This Chocolate Pecan Pie is sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup and flavored with cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans. This rich and flavorful pie has a buttery crust and sticky-sweet filling (no corn syrup). You will love it!
I never thought I could love a pecan pie recipe as much as I love my Maple Pecan Pie, BUT, this Chocolate Pecan Pie is giving it a run for its money. This pie is rich, indulgent, satisfying, and delicious. The addition of cocoa powder and chocolate chips create an incredible flavor that can’t be beat.
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Ingredients you’ll need
- Pie crust – Homemade or store bought. You’ll need one 9-inch unbaked crust.
- Butter – You’ll need 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter for the filling.
- Brown sugar – This is the primary sweetener in the pie. Use light or dark brown sugar.
- Maple syrup – Use real maple syrup if you can. This is used in place of the corn syrup you traditionally see in pecan pie.
- Salt – The perfect way to balance out all the sweetness.
- Cocoa powder – 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder adds an underlying subtle chocolate flavor.
- Eggs – This holds the filling together. You’ll need 3 large eggs.
- Vanilla – The perfect complement to chocolate and pecans.
- Pecans – Plenty of crunchy pecans running all throughout the pie.
- Chocolate chips – Dark chocolate chips add chocolate flavor to every bite.
Recipe overview
Pie crust: You can use a store bought pie crust or homemade pie crust. I have included a pie crust recipe in the recipe card, but feel free to use your favorite recipe for one 9-inch crust. No need to prebake the crust. Keep it in the fridge (if homemade) or freezer (if frozen) before adding the filling.
Filling: This pecan pie filling contains no corn syrup and it is dark, rich, and flavorful. It’s made with a combination of maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, eggs, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Cook the filling on the stovetop for just a few minutes. Cool briefly, then pour into the pie crust along with pecans and chocolate chips.
Bake: Bake the pie in the center to lower third of the oven for about 45 minutes.
Topping: Serve the pie as is or top with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, flaky sea salt, ice cream, or chocolate shavings.
Recipe tips
- Bake in the middle to the lower third of the oven. Baking the pie on an upper oven rack can cause the top to get too dark.
- Underbake just slightly. When you pull it from the oven the edges should be set but the very center will still have a slight jiggle to it. It will firm up as it cools.
- Chill for a firmer filling or serve at room temperature for a softer filling. This pie slices neatest when it is chilled. When served at room temperature the filling will be softer (as pictured). We prefer it at room temperature when the chocolate chips are still soft and just a tiny bit melty.
- Use dark/bittersweet chocolate chips, as the flavor contrasts better with the filling and keeps the pie from being too sweet.
Why you’ll love this chocolate pecan pie
Flavor: A combination of butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, pecans, and chocolate. Rich and incredible!
Texture: Crunchy pecans, flaky crust, and creamy pockets of melted chocolate chips.
Ease: The filling comes together on the stovetop in minutes, a store bought pie crust can be used with great results, and most of the recipe is hands off time.
No pre-baking: No need to line your pie crust and blind bake. You just add the filling right to the unbaked crust!
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Recipe
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Pie crust (or use your favorite 9-inch deep dish unbaked pie crust*):
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup ice water, plus more, if needed
Filling:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups chopped pecans
- ½ cup bittersweet/dark chocolate chips
- non-stick baking spray
- flaky finishing salt, optional
Instructions
Pie crust:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour, doing so until the butter is broken down into pea-sized pieces. Add ¼ cup ice water and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the dough starts coming together. Then use your hands to bring the dough together. If necessary, add another tablespoon of cold water. The dough should just be sticking together. Try not to overwork it.
- Transfer the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten it into a disc and wrap it up. Roll the edges of the crust on the countertop (like a wheel) to smooth out the edges. Transfer to your refrigerator for 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
- Let the pie crust sit at room temperature for several minutes until it is no longer rock-hard, but still cold (this will depend on how long it was the fridge). Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is a 12-13 inch circle.
- Lightly spritz a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with non-stick spray, then transfer the crust to the pie plate. Trim and fold/crimp the excess crust around the edges. Place the crust in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Filling:
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center to lower third of the oven.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth and combined. Bring the mixture to a low simmer (bubbles forming around the perimeter of the pan), then remove from the heat. Pour the mixture into a bowl to cool for 15 minutes.
- Add eggs and extract to the syrup mixture, whisking until combined.
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans and chocolate chips into the bottom of the uncooked pie crust. Pour the syrup mixture over the pecans, rearranging the pecans if necessary (most the nuts and chocolate chips will float to the top).
- Lightly spritz a piece of foil with non-stick spray. Cover the pie with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, then continue baking for another 15-25 minutes, until the edges are set but the center of the pie is still a bit jiggly (like gelatin). Sprinkle the top of the pie with a few sprinkles of flaky finishing salt. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely; it will firm up as it cools. I like to serve this pie at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Katie
This is my family’s favorite and go-to pie every year. It’s so rich but so insanely delicious!
Beth
What a great spin on a delicious, classic Thanksgiving dish. This is not a popular opinion but I feel that pecan pie is better than pumpkin! Delicious!!
Allison
I agree, Beth! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