Chocolate Pecan Pie

Treat yourself and your family for Thanksgiving this year with this decadent Chocolate Pecan Pie. This chocolatey version of the classic Pecan Pie is the ultimate low-effort dessert. It’s irresistibly fudgy with an intense chocolate flavor and loaded with pecans. I’m talking pie perfection and the only Chocolate Pecan Pie recipe you’ll ever need!

The Best Pecan Pie For Chocolate Lovers

This is one luxurious dessert in a pie shell. I love all things with chocolate, fudge and nuts so this just checked all the boxes for being a winner. Oh, and putting a big dollop of whipped cream on top is like icing on a cake. I also love making my own pie crust, but if time doesn’t permit, there’s nothing wrong with buying an unbaked shell which makes this more simple and quick to put together.

This is especially a great treat to make for the Holidays, and one that everyone will be raving about. You might just have to make more than one to satisfy all the sweet teeth at the table. Go ahead, test it out first and let me know what you think? It’s a great way to get a slice or even the whole pie before a large gathering – wink, wink!

Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe Highlights

This easy pecan pie is …

• SINFULLY DECADENT. This pie is like fudge + chocolate + pecan pie all in one. Not only is this pie perfect for Thanksgiving, but I’d go as far as saying this is the perfect treat for any special occasion or even for a movie night with your friends.
• REALLY SIMPLE TO MAKE. While I made my own pie crust, you don’t have to. Simply use a store bought pie shell, make the filling, bake and enjoy! It really couldn’t get any easier. Easy as PIE!
• PERFECT HOLIDAY DESSERT. Being that it’s so simple to make, it’s also great to make ahead. Usually I just bake it the day before, and because I like this pie a bit warm, I just warm it up in the oven for a bit, then serve it. This way you won’t have to stress too much on that busy day, because dessert is already done.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• CORN SYRUP – I used a light corn syrup but a dark corn syrup can be used as well. You need corn syrup in a pecan pie because it’s the glue that holds the filling together. A light corn syrup will give your pecan pie a delicate vanilla flavor, while dark corn syrup will give it a more robust flavor, so it’s really up to you which one you use.
• BROWN SUGAR – Brown sugar, in baking will provide moisture and chewiness, so I strongly recommend you go with brown sugar in this recipe.
• COCOA POWDER – You’ll want to use a good quality cocoa powder and this is what will provide our pie with a rich chocolate flavor.
• FLOUR – We only need a little bit of all purpose flour.
• EGGS – You can use either white or brown eggs. The eggs will help create that perfect fudgy texture for our pie filling.
• BUTTER – I typically always use unsalted butter. You’ll want it to be softened. You can, however, use salted butter and if doing so, simply omit the salt in the filling.
• VANILLA – The role of vanilla in sweet baked goods is like the role of salt on the savory side: it enhances all the other flavors in the recipe. So yes, even though this is a chocolate pecan pie, the vanilla is necessary to balance out the bittersweet notes of chocolate with rounded sweetness. A little bit of pure vanilla goes a long way.
• PECANS – Pecans are one of my favorite nuts, so not only do I add some in the filling, I also top the pecan pie with extra pecans. I made this pie both ways and trust me, it’s better with the extra pecans on top.
• PIE CRUST – You can use half of my pie crust recipe, or purchase an unbaked one. If you’re making my pie crust recipe, make the whole recipe and freeze half the pie crust. This way, next time you have a craving for pie, your crust is already done.

How To Make Chocolate Pecan Pie

I’m not going to get into how to make the pie crust, for that you can find all the information you need in this post. Here, I just want to focus on making the chocolate pecan filling and baking the pie.

Chocolate Pecan Filling

Before starting to make the filling, make sure your pie shell is ready. If making your own, transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate, trim the edges and crimp it. Now you can start making the filling. First of all, it’s important that all your ingredients are at room temperature.

All you need to do is add all the filling ingredients to the bowl of your mixer and mix using the whisk attachment until smooth. You can either use a stand mixer or a hand held mixer until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in a cup of the chopped nuts using a spatula. Pour this pecan mixture into the prepared pie shell and sprinkle remaining pecans over the filling.

If you don’t have a mixer, you can simply add all the ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk everything together using a whisk until smooth.

Bake The Pie

First, you’ll need to preheat your oven to 350°F. Transfer the pie to the oven on the lower rack and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until set. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing and serving.

I love to serve mine with some fresh whipped cream topping and for extra decadence some shaved chocolate or chocolate curls. You can even add some sea salt, for that yummy sweet and salty combination.

Which Oven Rack Is Best For Baking Pie

You’ll want to bake the pie on the lower rack, this will ensure the bottom crust gets crispy and golden brown, especially since we’re not blind baking the crust first.

How Do I Know When My Chocolate Pecan Pie Is Cooked

Using oven mitts, shake the pie plate gently, if there’s only a little jiggle in the center, but stable otherwise, it’s done. If the pie filling moves all around when shaking, then it is not done yet.

The internal temperature of the pie should be 200°F when it is done.

Fixing Common Pecan Pie Problems

1. FILLING IS TOO WATERY. This simply means you need to bake your pie longer. If the pie crust is too dark, simply cover it with aluminum foil, place it back in the oven and bake it for a few minutes longer. As mentioned above, the internal temperature of the pie should be 200°F when it is done.
2. CRACKED FILLING. Don’t sweat it! It’s nothing a little whipped topping won’t fix. Just make sure to wait for the pie to cool completely before topping it with whipped cream.
3. FILLING SPILLs OVER. First of all, make sure you use a 9-inch pie plate. Make sure there’s still about an inch of pie crust above the filling, since the filling will rise a bit while baking. You can also place the pie pan on a baking sheet in the oven to catch anything that may spill over.

Expert Tips And Tricks

1. Refrigerate the pie crust or shell until your filling is ready because you don’t want the butter in the crust to soften, this will result in a soggy crust instead of a flaky crust.
2. If you notice the crust edges are starting to turn dark brown but the filling is not yet cooked, simply cover the edges with foil to avoid burning.
3. Do not overfill your pie plate.
4. After baking, you should allow the pie to cool completely at room temperature. Cutting it while still hot can cause it to collapse. Cool for at least 2 hours on a wire rack before serving.
5. For a little extra chocolate decadence, sprinkle some dark chocolate chips on the bottom of your pie crust before adding the filling.

Storing Leftover Pie

Cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Properly stored, your pecan pie will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Make Ahead

This chocolate pecan pie is perfect to make ahead of time. Bake the pie as instructed, allow it to cool completely, then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Place it in a freezer safe bag or airtight container and freeze for 3-4 months.

When ready to serve, thaw it overnight in the fridge then allow it come to room temperature before slicing. I also love mine a bit warm, so I’ll even zap it in the microwave oven for a few seconds.

More Great Recipes To Try

• Best Ever Pecan Pie Bars
• Baked Honey Glazed Pork Ribs
• Dutch Apple Pie
• Pecan Pie Recipe
• Coconut Cream Pie