Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

Make Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie the centerpiece of your dessert table this Thanksgiving. Toasted pecans, brown sugar, a splash of bourbon and dark chocolate give this classic pie a modern twist. Nestled in a flaky butter crust with hints of cinnamon, this fudgy pie will make you thankful for fall flavors.

Things are going great. I just drove to the grocery store with a lizard on my windshield, swallowed rancid crabmeat without dying from neurotoxins and gave my bicycle away to a guy walking to the liquor store. At this point, I plan to cap the day off by following a clown into the woods.

Strangely, the biggest surprise of the day isn’t the joyriding reptile or the crab that tried to kill me. Instead, it’s that it took me this long to ditch my bike–especially since I’m always looking for an excuse to avoid exercise. And what better excuse is there than giving back to the community? Helping my fellow man get a stiff drink as fast as his legs can pedal is a public service in my book

Of course, that book is poorly written and unpublished but the point is that I did a good deed.

Since I’m having a nutty day, I might as well keep the trend going and make my favorite pecan pie. It is a boozy, brown sugar chocolate chip pie loaded with toasty pecans that’s ooey-gooey and fudgy fantastic. This isn’t the sickeningly sweet dessert your second cousin twice removed shows up with at Thanksgiving dinner. I’m talking about an edible masterpiece loaded with textures and flavors that sits atop a scratch-made cinnamon crust.

The holidays start when the pies show up, so tell the turkey to move over and make room for the real star of the show this Thanksgiving: Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie.  

Before sharing the recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie, here are a few tips and tricks to help you out:

Ingredient Tips and Tricks

Fresh pecans are mandatory, therefore, don’t use the open bag of pecans that’ve been in your pantry since last Thanksgiving.

Dark corn syrup is preferable for depth of flavor, but light corn syrup is a great substitute.

Preparation Tips and Tricks

For the best pecan pie, always use toasted pecans in the filling. To toast pecans, simply add them to a foil lined baking sheet in a single layer then place in the oven for 8 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring after the first 4 minutes.

Only toast the pecans to be mixed in with the filling ingredients. The pecan halves placed on top of the filling should not be toasted since they will toast as they bake.

Pie is done when the edges are set and the center jiggles when wiggled. Avoid overbaking; the center will continue to set as it cools. Plus, be sure to cool completely to room temperature (approximately 3 hours) before serving to give the filling proper time to thicken.

How to Store Pecan Pie with Chocolate Chips

Allow pie to cool completely then cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Can you Freeze Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie?

Yes, you can make pecan pie ahead of time and freeze up to 3 months. After baked pie cools completely, wrap tightly with plastic wrap then cover with aluminum foil and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then serve at room temperature.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie. Please drop a comment and recipe rating below, I love hearing from you! And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you love fall baking season check out this recipe for Double Chocolate Pumpkin Tart. Chocolate crusted on the bottom, chocolate swirled on top and chockful of pumpkin in the middle makes this the ultimate autumn tart.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

Heather Wolf

Make Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie the centerpiece of your dessert table this Thanksgiving. Toasted pecans, brown sugar, a splash of bourbon and dark chocolate give this classic pie a modern twist. Nestled in a flaky butter crust with hints of cinnamon, this fudgy pie will make you thankful for fall flavors.

5 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Chill 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Pies and Tarts

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Equipment

• 9 inch pie plate
• Food Processor

Ingredients

  

Crust

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp sea salt fine
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 8 Tbsps unsalted butter cubed and very cold
• 2 Tbsps ice cold water

Pecan Pie Filling

• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 2/3 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
• 4 Tbsps unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 2 Tbsps bourbon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt fine
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract pure
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Topping

• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Instructions

 

Crust

• Add flour, salt, sugar and cinnamon to food processor. Pulse to combine.
• Add chilled butter then pulse until butter is reduced to the size of small peas.
• Drizzle in ice cold water and pulse until mixture begins to clump.
• If dough does not hold its shape when pinched together with your fingers add another tablespoon (or two if needed) of ice cold water until it reaches the correct consistency.
• Remove dough from food processor and place on a floured surface. Flatten dough into a disk shape then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 2 days. (My dough chilled overnight.)
• Remove dough from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface, rotating a quarter turn after each roll of the rolling pin until dough is 12 inches in diameter.
• Gently drape dough into a 9-inch pie dish then trim edges leaving a 1/2 inch overhang. Tuck excess dough under itself then pinch to crimp edges around the rim.
• Place pie plate in the freezer to chill while you prepare the filling.

Pecan Pie Filling

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with foil then place pecan halves on aluminum foil in a single layer.
• Roast pecans in the oven for 8 minutes, stirring after the first 4 minutes to ensure even baking.
• Remove pecans from the oven and set aside to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, bourbon, salt and vanilla until well combined.
• Chop toasted pecans with a knife then add to filling with chocolate chips. Stir until evenly distributed.
• Remove the pie plate from freezer then spoon pecan pie filling onto the crust.

Topping

• Top filling with 1/2 cup of pecan halves and 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Note: the pecan halves used for the topping should not be toasted.
• Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, tenting pie with with aluminum foil after the first 30 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Pie is done when the edges are set and the center is jiggly when wiggled. Avoid overbaking.
• Place pie plate on a wire rack to cool to room temperature (approximately 3 hours). Pie filling will firm as it cools, avoid cutting into pie before it has fully set or the filling may be runny.
• Serve pie at room temperature. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Keyword chocolate chip, pecan, pie