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My mother’s chocolate pie was the plainest recipe in her box and the one everybody asked for. There was no chocolate in it, only cocoa powder, sugar, a little flour and cornstarch, milk, egg yolks and a piece of butter, cooked together on the stove into a dark, glossy pudding. One Sunday a neighbor man ate three slices at our table and told her she must have melted down a whole bar of good chocolate to get a pie that rich. She just smiled and cut him a fourth. She never told him, and I am telling you now: cocoa makes a deeper, darker chocolate pie than chocolate does, because there is no extra fat to mute the flavor.
The method is old and simple. The dry ingredients are whisked together first so the cocoa has no lumps, then the milk and the egg yolks are whisked in cold, and the whole thing is stirred in a heavy pan over medium heat until it thickens and bubbles, about 10 to 12 minutes. Off the heat go the butter and vanilla, and the hot filling goes into a crust that was baked ahead. The saved egg whites are beaten with sugar into a tall meringue, spread to the edge of the crust while the filling is still hot, and browned in the oven. Then comes the hardest part in any house: waiting for it to cool all the way before cutting, or it slumps on the plate.
Why this chocolate pie works
- Cocoa, not chocolate. Unsweetened cocoa has more chocolate flavor for its weight than bar chocolate and no extra fat, so the pie tastes darker and sets cleaner.
- Dry ingredients whisked first. Mixing the cocoa, sugar, flour and cornstarch before any liquid goes in is what keeps the filling smooth and lump free.
- Cooked until it bubbles. The starch only thickens fully once the filling comes to a boil. Cook it one or two minutes past the first bubbles so it sets firm.
- Meringue on a hot filling. Hot filling cooks the underside of the meringue, which stops it weeping and sliding.
- Sealed to the crust. Spreading the meringue right onto the crust edge keeps it from shrinking back as it cools.
Ingredients
Makes one 9 inch pie, 8 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the filling
- 1 baked 9 inch pie crust, cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (30g)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (32g)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (16g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 cups whole milk (720ml)
- 4 large egg yolks (save the whites)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the meringue
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Use plain unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch processed. Dutch processed gives a darker, smoother pie; natural cocoa tastes a little brighter. Whole milk makes the creamiest filling.
How to make chocolate pie
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Have the baked pie crust ready on a baking sheet.
- In a heavy saucepan, off the heat, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, flour, cornstarch and salt until there are no lumps at all.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks into the cold milk. Pour the milk mixture into the saucepan slowly, whisking, until smooth.
- Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or a flat wooden spoon and scraping the bottom and corners, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the filling thickens like pudding and begins to bubble. Keep stirring for 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until the butter melts and the filling is glossy. Pour the hot filling into the baked crust.
- Right away, make the meringue: beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer until foamy, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time, beating on high until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla.
- Spoon the meringue over the hot filling, starting at the edges and spreading it so it touches the crust all the way around. Pile the rest in the middle and lift it into peaks with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the peaks are golden brown. Cool on a rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours more, until fully set, before slicing with a wet knife.
Tips that make the difference
- Never stop stirring the filling once it is on the heat. Cocoa and milk scorch quickly on the bottom of the pan.
- If a few lumps form anyway, pour the hot filling through a fine sieve into the crust before adding the meringue.
- Add the sugar to the meringue slowly. Sugar dumped in all at once leaves grainy beads that weep on the finished pie.
- Dip the knife in hot water and wipe it between slices for clean cuts through the meringue.
Variations
- Whipped cream top. Skip the meringue, press plastic wrap onto the filling, chill until set, and top with sweetened whipped cream. Use the extra whites another day.
- Graham cracker crust. Use a baked graham cracker crust for a softer, sweeter base.
- Mocha. Whisk 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder in with the cocoa for a deeper flavor.
- Chocolate pudding. Pour the filling into dessert bowls instead of a crust for plain old-fashioned cocoa pudding.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the pie in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to 3 days. Meringue pies are at their best on the first and second day.
To cover a meringue pie without crushing it, rest a large bowl upside down over it, or stick a few toothpicks in the meringue to hold plastic wrap above it.
Meringue pies do not freeze well; the meringue turns rubbery and weeps when thawed.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make chocolate pie with cocoa instead of chocolate?
Yes, and many old Southern cooks preferred it. Cocoa gives a darker, deeper chocolate flavor and a filling that sets cleanly, without the extra fat of bar chocolate.
Why is my chocolate pie runny?
The filling was not cooked long enough. It must come to a full bubble and cook a minute or two more so the flour and cornstarch thicken completely, and the pie must chill until fully set.
Why does my meringue weep or shrink?
Usually it was spread on a cool filling, or not sealed to the crust. Spread it over the hot filling and right onto the crust edge all the way around.
How long does it take to set?
About 3 hours in all: an hour on the counter and at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Overnight is even better.
Whisk the cocoa dry, stir the whole time, and seal the meringue to the crust. Then let it cool, cut a slice, and let them guess what chocolate you used.
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pie Made with Cocoa (Meringue on Top)
My mother's old-fashioned chocolate meringue pie made with cocoa, not chocolate: a stovetop cocoa filling cooked and stirred 10 to 12 minutes until thick, poured into a baked crust and topped with meringue browned at 350 degrees.
Ingredients
- 1 baked 9 inch pie crust, cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Have the baked pie crust ready on a baking sheet.
- In a heavy saucepan, off the heat, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, flour, cornstarch and salt until there are no lumps at all.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks into the cold milk. Pour the milk mixture into the saucepan slowly, whisking, until smooth.
- Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or a flat wooden spoon and scraping the bottom and corners, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the filling thickens like pudding and begins to bubble. Keep stirring for 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until the butter melts and the filling is glossy. Pour the hot filling into the baked crust.
- Right away, make the meringue: beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer until foamy, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time, beating on high until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla.
- Spoon the meringue over the hot filling, starting at the edges and spreading it so it touches the crust all the way around. Pile the rest in the middle and lift it into peaks with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the peaks are golden brown. Cool on a rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours more, until fully set, before slicing with a wet knife.
