Delicious Black Bottom Pie Recipe

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Black Bottom Pie

Making black bottom pie recipe is a delightful mixture of custard and chocolatey goodness topped with cool whip, meringue, or whipped cream. You simply can’t go wrong with this fabulous pie.

Black Bottom Pie sliced pie

Below we will walk you through the step-by-step instructions on how you can make our delicious pie recipe. We hope you enjoy it!  

Black Bottom Cream Pie

Black bottom cream pie is a type of pie recipe that takes after the muddy Mississippi. Because of the black bottom, this pie is also compared to the river. However, this pie tastes absolutely delicious with its creamy texture and rich flavor. 

Black bottom cream pie features a delicious graham cracker crust with a layer of chocolate cream, followed by amazing custard, and topped off with a layer of meringue, making it the ultimate cream pie recipe. You just must taste it to understand how amazing this pie recipe is!

Below you will find our easy recipe for a black bottom cream pie with step-by-step instructions on how you too can make this delicious pie recipe. We really hope you like it, and of course, enjoy eating it! 

Old Fashioned Black Bottom Pie

Recipe Ingredients

For the crust:

Premade graham cracker crust, OR

A package of graham crackers 

Granulated sugar 

Melted butter

For the custard:

Milk

Egg yolks

Sugar

Cornstarch

Salt

Vanilla extract

For the chocolate layer:

Chocolate chips

For the topping:

Cool Whip

Homemade Whipped Cream OR

Meringue:

Cold water

Unflavored gelatin

Egg whites

Cream of tarter

Sugar

Salt

How to Make Black Bottom Pie

Graham Cracker Crust

To make this delicious black bottom pie recipe, you will first want to make the graham cracker crust. To make the graham cracker crust, first open the package of graham crackers and add them to a food processor if you have one.

If not you can place them into a plastic bag and seal them tightly. Then crush them with a rolling pin. Otherwise, add them to a food processor and post them until they are finely ground. 

In a mixing bowl, add the crushed graham crackers, melted butter, and granulated sugar. Stir to combine. Spray your pie plate with cooking spray, then add in the graham cracker mixture. Gently press the graham crackers until they are packed solidly around the edge of your pie plate. 

Add the pie plate to the oven at 350°F and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the graham cracker crust just begins to turn golden in color. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool. 

Black Bottom Pie piece removed from pie

Custard Filling

Now it’s time to make the custard filling. We recommend using a double boiler for this process. A double boiler is when you take a larger pan and fill it with water and bring it to a boil. Then take a smaller pan and place it in the center. If you prefer to not use a double boiler, you may want to consider keeping the heat low so that you are not as likely to burn the pie filling.

To make the filling, begin by heating the milk in the double boiler until it is scalding. This means that it should reach 185°F but be careful that you do not burn the milk. 

While your milk is heating, crack eggs and separate the yolks from the egg whites. Take the egg yolks and beat them until they are mixed. 

When the milk is scalding, add the egg yolks slowly to the mixture stirring vigorously. 

In a small mixing bowl combine sugar and cornstarch and whisk until combined. Then pour this mixture into your milk and egg mixture. Cook in the double boiler, stirring continually until the mixture thickens and sticks to the back of the spoon. This should take between 10 and 15 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 160°F. 

Add vanilla extract to the custard mixture and mix until combined. Pour half of the custard into a bowl and set aside as it cools.

NOTE: You can make as much of the filling chocolate or custard as you want. If you like more chocolate, feel free to leave more of the filling behind.

Chocolate Custard

With the remaining half of the custard still in the double boiler, add chocolate chips, and melt over medium heat until they are completely melted and combined with the mixture. Remove from heat. 

Pour the chocolate layer into your prepared graham cracker crust, smoothing it evenly. 

Allow it to cool slightly before adding the custard layer. Add the remaining custard layer to the pie and smooth evenly as well. 

Topping

For this pie recipe, our preference is to use homemade whipped cream or cool whip for the topping of this pie. We much prefer this pie to be served after it has chilled and has a lovely flavor and texture to it.

