We’re adding chocolate to our Thanksgiving dessert menu with dark chocolate pecan pie. Rich and delicious, this variation of a classic is garnished with sea salt, chocolate shavings, and homemade whipped cream.
Why mess with pie perfection? Years ago, I shared my late grandmother’s pecan pie recipe. Pecan pie isn’t the variety I typically reach for, but it’s a whole other story when grandma’s is around. Her pecan pie boasts a chewy texture underneath a layer of toasty pecans and offers a wonderful sweet-salty balance. The natural flavor of pecans truly shine and I knew using the base of her recipe would be ideal for today’s chocolate rendition. Not only do toasty pecans scream for a little dark chocolate, most Thanksgiving pie recipes are seriously lacking in the chocolate department. I will gladly welcome a sliver of deep dark chocolate-y pecan pie to my dessert plate. Right next to my slices of apple pie and pumpkin pie, of course.
Why You’ll Love Chocolate Pecan Pie
- A decadent adaptation of my favorite pecan pie
- Simple to make with only 9 ingredients in the filling
- Sugary and buttery, but not overly sweet
- Incredible texture
- The filling sits atop the best pie crust
- No pre-baking needed
- Great make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert
If you’ve tried (and loved) my dark chocolate pecan cookies, think of this recipe like the pie version of those cookies!
Chocolate Pecan Pie Ingredients
Since this pie is made with just a few ingredients, it’s imperative to use high quality nuts and spices. I genuinely love Diamond of California pecans and McCormick pure vanilla extract (though homemade vanilla extract is excellent too!).
For the BEST chocolate pecan pie, use these ingredients:
Baker’s Tip: Make sure you use room temperature eggs. You see, there’s melted butter in this pie filling. Cold eggs will solidify it and you’ll be left with random chunks of butter in your filling. Those chunks of butter will melt once the pie is baking, but then you’ll have random patches of pie with melty butter and others without. We can’t have butter-less bites of pie! Room temperature eggs definitely make a difference.
How to Make Chocolate Pecan Pie
How to Freeze Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate pecan pie is a wonderful dessert to make ahead of time. Simply bake the pie as directed, allow it to completely cool, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before slicing. This pie freezes and thaws beautifully; no one will ever realize it isn’t freshly baked!
Let’s Compare Pecan Pies
I’ve shared a few pecan pie recipes on my blog and you might be wondering which to make first. Here’s a quick review:
Whichever you choose to make, you’re guaranteed pecan pie-fection!
Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instructions
- Prepare my pie crust recipe through step 5.
- After the pie crust has chilled, adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (you can freeze the 2nd for later use, see note). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish.* Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Flute or crimp the pie crust edges. No need to pre-bake the crust.
- Spread pecans evenly inside pie crust and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly on top. Set aside. Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Once completely combined and thick, pour evenly over pecans and chocolate chips.
- Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. You can also tent a piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie if the top is browning too quickly. Remove finished pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. The pie filling will set as it cools.
- Sprinkle with sea salt (if using), then slice and serve pie. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired. Cover and store leftover pie at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
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