For the chocolate lovers among us, this no bake chocolate meringue pie is absolutely dreamy. Who doesn’t love a slice of pie and this homemade chocolate pie is taken to new heights by adding an extra layer of chocolate – the crust. The fact that the entire dessert is no bake is such a bonus.
This sweet chocolate dessert is indulgence at it’s finest and tastes amazing, to boot. A chocolatey take on the classic lemon meringue pie, it’s perfect for a large group of people since a thin slice is enough to satisfy even the sweetest tooth. You may also love this chocolate pavlova.
It’s also far easier to make than it looks. The base is the work of minutes, using 2 ingredients and a food processor. The custard centre is all done on the stove top in about 10 minutes and the marshmallow topping is also a stove top, 10-15 minute job. All you need do is wait for it to set in the fridge before serving.
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Ingredient notes
It’s worth explaining just a couple of the ingredients in this chocolate meringue pie recipe.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Cookies: For the cookie base, I use Tim Tams (being an Aussie favourite and all) but any chocolate coated, cream-filled chocolate cookie will work. Whether that be chocolate coated Oreos, Penguin bars or something similar, they should all give the right result.
- Cream of tartar: This is an acidic flour-like substance used to help give meringue stability. You can use lemon juice or vinegar too, in the same quantities.
How to make chocolate meringue pie (step by step)
One of the great things about this chocolate meringue pie being no bake is how easy it is but also issues like weeping just don’t happen. No, it’s not an old fashioned chocolate meringue pie but it is an incredibly delicious version – just see the steps below.
The chocolate cookie base
While you can use any chocolate covered cookies, I use dark chocolate Tim Tams for this cookie crust recipe and just one other ingredient – salted butter. Just like I did for my Tim Tam cheesecake, I blitz them together in a food processor, but this time pressed them into a deep pie tin to at least 1 ½ inches up the sides.
How to make the chocolate pie filling
The filling of this pie is a chocolate pudding / chocolate custard, made from scratch on the stove top Very similar to a creme patissiere. It takes only around 10 minutes to come together into a luscious, creamy chocolate filling that I could eat by the spoonful. I adapted this custard centre from my lemon vanilla custard slice recipe which means you can even turn this chocolate custard into a chocolate custard slice.
In fact, this is a great recipe to use if you just want to serve up a chocolate custard pudding in glasses without the base and topping.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Start by heating a few ingredients, mostly made up of milk, sugar and cocoa powder (photo 2) until simmer point.
- Dribble it slowly into some eggs that have been beaten with cornflour and a little water while constantly whisking (photo 2). I use an electric mixer for this.
- Add it all back to the saucepan (photo 4), and stir with a balloon whisk until it gets really thick (photo 5) – about 5 minutes. It’s ready when it holds a shape after you stir for a good few seconds and kind of drops off the whisk as opposed to pouring off.
- Pour the custard into the pie crust (photo 6).
Chocolate custard tips
- Bring the milk mixture just to simmer over low heat – don’t boil and don’t have the heat too high.
- Dribble this slowly into the eggs, all whilst whisking, so you don’t scramble the eggs with the hot liquid. This method is called tempering.
- Sit the bowl on a damp tea towel to hold it in place while you whisk with one hand and pour from the saucepan with the other.
- Using a darker chocolate will make it a little more bitter and a firmer set while using milk chocolate will make it sweeter with a softer set. I use 50% cocoa dark chocolate in this pie.
How to make the marshmallow topping
More like marshmallow than meringue but a style of meringue all the same, this topping is sweet, sticky and very indulgent. It matches well with the slightly bitter chocolate custard filling and has a soft texture. It uses the egg whites that you set aside while making the custard portion. I use this same no bake marshmallow topping on my lemon meringue cheesecake and Wagon Wheel cake.
- Just 3 ingredients – egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar are whisked together in a bowl set over simmering water (photo 7) for 5-6 minutes until they come to 70°C / 160°F (photo 8). The sugar should be dissolved and the mixture should be closer to white than cream in colour and look quite opaque.
- Remove it from the heat and whisk (I find a stand mixer best at this point) for 6-8 minutes until it holds soft peaks and you can see the marshamallow pulling away from the sides. It should be thick and glossy white (photo 9).
Marshmallow topping tips
- You can replace the cream of tartar with lemon juice or vinegar.
- Don’t stop whisking. If your arms get tired, you can use an elecric hand beater but make sure it’s on the lowest setting and stop every minute or so. You want most of the whipping to happen once they are taken off the heat.
- I recommend using a thermometer to test the temperature as this will confirm the eggs are pasteurized and safe to eat. If you don’t have one and aren’t too worried about it, just make sure the sugar is all dissolved, and the egg whites are more white than cream and quite opaque looking. It should take around 5-6 minutes over constantly simmering water.
Variations
I love offering variations to really make a recipe suit you and there are plenty of options with this chocolate pie recipe.
- You could swap the meringue for whipped cream, if you prefer a less sweet dessert.
