Chocolate Pie (Southern)
intro
Velvety, rich old-fashioned Southern chocolate pie with flaky crust, smooth cocoa custard, and golden fluffy meringue: a timeless, comforting down-home dessert.
Ingredients
Steps
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Press the unbaked 9-inch all-butter pie crust into a standard 9-inch glass or metal pie dish, crimping the top edges decoratively. Line the crust with parchment paper, fill with 450g of pie weights or dried beans, and blind bake for 12 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, then bake for 3 additional minutes until the crust bottom is pale golden. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour, and ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) fine sea salt until fully combined with no dry cocoa lumps. Set stovetop heat to medium-low, gradually whisk in 2 cups (480ml) whole milk, stirring constantly for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture thickens to a smooth, pudding-like consistency that coats the back of a metal spoon.
Place 4 large egg yolks in a small heatproof glass bowl. Slowly ladle ½ cup (120ml) of the hot chocolate mixture into the yolks, whisking nonstop to prevent the eggs from curdling from the heat. Pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining chocolate custard, stirring constantly over medium-low heat for 2 more minutes. Remove the pan from heat, stir in 4 tablespoons (57g) of cut unsalted butter and 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5ml) pure vanilla extract until the butter is fully melted and the custard is completely silky.
Pour the warm, smooth chocolate custard directly into the slightly cooled blind-baked pie crust, spreading it evenly with a silicone spatula to reach all edges of the crust, leaving ¼-inch of space at the top for the meringue. Keep the oven heated to 375°F (190°C) while you prepare the meringue topping.
In a completely clean, dry stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 4 reserved room-temperature egg whites and ¼ teaspoon (0.8g) cream of tartar on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until soft, billowy peaks form. Gradually add ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating continuously for 3 more minutes until stiff, glossy peaks form that hold their shape when the whisk is lifted straight up.
Spoon the meringue over the warm chocolate filling, spreading it all the way to the crimped crust edges to create a tight seal (this prevents meringue shrinkage) and making decorative swirled peaks with the back of a spoon. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10 to 12 minutes until the meringue peaks are light, toasty golden brown. Remove the pie from the oven, let it cool completely at room temperature for 1 hour, then chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours before slicing and serving.
Tips
2.Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan for the custard and stir constantly while cooking over medium-low heat; thin pans will cause the chocolate to scorch on the bottom, giving the pie a bitter, burnt flavor.
3.Do not skip the full 3-hour chill time after baking; the cocoa custard needs time to fully set, or slices will be runny and will not hold their clean shape when served.
OMG y’all, this classic southern chocolate pie was the star of our Sunday family dinner last week! My grandma even asked for the recipe, which is the highest compliment possible because she’s been making chocolate pie for 60 years. The filling is so rich and silky, not grainy at all. 10/10 will make again for our next church potluck!
Made this for my kid’s end of soccer season cookout and it got devoured in 10 minutes flat. Only note is I wish I’d read the chill time note first – I almost tried to serve it after an hour in the fridge and it was still super runny! Learned my lesson, planned ahead the second time and it was perfect.
SO good. I brought this to a friend’s housewarming party and everyone thought I bought it from a fancy bakery. The flaky crust paired with that fudgy filling? Absolute game changer. I added a tiny dollop of bourbon whipped cream on top and *chef’s kiss*.
Has anyone tried making this with a gluten free pie crust? My son has celiac and I’ve been hunting for a good southern chocolate pie recipe that doesn’t taste like cardboard when I swap the crust.
I was a little intimidated by the medium difficulty rating, but the steps were so easy to follow! I prepped this on Sunday night and had slices ready for my work lunches all week (don’t judge, dessert for lunch is self care). The only tweak I made was adding a sprinkle of sea salt on top before chilling.
Made this for our Fourth of July block party and it was a hit! I topped each slice with a fresh raspberry and a little dollop of whipped cream, and people kept coming back for seconds. Even my picky 7 year old ate two slices, which never happens with any dessert that isn’t a popsicle.
Took me two tries to get the filling right – the first time I cooked it too fast over high heat and the eggs curdled, oops! Turned the heat down to medium low the second time, stirred constantly, and it came out so smooth and dreamy. Worth the extra effort.
Wait, can I make this without eggs? We have an egg allergy in the house and I’ve been dying for a good chocolate pie recipe that doesn’t require a run to the specialty grocery store for weird substitutes.
I’ve tried probably 6 different southern chocolate pie recipes over the years and this one is hands down the best. The balance of sweet and bitter chocolate is perfect, it’s not cloyingly sweet like so many other recipes out there. Made it for my partner’s birthday and he said it’s better than his mom’s (don’t tell her I said that).
Made this for our Ohio State tailgate last weekend and it was gone before the first quarter even ended! I made it in a disposable pie tin so I didn’t have to haul my good bakeware to the stadium, and it traveled so well. 10/10 will be a regular in my tailgate rotation.
Help! My crust got totally soggy when I poured the filling in! What did I do wrong? I followed the recipe exactly but the bottom of the crust was all mushy when I cut into it after chilling.
My 10 year old daughter helped me make this for her school’s bake sale and we sold every single slice in 20 minutes! We added little chocolate shavings on top to make it look fancy, and kids and parents alike were raving. She was so proud of herself, it was the sweetest moment.
Brought this in for my team at work after a big deadline and everyone was begging for the recipe by 10am. It’s rich enough that a small slice is totally satisfying, so it fed the whole 12 person office with a little leftover for me to take home. Win win.
I was worried this would be too heavy after a big camping dinner, but it was the perfect end to our weekend trip! I made it the night before we left, kept it in the cooler, and it stayed perfectly set the whole time. Even topped it with some toasted marshmallows for a s’mores adjacent vibe, which was chef’s kiss.
Is this pie supposed to be really fudgy, or did I overcook the filling? Mine came out more like a dense brownie texture instead of the silky custard I was expecting, but it still tasted really good!
I added this pie to my catering menu last month after testing it for a client’s southern themed rehearsal dinner, and it’s been one of our most requested dessert options! Guests go crazy for that old-fashioned, homemade flavor, and it’s way easier to batch make than a bunch of fancy individual desserts.
I’ve been making a version of this pie for my grandkids for 40 years, and I have to say this recipe is spot on. I used to make my crust from scratch but I swapped for a store bought deep dish crust this time to save time, and no one even noticed. We had it after our Sunday fried chicken dinner and it was the perfect end to the meal.