Description
This Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie is a decadent twist on the classic Southern favorite. Featuring a homemade pie crust filled with crunchy pecans, rich dark chocolate chips, and a luscious blend of dark corn syrup, brown sugar, spices, and melted butter, this pie offers a perfectly balanced sweetness with a touch of sea salt enhancing the flavors. Baked to a golden finish and ideal for special occasions or comforting dessert cravings, it’s delicious served on its own or with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- Homemade pie crust (recipe makes 2 crusts; use one or freeze the second)
Pie Filling
- 2 and 1/2 cups (250g) shelled pecans
- 1 cup (180g) dark chocolate chips
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) dark corn syrup
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Prepare the Pie Dough: Follow your homemade pie crust recipe through step 5 to prepare the dough. Chill the dough thoroughly before proceeding to ensure ease of handling and better texture during rolling.
- Preheat Oven and Roll Dough: Adjust your oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). On a floured surface, roll out one disc of the chilled dough into a 12-inch diameter circle, turning it about a quarter turn every few rolls to maintain an even thickness and prevent sticking.
- Transfer Dough to Pie Dish: Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a 9-inch pie dish. Use your fingers to tuck in the dough, smooth out wrinkles, and flute or crimp the edges to create a decorative flange. There is no need to prebake the crust as it will bake with the filling.
- Assemble Filling: Evenly spread the shelled pecans inside the pie crust. Sprinkle the dark chocolate chips uniformly over the pecans. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, dark corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, sea salt, and ground cinnamon until the mixture is fully combined and slightly thickened.
- Add Filling and Bake: Pour the prepared filling mixture evenly over the pecans and chocolate chips in the pie shell. Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the filling is set. After 20 minutes of baking, place a pie crust shield over the edges to prevent over-browning, or tent the entire pie with foil if the top begins to brown too quickly.
- Cool and Finish: Remove the pie from the oven and transfer it onto a wire rack to cool completely. The filling will firm up as it cools. Once cool, sprinkle coarse or flaky sea salt over the top for an added flavor contrast. Slice and serve as is, or optionally top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings for an extra special presentation.
- Storage: Cover any leftover pie and store it at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or refrigerate for 4 to 5 days to maintain freshness and texture.
Notes
- Using room temperature eggs helps the filling combine smoothly and bake evenly.
- Make sure to chill your pie dough thoroughly before rolling to prevent shrinking during baking.
- Shield the crust edges after 20 minutes of baking to avoid over-browning or burning.
- You can substitute light brown sugar if dark brown sugar is unavailable, but dark sugar enriches the flavor.
- For an extra glossy finish, brush the crust edges with an egg wash before baking.
- Leftover pie can be warmed slightly before serving for a soft, melty texture.
