ounces
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar 4 ounces
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips 4 ounces
For the Meringue
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 3 ounces
Assembly
- 1 9 inch prepared pie crust
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 450℉ and prepare your pie shell.
- Make the custard base. In a small bowl, add the cornstarch and whisk in 4 tablespoons of the milk to dissolve the cornstarch. To the cornstarch, whisk in the egg yolks and the whole egg, set aside. Add the remaining whole milk and granulated sugar to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from the heat.
- Cook the custard and add chocolate. Temper the cornstarch mixture with ¼ cup of the boiling milk by whisking it into the cornstarch mixture. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan with the boiling milk. Bring the milk mixture back to a boil and allow to thicken over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. (about 5 minutes) Remove from heat when thickened. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract, add in the chocolate chips and stir until completely melted.
- Fill. Pour into the prepared pie shell immediately. Set aside.
- Make the meringue. In a medium-sized bowl, add the 4 egg whites and ½ tsp cream of tartar. Using a handheld electric mixer, mix until soft peaks from. Add in the 3oz of granulated sugar and mix on high speed until glossy stiff peaks form (do not over mix) Set aside.
- Top and bake. Using a rubber spatula, spread the meringue over the pie and seal the edges of the crust with the meringue. Place the pie in the oven preheated to 450℉ to brown the meringue. (about 3-5 minutes) watch it carefully so that it does not burn.
- Cool. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
🧂 Ingredients
You’ll need the following for this beautiful dessert:
- cornstarch (do not substitute flour)
- whole milk (do not substitute low fat!)
- egg yolks
- whole egg
- granulated sugar
- salted butter
- vanilla
- dark chocolate chips
- cream of tartar
- prepared pie crust
- Pie plate
- Electric Mixer
🥫 Storage instructions
The best way to store the pie is to keep it in the fridge. This will prevent the meringue from becoming soft and soggy and will help the custard stay firm. It will keep for up to five days, tightly covered.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Don’t overmix the meringue, or it will release liquid into your pie as it cools.
- You can use a creme brulee torch to brown the meringue if desired.
- You may prefer this pie chilled or at room temperature. Try it both ways to see!
📘 Related Recipes
🍽 Serve it with
This is the perfect dessert for Christmas dinner. Try these recipes too:
- Prime Rib with Horseradish Sauce
- Cast Iron Skillet Green Beans
- White Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes
- Old Fashioned Yeast Rolls
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.