My Best Yet Chocolate Meringue Pie is even better now thanks to a few small changes. For one thing, I changed the meringue to make it a little fluffier and less likely to weep. I also removed the extra tablespoon of cocoa. The original version by Meta Given did not include it, and I feel like the pie is chocolate-y enough without it.
As for the crust, I still prefer a pastry crust rather than a graham cracker crust and recommend this Baked All Butter Crust or this new one. Lately I've been making my pies in metal pie tins rather than glass. Both work just fine, but the metal tins are a little shallower so the filling goes all the way to the top and the meringue piles higher which make the pie appear a little taller even though it's still a small pie.
Small Chocolate Meringue Pie Dishes
The recipe makes a standard 9 inch round pie. The last time I made it I halved it and baked it in one of my smaller glass pie dishes. It used to be difficult to find the 6 ½ and 7 inch pie dishes, but thanks to Amazon that's not the case. Here are a couple of smaller pie pans, which are good to have around if you want to make a weeknight pie for 2 to 4 people. Here's a metal one. I haven't tested the ones in the link, but they have good reviews.
Recipe
Best Yet Chocolate Meringue Pie
Ingredients
Meringue
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Filling:
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour 45 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups milk – scalded I did this in microwave
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pie shell baked and ready to be filled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prep all filling ingredients, then make the meringue first so you’ll have it ready to put on a hot filling. Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Very gradually add sugar, beating on high, until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Set aside.
- Put the egg yolks in a medium to large size mixing bowl and set next to the stove.
- Mix the flour, sugar and salt together in a heavy saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and gradually whisk in the hot milk. Continue whisking and cooking until mixture starts to thicken. Whisk about half cup of the milk mixture into the egg yolks, then add egg yolk mixture back to saucepan and whisk for about two minutes. It should become thick and make big bubbles.
- Remove from heat and whisk in butter, chocolate and vanilla. Pour hot chocolate mixture into pie shell and cover with the meringue, sealing the edges well.
- Set the pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool at room temperature for an hour, then chill for 4 hours or until pie is set.
Stephanie says
Great pie! I made it today and the filing was amazing. I sealed the pie up nicely but it still leaked liquid. I might have to turn this into a chocolate cream pie. Fantastic though!! Cheers!
Anna says
Hi Todd,
Thanks for the peanut butter tip! I'll have to try that one day.
Todd says
This is essentially the same recipe that my grandma has been using for years. It is my absolute favorite desert, and has always been associated in my mind with trips to grandmas house. I have experimented with varying the types of choclolate and adding other ingerdients. One on my favorites is to use dark chocolate, and small dolops of penut butter. I fill the crust about halfway, then add dolops of peanut butter, then cover and fill the rest of the way up. Kinda like a peanut butter cup pie.
Anna says
Vibeke, it relaly depends on what you are making and what type of flavor you want. In baking, it (often) matters what type of cocoa powder you use chemically because natural is acidic and Dutch is not. In a pie like this one, you could use whichever flavor appeals to you. And flavor varies among brands. Here in Austin, the most common flavor of Dutch process is Hershey's Dark, but it has a very distinct flavor and look. Some of the European brands might be milder and less intense. If you want to get a good high end cocoa powder, look for Scharffen Berger or Valrhona.
Vibeke says
I need to know if the BestYet Unsweetened Cocoa is Dutch Processed, or not. Does anybody know?
Anna says
Gayil, thanks so much for trying the pie and posting a review. I'm glad it was a success.
Gayil says
This pie came out so delicious! I am not a good baker or anything, but i followed the recipe and it's very hard to screw up. I will be making this again!
Krystle says
Oh wow...that looks yummy!
cal orey says
Do you know I have a pie contest running through the end of the month--most nutritious pie you have to eat if you're stuck for a bit...Chocolate is one of 'em. Doesn't surprise me. Meringue intimidates me. Was it hard to do? No mixer. Wonder if a blender would do the trick? Good job. I'm envious and just about ready to stop the detox diet and make some chocolate...
(I did make a double crust apple pie the other day. It's such a good feeling when you put a pie in the oven--and it looks like it's going to work.) And when it's gone within a couple of days you know it worked.
http://www.calorey.blogspot.com The Writing Gourmet
Chris Mower says
I'm not a huge fan of chocolate pies, but the rest of the fam goes nuts for them. I'll have to try this one out. I do however, LOVE meringue!
Katrina says
Yum!
Missed ya yesterday, but yes, the weather is too good to pass up here, too!
CindyD says
Lucky Todd! I would have just made one bowl brownies!
VeggieGirl says
Yep, Chooey and I are taking advantage of the nice weather as well 🙂
Love the chocolate!
Lisa Ernst says
Timely post -- I've been thinking about chocolate pie lately and this recipe looks perfect. I always make chocolate puddings with a combination of cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate -- the combination of the two just seems to make the pudding taste better. I imagine its true with the pie filling too. I'm not a meringue fan, so I would have to find something else for topping the pie. Hummm....ice cream or whipped cream?