A fudgy and beyond-delish no-bake chocolate pie with meringue that makes the perfect holiday dessert. It is like having hot cocoa in the form of a pie! This treat is as cheerful as our hot chocolate trifle and hot chocolate fudge.
The holidays are knocking at the door. Let’s make the most of it, agree?
In terms of food and drinks, what comes to your mind when you think of Christmas? Mine goes to hot cocoa!
So I thought what would be an unusual way to have one of my favorite holiday beverages? The answer came right after… a hot chocolate pie!
Ours has a crunchy Oreo cookie crust filled with a creamy and rich bittersweet chocolate filling. And it is, of course, topped with toasted meringue. It’s holiday cheer at first bite!
Table of Contents
Reasons to make this chocolate meringue pie
- It’s a no-bake pie! Make the cookie crust by simply mixing crumbled Oreo cookies with melted butter, and then chill it in a pie pan in the fridge.
- It is a time saver! No need to spend time kneading dough or waiting for the crust to bake. Just mix the ingredients for the crust together and chill.
- It's made with minimum ingredients. While most chocolate pies out there require a ton of ingredients, ours calls for just 7 ingredients: chocolate chips, butter, Oreo cookies, heavy cream, egg whites, cream of tartar. and sugar.
- It is rich and delish! It has contrasting textures (crunchy crust and creamy filling) and is mildly sweet.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oreos: This is one of my favorite cookies but you can easily replace them with any cookies of your choice. For this time of the year, a great sub would be peppermint or gingerbread cookies. To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free cookies.
- Unsalted butter: Although you can use salted butter, I prefer to use unsalted because this pie is not too sweet. To make it dairy-free, use dairy-free butter.
- Chocolate chips: I used bittersweet chocolate but you can use dark or milk chocolate instead. It depends on how sweet you want your pie to be. If you don’t have chocolate chips, chop up a chocolate bar. To make it dairy-free, use a 100% chocolate bar.
- Heavy cream: you can use half-and-half, or canned coconut milk (for a dairy-free pie). Just keep in mind the filling will be less velvety.
- Egg whites: these are essential to make the meringue.
- Sugar: I used white granulated sugar which will dissolve when warmed and whisked on the stovetop for the egg white pasteurization process. But if you use pasteurized egg whites, you can skip this step and use powdered sugar instead because you won’t have to heat the whites on the stovetop. For each cup of granulated sugar called for in the recipe, use 1 ¾ cups of powdered sugar. Powdered sugar has a smaller crystal size, and therefore holds much more air. Get our tables for more volume conversions.
- Cream of tartar: if you don’t have it use an equal amount of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar. It is key to stabilizing the egg whites, achieving high peaks, and preventing crystallization. It is a must for making a stable meringue for our chocolate meringue pie.
How to Make Chocolate Pie with Meringue
- Prepare the crust: Grind the cookies in a food processor or by placing them into a sealed plastic bag and beating with a rolling pin. Make sure to obtain fine crumbs.
- Then, mix the cookie crumbs with melted butter until coated and homogeneous. Press mixture into an 8-inch pie dish (side and bottom), making sure to firm the crust up to the very top of the sides of the pie dish. Chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Melt 2 oz of chocolate in the microwave (about 1-2 minutes). Mix until smooth. Brush over the bottom of the pie crust. Chill for 10 minutes or until hardened -- this can help prevent the bottom of the crust from crumbling when sliced. Reserve!
- Make the filling: Place 10 oz of chocolate, butter, and heavy cream into a medium bowl. Microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes and mix until smooth. Pour onto the pie crust and smooth top with the back of a spoon or spatula. Chill in the fridge until set, about 2 hours.
- Make the Swiss meringue: Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar into a large heatproof bowl. Place bowl over a pan with simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Whisk the mixture vigorously until it feels warm to the touch, 2-3 minutes. Remove bowl and beat the warm mixture with a mixer until it doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks, about 4-5 minutes.
- Top chocolate pie with meringue and toast with a kitchen torch. Enjoy!
