Chocolate Meringue Pie

A chocolate meringue pie is a truly decadent dessert. It contains a beautiful arrangement of layers, from the flaky, buttery crust to the silky, chocolate custard filling. And don’t forget that fluffy, golden, toasted-meringue topping. Our recipe makes an old-fashioned chocolate meringue pie, only today we have electric mixers to do all the hard meringue-whipping work for us.

A bit of a warning: Do not make this pie if your baking-day weather is dreary or humid, as those conditions can negatively affect your meringue. We suggest you wait to make this pie on a clear, dry day.

Chocolate Meringue Pie Ingredients

• Dough for single-crust pie: Feel free to make your own with the recipe at the bottom of this page, or use a store-bought one.
• Cocoa: Cocoa powder gives the custard filling its smooth chocolate flavor.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch gives the custard filling its thick texture.
• Milk: Whole milk adds moisture and flavor to the custard filling.
• Egg yolks: Egg yolks create the custard filling’s richness in texture and flavor.
• Egg whites: Make sure your egg whites are at room temperature so they’ll fluff up nicely for the meringue. There should not be even a speck of yolks in the egg white, or else the egg whites won’t fluff up at all.
• Cream of tartar: Cream of tartar adds stability to the meringue and helps it whip up more successfully.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the crust

Taste Recipes

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick circle. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond the rim of the plate, and flute the edge. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Taste Recipes

Editor’s Tip: If you’re bored of the same crimped pie edge, try a new decorative pie crust design.

Step 2: Parbake the crust

Taste Recipes

Line the unpricked crust with a double thickness of aluminum foil. Fill the foil with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until the crust edges are light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil and the weights. Return the crust to the oven, and bake until the bottom is golden brown, three to six minutes longer. Cool the crust at room temperature on a wire rack. Reduce the oven setting to 350°.

Step 3: Whip up the meringue

Taste Recipes

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, and continue to beat until a stiff and glossy meringue forms.

Editor’s Tip: Before starting this step, make sure all your equipment is cleaned and dried thoroughly. Any fat or food on the equipment will inhibit your meringue from whipping up.

Step 4: Create the filling

Taste Recipes

In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add the milk to the saucepan while whisking. Cook and whisk the mixture over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat, and cook, whisking, for two more minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the hot filling into the egg yolks.

Taste Recipes

Return the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, whisking, for two minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat, and whisk in the vanilla. Pour the hot filling into the pie crust.

Taste Recipes

Immediately spread the meringue evenly over the hot filling, sealing the meringue to the pie crust. Bake until the meringue is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Taste Recipes

Step 5: Cool the pie

Let the pie cool on a wire rack until set, one to two hours. Refrigerate leftovers.

Editor’s Tip: To make precise, clean cuts, run your knife under hot water, then make your pie slices.

Taste Recipes

Chocolate Meringue Pie Variations

• Use a different meringue: If you’re not a fan of the eggy, bubbly meringue in an old-fashioned chocolate meringue pie, swap it out for a Swiss meringue instead (not to be confused with Swiss meringue buttercream—that’s best for cakes!). The Swiss meringue is a bit more indulgent, and it’s incredibly smooth, fluffy and stable, reminiscent of a marshmallow.
• Top with chocolate: If you feel like this pie is missing a garnish, add some chocolate flakes, or place chocolate curls over the top. Creating chocolate curls is easy. You just need a vegetable peeler and a bar of chocolate!

How to Store Chocolate Meringue Pie

To store leftover chocolate meringue pie, insert toothpicks into the meringue so the toothpicks are sticking out quite a bit. Drape storage wrap on the toothpicks to cover the meringue (make sure the wrap is not touching the meringue). The pie can last in the refrigerator up to two days.

Chocolate Meringue Pie Tips

Taste Recipes

Why is my chocolate meringue pie watery?

Your chocolate meringue pie may be watery if you did not put the meringue on the hot pie filling right away. This watery effect is also known as “weeping.” The best way to avoid this is by adding the meringue straight onto the hot filling so the heat steams the meringue.

Can chocolate meringue pie be left out overnight?

No, chocolate meringue pie cannot be left out overnight. The best way to store baked goods made with custard and meringue is in the refrigerator.

How do I make a single-crust pie dough?

In a large bowl, combine 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1/2 cup cold butter until crumbly. Gradually add 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water, tossing with a fork until the dough holds together when pressed. Shape the dough into a disk, then wrap and refrigerate for one hour.