We have found it is not our preference to bake the meringue on top, however, if you wish to use the leftover egg whites, you can make a meringue topping for this pie.

Cream Topping

Once your pie has had a chance to cool in the fridge, you can top your pie with cool whip or homemade whipped cream. We also like to top the pie with chocolate shavings for decorations, but this is not required.

When your pie is topped with whipped cream or cool whip, you can chill it in the fridge until you are ready to serve, then serve and enjoy!

Top Meringue Layer 

In a cup take 3 tablespoons of cold water and dissolve 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin. Stir to combine. Mix the gelatin mixture with the remaining one cup of custard until combined. 

Using a mixing bowl, add egg whites and whisk on high until light and fluffy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating for another minute or two. Add sugar and beat only until combined. Now take the gelatin and custard mixture and gently fold it into the meringue. 

The meringue on top of the pie. Form peaks as desired. 

Place the pie into the oven and bake at 400°F for 5 to 8 minutes or just until the meringue turns golden in color. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool. Serve right away or allow to chill before serving, then serve and enjoy! 

Black Bottom Pie piece of pie coming out
The pie pictured above is chilled and served with a cool whip topping.

How to Serve Copycat Marie Callender’s Black Bottom Pie

You can serve this delicious black bottom pie recipe when it is chilled, or fresh from the oven. It is entirely up to you if you prefer it slightly warm or chilled.

Personally, we prefer to chill the pie for a few hours so that it has time to fully set before serving. Then serve the pie chilled and enjoy. 

Ingredient Substitutions

Chocolate chips. We recommend that you use chocolate chips to flavor the chocolate portion of this black bottom cream pie.

However, if you prefer you could use Dutch cocoa powder to make it chocolatey instead. You could also use chocolate melting squares instead if you prefer. 

Graham Cracker Crust. We prefer to use a graham cracker crust, however, if you prefer you can also enjoy a delicious pastry crust for the pie instead.

You may also choose to purchase a pre-made graham cracker crust rather than making your own. 

Meringue Topping. There are many different ways you can make a black bottom pie, while our favorite is to include a meringue topping for the pie, you could also simply make your own homemade whipped cream or top it with Cool Whip instead. 

Recipe Variations

The main recipe variation you’ll find across different black bottom pie recipes is the topping differences.

While some simply have a cream layer on top of the pies, others have a meringue layer, yet others have whipped cream topping.

The choice is up to your preference, and what you have time for. Feel free to mix it up and use whatever type of topping sounds the best to you. 

What Makes a Black Bottom Pie So Good?

We think that the black bottom pie is so good because of the rich and creamy texture and flavor of the chocolate and cream layers. Our pie is also delicious because it is topped with homemade meringue, but you can type it however you prefer. 

Black Bottom Pie whole pie

FAQs

What Goes Well With a Black Bottom Pie?

There are many things that go well with black bottom pie. This pie recipe can be served alongside any main dish, or simply as a snack. 

Do I Need To Let My Pie Cool Before Serving?

We strongly encourage you to let the pie cool before serving and even recommend chilling the pie before it is served. But, if you would rather serve it while it is still warm, you can. 

How Should I Store My Pie?

The best way to store this black bottom pie is by placing it in the refrigerator. If you are able, we recommend covering the pie by transferring it to a different container, using a pie plate, cover or simply wrap it in plastic wrap. Then place in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. 

Do I Need To Use Pie Weights For My Crust?

If you are making a graham cracker crust, you do not need to use pie weights. However, if you are making a traditional crust, we recommend that you use the weights to keep your crust in place. 

How Long Does Pie Last Until It Gets Bad?

For best results, we recommend keeping the pie in the refrigerator, for up to 3 to 4 days before it goes bad. 

Black Bottom Pie piece removed

Cream Pie Recipe From Scratch

Our black bottom cream pie recipe is a tasty and delicious pie recipe that is made from scratch. This pie is relatively straightforward to make, and it tastes fabulous when you enjoy our yummy recipe. Give it a try today! 

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Black Bottom Pie Recipe

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Faith
Faith Has been cooking and baking for many years! she loves to share her recipes with the world, and hopes you will enjoy them too!

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