FAQ’s
Can you crush Oreos in a blender?
Yes! Any size of blender or food processor works. To prevent Oreos from sticking in the bottom and sides of the blender, freeze them for 5-10 minutes before crushing them.
Can I use a premade Oreo cookie crust?
Yes! Any cookie crust, either premade or homemade, works in this chocolate pie recipe.
How many crushed Oreos make a cup?
You need about 12 whole Oreos to obtain a 1 cup of crushed Oreos (100 g or 3.5 ounces). Use our US cups to ounces to grams for further conversions.
What are the 3 types of meringue?
They are 3 types of meringue: Italian, French, and Swiss.
· Italian meringue: This is the most stable of the 3 types of meringues. It is made with a soft-ball stage (236°F to 240°F) sugar syrup that is gradually beaten into the egg whites after soft peaks have formed and is then whipped into firm, glossy peaks. Its stability and smooth texture is perfect for egg white buttercream and mousses.
· French meringue: The one the most people are familiar with. Also known as "uncooked meringue!" It’s best made with superfine, powdered, or confectioners’ sugar because it dissolves quickly. Once egg whites are beaten to the point of forming soft peaks, the sugar is gradually added and whipped until the mixture forms firm peaks. It is the least stable and lightest of the 3 meringues, but perfect for soufflés.
· Swiss meringue: Firm and slightly denser than the others, and is great for topping pies and cakes. To make it, stir sugar and egg whites together over a pot of simmering water until the mixture is warm to the touch. Then, the mixture is beaten until it forms stiff peaks. The early addition of the sugar prevents the egg whites from increasing as much in volume as they do in the other meringues but adds to its fine texture. This is the type we used to top our chocolate pie with meringue.
How to store chocolate pie with meringue
Store pie in the fridge for up to 3-4 days (without meringue). If topped with meringue, chill for just one day because after that the meringue will start to dissolve and lose volume. Let it sit at room temp for about 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Only freeze the pie without the meringue. Make sure to thaw before slicing.
Remember any type of dessert made with meringue such as pavlova cannot be frozen!
Other pie recipes:
- Easy Texas Pecan Pie
- Best Pie Crust
- Apple Hand Pies
- Apple Pie Recipe
- Best Sweet Potato Pie
- Coconut Pumpkin Pie
- Lemon Pie
- Guava Pie
PIN & ENJOY!
No Bake Chocolate Pie with Meringue
Equipment
- pie plate
- bowls
- whisk
- mixer
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 8 oz Oreos
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 2 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
For the filling:
- 10 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
For the meringue:
- 3 large egg whites
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Grind the cookies in a food processor or by placing them into a sealed plastic bag and beating with a rolling pin. Make sure to obtain fine crumbs.
- Then, mix the cookie crumbs with melted butter until coated and homogeneous. Press mixture into an 8-inch pie dish (side and bottom), making sure to firm the crust up until the very top of the sides of the pie dish. Chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Melt 2 oz of chocolate in the microwave, about 1-2 minutes. Mix until smooth. Brush over the bottom of the pie crust. Chill for 10 minutes or until hardened. This s to prevent the bottom of the crust from crumbling when sliced. Reserve!
- Make the filling: Place 10 oz of chocolate, butter, and heavy cream into a medium bowl. Microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes and mix until smooth. Pour onto the pie crust and smooth top with the back of a spoon or spatula. Chill in the fridge until set, about 2 hours.
- Make the Swiss meringue: Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar into a large heatproof bowl. Place bowl over a pan with simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Whisk the mixture vigorously until it feels warm to the touch, 2-3 minutes. Remove bowl and beat the warm mixture with a mixer until it doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks, about 4-5 minutes.
- Top chocolate pie with meringue and toast with a kitchen torch. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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Raymund says
Now that is one heck of a dessert! that chocolate filling.... Oh my
Dennis Yannakos says
It looks so good! I'll make it today to top my sweet cravings!
Aarthi says
This is mouth watering dessert , and no bake is exciting me. There is something about the Oreo madness in my house , will try these , thanks for sharing, Denise!