- You can swap the dark 50% chocolate for milk chocolate or even dark chocolate. Milk chocolate will result in a sweeter, slightly softer chocolate pudding and dark chocolate will make a slightly more bitter, firm chocolate pudding.
- Swap the chocolate cookie pie crust for a pastry crust. You can use store-bought shortcrust pastry for this or a pre-baked pie crust.
- Instead of pie, serve the pudding up in glasses with some crumbled cookies on the bottom and / or top.
- Turn it into a slice, like my lemon vanilla custard slice.
- Don’t have a pie dish? You can also use an 8 inch spring form tin.
If you have a sweet tooth, you will love this Chocolate Meringue Pie plus it’s so customisable as I’ve mentioned in the variations section above and so easy, there’s no excuse not to make this asap.
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Ingredients
THE TIM TAM BASE
- 400 g dark chocolate Tim Tams (or other choc coated cream filled cookies) (14oz / 2 packets) (notes)
- 75 g salted butter, melted
THE CHOCOLATE PUDDING
- 150 g dark chocolate (50%), finely chopped (5.3oz) (notes 4)
- 2 ½ cups milk (625ml)
- 45 g unsalted butter (3 tablespoons / 1 ½oz)
- ⅔ cup caster sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 2 tablespoons dutched process cocoa or unsweetened cocoa powder (notes 1)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup corn flour (US cornstarch)
- 2 tablespoons water (notes 1)
- 3 large eggs, separated
THE MARSHMALLOW TOPPING
- ¾ cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar (notes)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- electric hand beater / stand mixer
Instructions
FOR THE TIM TAM BASE
- Line the base of an 8 inch pie dish with baking paper (or a spring-form tin).
- Blitz the cookies to crumbs in a food processor or blender. Add the melted butter and blitz to combine.
- Tip the crumbs into the baking tin and, using lightly damp hands, press it firmly over the base and 1.5 inches up the sides. Chill until needed.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE PUDDING
- Melt the chocolate in 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring well between each until melted and smooth. This should not take more than 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
- Pour the milk into a heavy based medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the butter, sugar, cocoa and vanilla and whisk to work the cocoa into the milk.
- Heat until the sugar has dissolved and the milk comes to a simmer.
- While the milk mixture is heating, in a medium bowl, whisk together the cornflour, water and egg yolks (reserving he whites for the topping) until lightened – about 1 minute with an electric beater.
- Slowly drizzle in the hot milk mixture while constantly whisking. Return it all the to saucepan and heat for another 5-6 minutes, stirring with a balloon whisk until very thick.. It’s ready when you can see the whisk lines.
- Remove from the heat and add the melted chocolate. Whisk to combine and it should now be of a consistency that drops off the whisk as opposed to pouring off.
- Tip the mixture into the chilled based and level out with a spatula. Press plastic wrap to the surface (to prevent a skin forming) and chill for at least 1 hour before preparing the topping (and at least 3 hours before serving).
FOR THE MARSHMALLOW TOPPING
- Place the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) set over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the base is not touching the water).
- Whisk the mixture with a hand whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved (the temperature should reach 70C / 160F on a thermometer to be pasteurized).
- Remove the bowl and whisk on medium-high speed with an electric beater or using the stand mixer (with whisk attachment) for 6-8 minutes until thick and glossy with soft peaks and until the bowl is no longer hot).
- Dollop the frosting on top of the set custard and carefully create swirls so that it looks cloud-like.
- Use a kitchen torch to scorch the top a little to turn it golden brown and give it a true meringue look.
- Chill to set for 3 hours.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Many other countries use a 15ml tablespoon so check yours before measuring.
- Make sure to allow for the 3 hours setting time
- Use a hot knife to cut slices and wipe it clean between each.
- Swap the Tim Tams for any filled and chocolate-coated biscuit or cookie. Or use 40 oreos, plus 60g (2oz) of finely chopped chocolate.
- You can use milk or darker chocolate. Milk chocolate will be sweeter and a softer set, while darker will be more bitter and a firmer set.
- You can swap the caster or superfine sugar for regular granulated, just make sure it is dissovled before moving on to the next step.
- You can swap cream of tartar with the same amount of vinegar or lemon juice.
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8 Comments on “Chocolate Meringue Pie”
I made this today, and oh my gosh it is just AMAZING !! I did 2/3rds of the recipe so that I could make it in a 6 inch cake tin (with a loose bottom to make life easier getting it out) and it was perfect. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe 🙂
So happy you loved it Steph.
Marie, this looks absolutely fantastic! I’m swooning!
Thanks so much Kelly 🙂
Well this looks AMAZING! So much chocolate! I think the UK version of a Tim Tam is a Penguin, which is one of my all-time favourites, so definitely pinning this for later 🙂
Yes, I think you’re right. It’s so decadent, creamy and crunchy all at once 🙂
YUM! What a delicious cake! Looks stunning and so yummy!
Thanks so much Natalie. It’s so good, we devour it pretty quickly 🙂