Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe

One must wonder if there is still a pie around we have not delighted you with. And, possibly to your joy (or dismay), I can confirm we still have plenty. But if we’re talking about yet another pie, it has to be interesting. Yet simple, and tasty. And there is nothing coming closer to this than the Chocolate Pecan Pie recipe you are about to get. Plus we have also provided you with a full-on guide on pie making, so you don’t have any excuses no more.

I cannot make me, Simona, the maker of this beauty. I helped, a little. Mostly with eating it, of course. But this is all from Fred’s own mind – and let me tell you, you are about to be blown away. This Chocolate Pecan Pie recipe is easy to assemble, even if you don’t have the right ingredients on hand. We could not find any dark sugar syrup of the right consistency in Italy so we had to make do with our homemade one. But it worked! Admittedly, it’s a little sway from the traditional Pecan Pie, I get it. But just hold off any thoughts for a minute before going all ‘no way, need no touching tradition’.

We all know pecan pie as an American recipe. And we’re not that wrong, to be completely fair: it is American, but there has been speculation of French input. It might be the second most-known pie for Americans during Thanksgiving after pumpkin pie, but it is available all year round and just so yummy. So where is it from? Who invented it? Why do we love it so much? So many questions!

Do you ever have questions about where the food you’re eating is from?

Or who invented whatever you are savouring? I am generally a very curious person and I like to read the story behind a dish. Why is it so tasty and where I can buy more are the main ones at the start, but then I definitely want to know all the dirt behind it. Am I the only one? No? Good. Because, in the spirit of giving credit where it’s due, let me tell you the story behind pecan pie. Right about now!

Who invented pecan pie?

So as I mentioned, pecan pie dates back to the 19th century, when the nuts were propagated by the Native Americans all through Illinois. Some people believe for pecan pie to be invented by the French who settled in New Orleans, but there is honestly very little evidence to support this claim.

So we have a chocolate pecan pie recipe for you.

But what about pecans, to start with? I mean, they are the star ingredient of the recipe after all!

Pecans, as mentioned, were propagated by the Native Americans starting in the 19th century. They were originally native from northern Mexico and grow on a species of hickory tree. The first recipes using pecans were printed in the late 1800s. And the one recipe we now know and love was sent in by a Texan woman in 1898 for a collection of recipes for charity. Isn’t that fascinating?!

Pecans are also good for you, as they are packed with protein, healthy fats and fibers that can help you stay energised and full. They are full of vitamins and minerals, and raw pecans are even cholesterol-free, sodium-free, and low in carbohydrates. Considering how sweet they are to taste, they make a great little snack! I’m not here to say pecan pie it’s healthy, but a slice every once in a blue moon is okay, am I right?!

Why is pecan pie so tasty and unbelievably yummy?

Okay, that might be my opinion and you might disagree. I am sure you’ll be #teampumpkin or #teampecan around the holidays, but one thing is just undeniable. And that is how easy this pie is to make. Not only does the combination of ingredients aside from pecans make it a sugary hit, but also the texture and flavour combo just crowns this one as the pie you should be trying as soon as humanly possible.

Roasting the pecans is something you cannot overlook make sure they are laid down properly on a cookie sheet. The pie shell can blind-bake at the same time, so you don’t have to wait in between that and pouring the filling in it for baking. All in all, within 90 minutes you will be looking at your ready pie, a full pie comes together. Growing your pie recipes collection has never been easier!

You have butter and sugar (brown sugar is a great choice), but also malt syrup, sour cream and eggs. Plus the spices which are so typical during this season, cinnamon and ginger. This chocolate pecan pie recipe in particular also has, you guessed it, chocolate. And if that is not a winner ingredient in itself, I don’t know what will sell it to you.

And how did this become a Thanksgiving staple pie?

Because, you know, pumpkin pie was already there right? Well, my guess – which was confirmed by the internet – is that the harvesting of pecans starts at the end of September and continue all the way until the end of November. Which makes pecans at their prime time on Thanksgiving!

So when you say Thanksgiving, does a pecan pie come to mind? Well, I am about to rock your socks off with this chocolate pecan pie recipe Fred decided to make while we were in Italy. You might notice from the pictures she has had the time of her life with a little cart on wheels full of gourds. And the chickens our aunt makes by hand. And the wood in the background with the olive tree. Fred was literally spoiled for choices when it came to taking pictures, without having to use our usual backgrounds! I just can’t wait to go back and visit our parents to do some more.

Said chickens are for sale, but I don’t think they are available for delivery anywhere but in Italy at the moment. Which it’s a shame, as they are absolutely adorable! Fred kept roaming around happily with this cart, and Cristina just couldn’t stop laughing. The giant gourds and pumpkins in the cart are from my parents’ little allotment, while the mini decorative pumpkins were bought at the supermarket. The leaves are also a creation of our aunt’s business, and if you want to check it out you can find their Facebook page here!

