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.

Slice of Old Fashioned Chocolate Meringue Pie sitting on a clear plate.

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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.

Chocolate meringue pie sitting on cake plate.

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.

Slice of chocolate pie with meringue sitting on a clear plate.

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)

HINT: I almost always use a pre-made pie crust, because it is so much easier!

Ingredients for the pie sitting on a countertop.

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.

Eggs, cocoa, flour, and sugar in a mixing bowl.

Mixing the ingredients in a heavy pot on the stove.

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.

Pouring the chocolate filling into the pie shell.

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 as 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