This easy chocolate pecan pie is a wonderfully rich and makes an easy holiday dessert. It is a twist on the classic pecan pie but loaded with chocolate flavors and a hint of bourbon. Impress your friends by making this sophisticated, chocolatey dessert!
Table of Contents
What makes this dessert better than the classic? Well, a classic pecan pie has a sweet, buttery, sugary filling. While that’s delicious, this chocolate pecan pie with bourbon is a much more rich and luscious. The chocolate is bittersweet, and a splash of bourbon gives this pie additional delicious but subtle flavor.
This chocolate version is just as easy to make as the classic. Truly the perfect pie for beginners!
So if you need to make an easy holiday dessert in a pinch, make this pie. You will impress your family and friends at first bite!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Crushed and Halved Pecans – The halved pecans contribute to both the look and texture of the pie filling. However, feel free to just use crushed pecans if you’d rather have just one type.
Dark Chocolate Chips – One of the best parts of this recipe is that while it’s still buttery and sweet, the delicious dark chocolate chips keep this pie from being overly sweet. Feel free to substitute semi-sweet or milk chocolate if you wish.
Eggs – remember to give them some time to warm up to room temperature prior to using, so give them 30-45 minutes on the counter.
Dark Brown Sugar – dark brown sugar is better for rich taste of the pie. The difference between the two is in the amount of molasses added, dark brown sugar containing more, of course.
Dark Corn Syrup – Corn syrup is an important addition because it adds a touch of sweetness to the pie. It also helps to prevent the mixture from crystalizing.
Butter – While butter can usually be substituted for things like margarine or even applesauce, I highly recommend sticking to butter for this recipe. Butter is a MUST in pies!
Bourbon or Cognac – Any brand of this liquor will do just fine! Just make sure to be very careful when adding it to your mixing bowl – too much bourbon or cognac will completely take over the rest of the ingredients or make it too thin.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Use unsweetened 100% Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chocolate Pecan Pie
I can’t stress enough just how EASY it is to make this pecan pie!
First things first – the crust:
Prepare the pie dish. Use a cooking spray or butter to coat the pie dish. If you choose to use a spray, I recommend using a butter flavored one to enhance the crust’s buttery flavor!
Roll the pie crust. Whether you made your own dough or bought it from the grocery store, make sure it’s rolled out in an even circle and ready to go!
When it’s in the dish, you can have some fun! You can crimp or fold the edges of the pie dough any way you’d like.
Make the filling:
Stir together all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, except for the chocolate chips and pecans!
Once the mixture is fully combined, incorporate the chocolate chips and pecans.
Then, pour the mouthwatering mixture into the prepared pie dish. Now it’s ready for baking!
Bake the pie. It takes about an hour to fully bake.
Let it cool. Your kitchen is going to smell like a bakery, but resist temptation! It is much easier to slice and won’t fall apart after the dessert cools for a full two hours.
Garnish with whipped cream and crushed pecans, then serve!
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I serve chocolate pecan pie?
The sky is really the limit here. Ice cream and whipped cream both pair wonderfully with this delectable dessert!
Personally, I like to top my slice with warm caramel sauce and a light sprinkle of sea salt. It’s to die for!
How should I store a pecan pie?
If you’re planning on serving it right away, you can leave it in an airtight container right on the countertop for 1 to 2 days. In the refrigerator, it will stay good for up to 5 days, just make sure to keep it air-tight.
If you really want to prolong your enjoyment, you can freeze it for 3 to 4 months! When you want a slice, just let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
More Pie Recipes You Will Love
While most kids really love this pie, there are some kid friendlier ways to enjoy pecans and chocolate! One of my favorite recipes to make for the little (and big) ones is a brownie pecan pie or just an easy-peasy brownie pie.
Another one of my favorite holiday pies has got to be a pecan crunch sweet potato pie. Honestly, with all these scrumptious pecan pie recipes, I hope fall never ends!
If you want to serve a few more pecan desserts this holiday season, make some Maple Pecan Mini Cheesecakes and Soft Pecan Cookies.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!
Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
Filling:
- 2 cups crushed pecans
- 1/2 cup halved pecans
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup dark corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 2 tbsp bourbon or cognac
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking cocoa powder
Instructions
- Note: 1/2 cup of halved pecans are used purely for the look. If you don't have halved pecans, use additional crushed pecans and mix them into the filling.
Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Rub a 9-inch pie dish with butter all over the bottom and sides. (You can also use cooking spray instead of butter.)
- Gently roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface to about 12 inch circle.
- Place it over the pie dish and gently fit it in. Crimp the edges or simply fold them for a rustic look.
Filling:
- Combine all ingredients for the filling except pecans and chocolate chips in a mixing bowl and whisk them well together.
- Fold in crushed pecans and chocolate chips and pour it into the prepared pie dish.
Baking the pie:
- Bake for 60 minutes.
- To keep the pie crust from getting too dark, you can cut 3-4 strips of aluminum foil that are about 2-3 inches wide and gently wrap them around the edge of the pie dish, covering the crust.ORHalf way though the baking, cover the pie dish loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Take the pie out of the oven and cool on the counter for up to 2 hours, until completely cooled.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in November 2020.
Carla says
UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM good!
LyubaB says
Thank you, Carla!