What can I use instead of chocolate?

Well, chocolate can be omitted altogether, and the pie would be as nice as if it was in any way. But I must admit the chocolate does add a next-level feel to it. I have read you can add alcohol like Bourbon or Whisky, but we don’t really have those bad boys around so I cannot confirm whether or not that is a great idea. I mean, I am sure it is – who wouldn’t want to eat a slice of Bourbon pecan pie? Me? I definitely would.

Some people use cocoa powder – sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder, your choice – , we have used a dark chocolate bar instead. You could use dark chocolate chips if easier too. Also, don’t forget the whole deal about corn syrup. Whether you are team corn syrup or not, the original recipe would always include it. We have not used it, as we have not used light corn syrup either. That is because corn syrup is just not a thing in the UK – let alone in Italy! – and tracking it down could cost you a little more than expected.

Alas, before I blab even more than I already have, please find the Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe below. At last!

Let’s start with our super trusted pie crust recipe. This is the one from Four & Twenty Blackbirds we use for both sweet and savoury pies. You will only need half of this recipe, but if you go full-on, you will still be able to use it for another pie or even freeze it.

Double Pie Crust

Federica

Our go-to recipe for pie crust.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Savoury

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 2 and 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt or kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon of white granulated or caster sugar
• ½ pound or 230g of cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 glass of cold filtered water
• ¼ of a cup of cider vinegar
• 1 cup of ice unless you have a water dispenser that can deliver water colder than 4 C

Instructions

 

• HOW TOIn a large bowl, stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and mix together well. Combine the water, cider vinegar, and ice in a small bowl. Sprinkle 2 table spoons of the ice water mixture over the flour , and mix until fully incorporated.
• Add more ice water, only 1 or 2 spoons at the time, mixing gently until the dough come together in a ball – you will not need the whole iced water you have- leaving some dry bits. Squeeze and pinch with your fingertips to bring the mixture together and combine.
• Shape the dough in 2 flat discs wrapped in cling film, and refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably overnight.

Notes

Wrapped tightly, the dough can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Thanks to Four & Twenty Blackbirds for the recipe.

Keyword pie crust

Now to the filling – get ready to be mesmerised and taken by this chocolate pecan pie recipe!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Simona

A chocolate pecan pie recipe to bring to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table this holiday season!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Course Sweet

Cuisine American

Servings 1 pie

Ingredients

  

For the crust:

• ½ recipe of the double pie crust above

For the filling:

• 1 ½ cups pecans
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 57 g dark chocolate
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup of dark sugar syrup*
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon ground
• ½ tsp ginger ground
• ½ cup whipping cream
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk

Instructions

 

• Start by warming up your oven to 180°C. Roast the pecans on a baking tray for 6 to 8 minutes and stir them occasionally. Set them aside to cool down.
• Using a double boiler**, melt the butter and chocolate whisking occasionally until smooth. 
• Remove the chocolate from the heat and add the sugar, syrup, salt and spices and stir them well. Add the cream, then the eggs and egg yolk one at a time until everything is combined.
• Finally add the pecans and fold in the mixture.
• Pre-bake your pie shell using pastry weights for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and bake for a further 5 minutes so the bottom is golden.
• Pour in the filling and bake for 35 minutes, then rotate the pie 180° and bake for a further 30 minutes or until the centre is firm to the touch but still wobbly. The sides will look puffed up, but they will come down as they cool.
• Allow to completely cool before slicing, roughly 2-3 hours. You can serve it slightly warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

*dark sugar syrup – we have made this in house, cooking 1:2 water to sugar ratio for 1 hour on low, or until it’s dark and thick. Let it cool down and store anything unused in a jar for up to 4 weeks.

**double boiler – this would be a heatproof bowl over a pan with water, where the water will not touch the bowl at any point.

The pie will keep at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for 3 days.

Keyword chocolate pecan pie

Shop the post

Pyrex Bake & Enjoy Glass Flan Dish, £6.49 / Artificial Fall Decorations, £9.99 / The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book, £22.99 / Traditional Falcon White Enamel Dinner Plate, £22.25

And just look how glorious this chocolate pecan pie recipe turned.

We had to take pictures so fast, we were almost not able to. And you want to know why? The family could not wait to tuck in. They have never tried this chocolate pecan pie before, and let’s just say it did not last much longer than the time for pictures.

Make sure your chocolate pecan pie comes to room temperature before serving, I cannot stress this enough. We have found a big difference between the warm taste-test and the room temperature one. Baking tips always go on and on about this and I can confirm it is very important! If you bake, you know what I mean for sure.

Alas, we are at the end of this Chocolate Pecan Pie recipe. If you fancy checking out more pie recipes, we have an apple pie you would love for sure, and also the pumpkin pie pancakes we keep making over and over!

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