Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Pie & Tarts Recipes Black-Bottom Pie 4.1 (34) A chocolate custard layer gives this irresistible pie its name. Close Credit: Jake Sternquist Servings: 8 to 10 Yield: 1 9-inch pie Jump to recipe This gorgeous black-bottom pie has three delicious layers. There’s a buttery graham cracker crust, a luscious chocolate custard (the black bottom), and a showy marshmallow meringue topping. Each is simple to make and together they form a striking dessert. The pie needs to be made ahead so it has time to set up in the refrigerator before you serve it—to great acclaim. Some at your table might not be familiar with this old-fashioned ice-box treat but once they have a slice, everyone will be asking when you will make it again. 20 Chocolate Dessert Recipes That Will Satisfy Your Cravings What Is Black Bottom Pie? Black-bottom pie is an old-fashioned dessert with Southern roots. The creamy, bittersweet-chocolate "bottom" of this early-twentieth-century icebox pie is made of a silky chocolate custard. The custard sits atop a simple graham cracker crust and the decadent dessert is finished with a swoopy layer of fluffy marshmallow-meringue topping. Other pies, such as pecan and banana cream pie, can be given the black-bottom treatment. Often a layer of melted chocolate ganache is spread directly onto the crust before the filling goes in. The Three Components of Black Bottom Pie Each of the three layers of black bottom pie needs to be done right. The graham cracker crust is simple and the stovetop custard and marshmallow topping are easy if you follow our foolproof recipe. Crust Much as we love pies made with a traditional pastry crust, a crunchy, buttery graham cracker crust is the perfect contrast to the silky chocolate and etheral meringue in this black-bottom pie—and it's much quicker and easier to make. Simply grab a bowl and combine the cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture is well combined and feels like wet sand when rubbed between your fingers. Purchase the cracker crumbs at the grocery store or make your own by pulsing broken graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor until finely ground. Alternatives: Other cookies and/or crackers can be used instead of graham crackers for this crust, including: GingersnapsBiscoff cookiesOreosVanilla wafer cookies Filling Chocolate lovers will go wild for the black-bottom filling. It’s everything that a chocolate custard should be. There are two main reasons why we turn to this recipe time and time again. Double the chocolate: This filling is made with two kinds of chocolate–melted bittersweet chocolate and Dutch-process cocoa powder. The bittersweet chocolate really drives home the overall flavor while the cocoa powder is more concentrated. Together they create the perfect chocolatey balance. Stabilized with cornstarch: For a custard filling that’s this luxurious on the palate, you’d expect there to be egg yolks. Instead, milk and a few tablespoons of butter make the custard rich, while cornstarch is used to stabilize the mixture. That means this filling is nearly impossible to mess up, since there are no eggs to curdle. Topping The topping is somewhere between meringue and marshmallow. Technically, you make an Italian meringue by whipping hot sugar syrup into egg whites. To make it even more light and fluffy, that meringue is incorporated into a gelatinous milk custard. This might sound intimidating, but our recipe contains both gelatin and cornstarch, which means the mixture stabilizes very well. The topping is spiked with a splash of light rum and some vanilla extract. The egg whites in the topping for this pie have the potential of being undercooked, so it should not be prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised. Using pasteurized eggs can help prevent any issues. Directions Credit: Jake Sternquist Make crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Credit: Jake Sternquist Bake crust: Bake until crust is set and begins to turn golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Make filling: Sift together sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt into a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until almost boiling. Credit: Jake Sternquist Add chocolate and cook; remove from heat and add butter and vanilla: Reduce heat to medium; add chocolate. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate has melted and mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla until smooth. Spread chocolate mixture over crust; refrigerate: Spread chocolate mixture over crust. Refrigerate until cold and firm, about 1 hour. Credit: Jake Sternquist Soften gelatin: Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl. Let stand until soft, about 3 minutes. Credit: Jake Sternquist Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt for topping; add milk: Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and boiling, about 5 minutes. Credit: Jake Sternquist Stir in gelatin mixture and cool; add vanilla and rum, cool: Remove from heat; stir in gelatin mixture, and let cool completely. Stir in vanilla and rum. Briefly place pan in an ice-water bath to thicken slightly, if needed. Do not let it set completely. Set aside. Credit: Jake Sternquist Whip egg whites: Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low; continue beating while you make syrup. Make syrup: Bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Brush down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Cook, without stirring, until syrup registers 240°F on a candy thermometer. Credit: Jake Sternquist Beat egg whites to stiff peaks; add syrup and beat: Raise mixer speed to high, and beat egg whites just until stiff peaks begin to form. Immediately pour syrup into egg whites in a slow, steady stream near side of bowl, avoiding whisk. Beat until glossy and cooled, about 7 minutes. Credit: Jake Sternquist Add meringue to reserved gelatin in batches; mound over chocolate and refrigerate: Fold meringue mixture into reserved gelatin mixture in 3 batches until just combined. Mound the mixture into the chocolate-filled crust. Refrigerate pie for 2 1/2 hours or overnight before serving. Credit: Jake Sternquist Credit: Jake Sternquist Credit: Jake Sternquist Make-Ahead Once the pie is assembled, it needs to sit in the refrigerator for at least 2½ hours before serving. Ideally it should be refrigerated overnight, so this is an ideal pie for entertaining because you need to make it ahead. Don't make it too far ahead: If refrigerated for more than one day, the pie will still taste great, but the graham cracker crust will begin to soften. Storing Leftover Black Bottom Pie Store any leftover pie in the refrigerator after wrapping the whole pie plate loosely with plastic wrap. Leftover pie will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator. More Chocolate Pie Recipes to Try: Double-Chocolate Chess Pie Chocolate Mousse Pie With Phyllo Crust Milk-Chocolate Pudding Pie Quick Chocolate Meringue Pie Mile-High Triple-Chocolate-Espresso Mousse Pie Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley Wofford is a recipe developer, food stylist, and writer with over 15 years of experience and holds a Professional Culinary Arts diploma from the International Culinary Center. In addition to decorvow.com, Riley's work can be found in TODAY.com, Delish, Food52, and Marley Spoon.