Easy Chocolate Pecan Pie | The Recipe Critic

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Chocolate pecan pie is a sweet, decadent dessert with a buttery crust filled with gooey caramel, crunchy pecans, and rich chocolate. It’s the perfect pie to share this Thanksgiving. It will knock your family’s socks off!

Overhead shot of baked chocolate pecan pie. Overhead shot of baked chocolate pecan pie.

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Flavor Combination: Pecan pie is one of my favorite indulgent desserts. Combine that with chocolate, and it is out-of-this-world amazing!
  • Holiday Tradition: Our family loves the tradition of pies on Thanksgiving. I always want to outdo myself from the year before, and this pie is the ticket. I also love to share my strawberry pie and sugar cream pie.

Ingredients Needed for Chocolate Pecan Pie

The ingredients list for this decadent pie is not very long. It’s made up of basic ingredients that come together to make something so special and delicious. For exact measurements, scroll to the bottom of the post.

  • Grandma’s Pie Crust, or Store-Bought: For this recipe, you need to have your pie crust made and ready to go. You can make a homemade crust or use store-bought pie crust.
  • Semi-Sweet Chocolate: This secret ingredient is what sets this pie apart. The chocolate perfectly balances the sweetness of the filling.
  • Unsalted Butter: Adds a rich, creamy texture that creates the most flavorful filling in this pie.
  • Dark Brown Sugar: The molasses content in this sugar gives the sweetness a bold depth of flavor.
  • Dark Corn Syrup: Give the signature ooey, gooey texture and toffee flavor that complements the chocolate and pecans.
  • Eggs: Adds a custard texture while binding the ingredients in the filling.
  • Vanilla Extract: Provides a warm, comforting flavor.
  • Pecans: The star of the pie! I always think of these as the fancy nuts with the best texture and flavor.
Overhead shot of labeled ingredients. Overhead shot of labeled ingredients.

How to Make This Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe

This indulgent pie is quite simple to make. It uses simple ingredients that come together quickly and easily. The oven does most of the work. You won’t believe something this good only takes 10 minutes of prep time!

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out the pie crust and place it in a 9-inch pie pan. Flute the edges and then freeze the crust while you prepare the filling. Add the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a large bowl and stir until combined.
  2. Mix: Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
  3. Pecans: Add the pecans to the bottom of the chilled pie crust
  4. Chocolate: Add the chocolate on top of the pecans.
  5. Cover: Pour the pecan pie filling over the top of the pecans and chocolate.
  6. Bake: Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven before lowering the temp to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for an additional 35-40 minutes until the center of the pie still has a slight wobble. It should be almost completely set. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack. Then, transfer it to the fridge until you are ready to serve it.
Overhead shot of butter, sugar, corn syrup in a glass bowl. Overhead shot of butter, sugar, corn syrup in a glass bowl.
Overhead shot of eggs and vanilla added to the sugar and butter mixture. Overhead shot of eggs and vanilla added to the sugar and butter mixture.
Overhead shot of pecans lining the bottom of a pie crust. Overhead shot of pecans lining the bottom of a pie crust.
Overhead shot of a layer of chocolate chunks over the pecans in a pie crust. Overhead shot of a layer of chocolate chunks over the pecans in a pie crust.
Overhead shot of someone pouring the egg, sugar and butter mixture over the chocolate and pecans in the pie crust. Overhead shot of someone pouring the egg, sugar and butter mixture over the chocolate and pecans in the pie crust.
Overhead shot of the pie crust with pecans, chocolate and filling inside ready to go in the oven. Overhead shot of the pie crust with pecans, chocolate and filling inside ready to go in the oven.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Tips and Variations

This pie is easy to make. Still, I want yours to turn out perfectly. Make sure you follow my time-saving tips. I’ve also added a few variations so it turns out exactly how you’d like.

  • Time-Saving Tips: Need to save yourself some time? Use a pre-made pie crust. You can also purchase pre-chopped pecans for even faster prep.
  • Pecans: I like to use a mixture of chopped and whole pecans for my pies for variety and texture. Try 1 cup of chopped pecans and 1 cup of whole pecans, which is my favorite combination!
  • Chocolate: Stick with semi-sweet or dark chocolate for this pie. You can use chocolate chips or chop up high-quality chocolate bars, but avoid milk or white chocolate. Pecan pie is a very sugary dessert. Adding milk or white chocolate will result in an overly sweet pie. Semi-sweet chocolate has just enough bitterness to cut through some of the sugar and balance the flavors.
  • Add Alcohol: You might have tried my bourbon pecan pie, and this chocolate pecan pie can take it to the next level! Add ¼ cup of your favorite bourbon at the same time as the eggs and vanilla, and it will blow your mind!
  • Pie Shield: If the pie top is browning too quickly but the filling isn’t set, gently place a sheet of foil on top without sealing the edges. This will prevent burning while the filling finishes cooking. You can also use a pie crust shield, but it may not always fit or could crush the delicate crust.
  • Serving Options: When you are ready to serve, slice up the pie and top it with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipping cream.

Side shot of chocolate pecan pie in a pie pan with a slice taken out showing the gooey inside. Side shot of chocolate pecan pie in a pie pan with a slice taken out showing the gooey inside.

How to Properly Store Pecan Pie

People always ask if they need to refrigerate pecan pie. The answer is yes. You can also store it in the freezer to use later.

  • Refrigerator: Store the chocolate pecan pie in the fridge carefully covered with foil or plastic wrap for 4-5 days.
  • Freezer: To freeze this pie, you will need to bake as directed then cool it completely. Carefully wrap the pie in several layers of plastic wrap followed by a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.

Overhead shot of a plated slice of chocolate pecan pie. Overhead shot of a plated slice of chocolate pecan pie.

More Pecan-Inspired Recipes

If you have a bag of crunchy pecans and want to use them to make something delicious, I’ve got you covered. Here are a few of my favorite desserts using pecans. Or, if you need more pie recipe ideas, check out my pies here.

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  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out the pie crust and place it in a 9-inch pie pan. Flute the edges and place the crust in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. Keep it there until the filling is ready.

  • Add the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a large bowl and mix until combined.

  • Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until thoroughly combined.

  • Add the pecans to the bottom of the chilled pie crust, followed by the chocolate.

  • Pour the sugar mixture over the top of the pecans and chocolate.

  • Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven before lowering the temp to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, until the center of the pie still has just a slight wobble to it but is almost completely set.

  • Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack before chilling in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.

Calories: 712kcalCarbohydrates: 86gProtein: 8gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 195mgPotassium: 339mgFiber: 5gSugar: 69gVitamin A: 321IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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