Just one bite of this chocolate pie recipe and you’ll be hooked. Imagine a rich and creamy chocolate pie topped with a marshmallow type frosting. Much better than a meringue with just one additional step. Don’t forget to add some cayenne to the crust for a bit of spice and enjoy a decadent dessert!
The inspiration for this chocolate pie recipe came from a cookbook that I have really enjoyed, Sweet and Vicious. She has a great sense of humor and her recipes are a little quirky but delicious. In this recipe, she suggested adding a dash of cayenne pepper to the pie crust so you get just a hint of spice to go along with chocolate. That little bit of spice that you get with the rich chocolate elevates this pie.
I would splurge and use good quality dark chocolate, there are only 2 ounces and it adds to the decadence of this dessert. This is really more like a tart than a pie. It’s not that big, but a small slice is all you need to get your chocolate fix.
Why you’ll love it
- A 7 minute frosting is much more delicious than meringue and ready in 7!
- This is an easy decadent chocolate, that’s impressive enough to serve guests.
- This pie has a creamy chocolate filling without milk!
How is decadent chocolate pie different from French silk or chocolate chess pie.
This is not a French Silk pie which is mouse like, contains cream and is not baked but will need to refrigerate for about several hours. If that’s what you’re looking for this recipe from Handle the Heat, looks amazing.
It’s also not a Chocolate Chess Pie which is a baked custard based pie like this one from The Spruce Eats. This chocolate pie recipe is a combination of the two. It’s a baked chocolate pie with a smooth creamy pudding like texture but does not contain milk. The result is a pie with a rich chocolate taste.
What you’ll need
- Cocoa powder – a purer form of chocolate, great to bake with and has no added sugar. I like Ghiradelli.
- Dark chocolate – it’s worth buying a nicer quality chocolate for this recipe
- Eggs – be sure to place these on the counter 10-15 minutes before making the pie to bring them to room temp
- Egg whites – these are for the frosting.
- Cream of tartar – this will help to stabilize the egg whites and acts as a leavening agent
- Butter, sugar, flour, vanilla
The fun part of this dessert is the FROSTING. It tastes like marshmallows, but my mother-in-law has always called this a “seven minute frosting”. Cooking egg whites and sugar slightly before whipping them gives the frosting a great texture that you can shape into cool designs on top of your pie or cake.
If you haven’t tried this type of frosting, try using it in place of a meringue topping. It’s different from the topping on lemon meringue pie which is just egg whites that you beat with sugar. A 7 minute frosting is going to be sturdier than a typical meringue topping.
How do you make 7 minute frosting
The difference, and what makes it more like a marshmallow than meringue, is that you heat sugar and egg whites over hot water until the sugar melts. Then you whip it to form this awesome big marshmallow.
The last time I made this pie, I wasn’t paying attention and the frosting actually caught on fire in the oven! 🔥! Not a good idea. What was funny was that we just scraped off the burnt part and it tasted like a s’more.
To prevent this from happening, don’t put it too close to the broiler and leave the oven door slightly ajar, or don’t do what I did and forget about it. Just stand at the oven door and when it starts to brown pull it out.
Step by step directions
Step 1
Make a pie crust and add some cayenne to the dough. Place it in a tart pan with a removable bottom and pre-bake it. If you don’t have a tart pan you can make this in a regular pie dish. Either will work.
Step 2
Make the easy chocolate filling by beating eggs and sugar, then adding cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, flour and melted chocolate. Pour it into the partially baked pie crust and bake.
Step 3
Make the 7 minute frosting. Place egg whites, sugar and cream of tarter in the bowl of your electric mixer over a pan of warm water and whisk for 4 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Take the bowl to the electric mixture and beat for 5-7 minutes until you have glossy peaks and add vanilla.
Step 4
Remove the pie from the oven, and turn the oven to broil, place the marshmallow like frosting on top and place under the broiler until it just starts to turn brown.
Pro Tip: If you forget to take your eggs out of the refrigerator 15 minutes ahead of time, simply fill a bowl of warm water and add your eggs to them for a 5 minutes.
What’s the best way to serve a decadent chocolate pie
The best news is this homemade chocolate pie recipe is phenomenal served warm and also at room temperature. The frosting will start to change it’s consistency when refrigerated, so store it on the counter.
FAQs and tips
If you do not allow the ingredients to heat enough and become stable, they will break down and become runny.
Once you add the frosting to the pie, this dessert should not be refrigerated to avoid the frosting breaking down. It has a short shelf life and should be eaten the same day.
If you have leftovers of this pie, place it in your air tight container and set it on the counter. It may only last a day.
More chocolate desserts
Looking for more pie recipes
- Go with a smaller version and make an apple or raspberry hand pie.
- Try a cherry hand pie using puff pastry
- For something lemony, try Lemon Chiffon Pie or Lemon Chess Pie.
- If it’ strawberry season, then go with a Strawberry Icebox Pie
Watch a web story.
Chocolate Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
FILLING
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 eggs room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 ounces dark chocolate melted and cooled slightly
FROSTING
- 4 egg whites room temp
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Equipment
- Electric mixer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º.
- Prepare pie crust and add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dough. Refrigerate. Roll out pie crust dough to a 12-13 inch round, ⅛ inch thick. Transfer to a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Crust will sink down the sides as it bakes, so press it up the sides going past the rim. Cover with foil and top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and prick with a fork. Cook an additional 15 minutes until lightly brown. Remove and let cool.
- FILLING
- With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes until light in color. Add cocoa powder and beat until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated and add vanilla. Add flour and beat just until combined. Stir in melted chocolate and spoon into the pie crust.
- Bake for 18 minutes at 375º or until the edges are firm and the center is slightly jiggly. Remove from oven and set it to Broil.
FROSTING
- While the pie is cooking, prepare the frosting. Fill a medium saucepan with water and place over medium heat. Set the bowl of an electric mixer over the simmering water but not touching the bottom of the saucepan. Add egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar to the bowl and whisk for 4 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm but not hot.
- Remove from heat and with the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, beat for 5-7 minutes gradually increasing the speed until you have stiff glossy peaks Add vanilla and use right away.
- While the oven is preheating to broil, top the hot pie with dollops of frosting, making peaks. Place under the broiler for a minute, keeping the door slightly ajar as it will burn easily. You are looking for golden brown tips. Serve while warm or at room temperature.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- This can be made in a pie pan if you don’t have a tart pan with a removable bottom.
- This is best served warm or at room temperature.
- When placing. under the broiler, stand at the oven door, it will only take a minute for the frosting to brown
Nutrition
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