Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie is a creamy, deliciously decadent chocolate pie with a light and fluffy meringue. It is a classic dessert that is perfect for any gathering at any time of year.
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My amazing mother-in-law shared her old-fashioned chocolate pie recipe with me because it is my husband’s favorite dessert. This old-fashioned chocolate cream pie was handed down in my husband’s family by his great-great aunt and has been served at his family gatherings for over 100 years.
This chocolate pie is perfect for a potluck, a family get-together, or a fun dinner party. We have it for almost every holiday, and I make it for my hubby’s birthday every year. Anytime we visit his mom, she has one sitting on the counter waiting for him.
Why You Will Love This Old fashioned Chocolate PIE Recipe
You will love this old fashioned chocolate pie recipe because it’s easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and turns out perfect every time. It can be made last-minute and is great to serve at any celebration or get-together.
Ingredients
This delicious old fashion chocolate pie is not only a simple recipe to make, but it also uses simple ingredients. You might even have most of the ingredients on hand.
- Cocoa powder
- Eggs
- Whole milk
- Sugar
- Flour
- Pre-baked pie crust
- Cream of tartar
- Chocolate shavings (optional)
Equipment
You will need the following to create this homemade chocolate pie recipe:
Instructions for Making the Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie
To make old fashioned chocolate pie, begin by mixing the cocoa powder, egg yolks, part of the milk, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl. The rest of the milk is cooked over medium heat in a medium-sized heavy saucepan until it begins to bubble around the edges.
Once the milk boils, gradually pour it into the bowl of the cocoa powder mixture. Then, pour it back into the pot and boil gently for about 5 minutes, or until thick. Once the chocolate pie filling has thickened, pour the hot filling into the prepared crust.
In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar until they reach stiff peaks. This will create a gorgeous whipped meringue that tops the sweet chocolate filling. Once the meringue is placed on top of the hot pie filling, it will bake in a 400-degree oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Cool the pie on a wire rack. If you choose to use chocolate shavings, sprinkle them on top of the meringue after it has cooled.
Substituting or Modifying the Ingredients
Old-fashioned chocolate pie could be made dairy-free by using any dairy-free alternative such as almond milk or cashew milk. If you don’t have the ingredients on hand for the chocolate filling, you could also use chocolate pudding in a pinch. It won’t be as creamy chocolate custard, but it will work for a last-minute dessert.
For the pie crust, this can be a gluten-free pie crust if you desire. In fact, that is the type of pie shell I generally use. You can also use a graham cracker crust, an Oreo crust, or this Biscoff Pie Crust.
The meringue can be substituted with whipped cream or cool whip.
How to Store Old Fashioned Chocolate Meringue Pie
I generally bake my cream pies the morning of the day I intend to serve them. I leave it to sit on the counter at room temperature until time to serve. If there is any chocolate pie left, store it in the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap, for two to three days.
Beyond two to three days, the pie crust gets soggy. It will still be good to eat for up to four days, but ours usually never lasts that long.
Bon Appétit
This old fashioned chocolate meringue pie is a chocolate lover’s dream. It is delicious and so easy to make, you will find yourself serving it over and over for every special occasion you can think of. If you are a pie coinsurer, you might want to also check out my Grandma’s Chess Pie Recipe.
xoxo,
Molly
Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie
Equipment
- Pie pan
- Electric mixer
- Wire rack
- Medium saucepan
- A medium bowl and a large bowl
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 1/3 cup Cocoa powder
- 2 cups Whole milk
- 1 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 heaping cup Flour
- 1 Pre-baked pie crust
- 1/4 tsp Cream of tartar
- Chocolate shavings (optional)
Instructions
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, putting the yolks in a medium bowl. Set the egg whites aside in a large bowl.
- Mix in with the egg yolks: 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 heaping cup of flour, cocoa powder, and 1/2 cup of milk. Set this mixture aside.
- In a medium saucepan, cook 1 1/2 cups of milk over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge.
- Add the hot milk to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly as you add the hot milk.
- Pour the hot mixture back into the medium saucepan, and cook over medium heat until the mixture turns thick.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the pre-baked pie crust.
- To make the meringue, beat 1/2 cup of sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar until stiff peaks.
- Spread meringue on top of chocolate mixture, sealing the meringue around the edges of the crust.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the meringue starts to brown on top.
- Cool on a wire rack, and serve at room temperature.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to four days.
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