Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
And we’re not shying away from all the sugar, butter, and chocolate this year either. So let’s kick off 2017’s Pie Week with a decadent version of a Thanksgiving classic.
This is an adaption of my late grandmother’s pecan pie recipe. I posted her recipe a couple years ago, but felt inspired to share a variation this year for any new readers.
Pecan pie isn’t the variety I typically reach for, but it’s a whole other story when grandma’s is around. Her pecan pie boasts a chewy texture underneath a layer of toasty pecans. Pecan pie is usually so sweet that 1 bite will make your eyes cross. Her’s is wonderfully balanced. A lot of pecan pie recipes call for 2 cups of sugar– 1 cup of corn syrup and 1 cup of granulated or brown sugar. The natural flavor of pecans gets lost in all that sugar, so we’ll reduce by 1/2 cup. There’s also a little sea salt to offset the sweetness. It’s a sugary pie, of course, but the reduction of sugar and a little sea salt easily lift this pecan pie out of the cloyingly sweet/eyes-crossing category.
I am a big pie fan, especially pecan pie. It took me awhile to discover the deliciousness of pecan pie, because unfortunately, my sister was allergic to pecans and we never had it growing up. After I got married, my husband introduced me to this holiday classic. Now, I’d have to say pecan pie is my second favorite pie, just behind pumpkin. I don’t think any pie will ever top pumpkin on my list.
Except……maybe this Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie. It might just be my number one now. Who would have thought that dark chocolate would add so much depth to the flavor of pecan pie? It is so decadent and yummy. And so easy to make! I love a recipe that doesn’t take much preparation. You can definitely use a pre-made crust from the grocery store or you can use this delicious, all butter crust recipe that I’ve included here. It is heavenly.
This Thanksgiving, let’s add some dark chocolate. Why mess with pie perfection? Because not only do toasty pecans scream for a little dark chocolate, Thanksgiving dessert is seriously lacking in the chocolate department. Right?? I’m not usually one to complain about non-chocolate desserts, but I’ll gladly welcome a sliver of deep dark chocolate-y pecan pie to my dessert plate.
Ingredients
Instructions
This is an adaption of my late grandmother’s pecan pie recipe. I posted her recipe a couple years ago, but felt inspired to share a variation this year for any new readers.
Pecan pie isn’t the variety I typically reach for, but it’s a whole other story when grandma’s is around. Her pecan pie boasts a chewy texture underneath a layer of toasty pecans. Pecan pie is usually so sweet that 1 bite will make your eyes cross. Her’s is wonderfully balanced. A lot of pecan pie recipes call for 2 cups of sugar– 1 cup of corn syrup and 1 cup of granulated or brown sugar. The natural flavor of pecans gets lost in all that sugar, so we’ll reduce by 1/2 cup. There’s also a little sea salt to offset the sweetness. It’s a sugary pie, of course, but the reduction of sugar and a little sea salt easily lift this pecan pie out of the cloyingly sweet/eyes-crossing category.
I am a big pie fan, especially pecan pie. It took me awhile to discover the deliciousness of pecan pie, because unfortunately, my sister was allergic to pecans and we never had it growing up. After I got married, my husband introduced me to this holiday classic. Now, I’d have to say pecan pie is my second favorite pie, just behind pumpkin. I don’t think any pie will ever top pumpkin on my list.
Except……maybe this Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie. It might just be my number one now. Who would have thought that dark chocolate would add so much depth to the flavor of pecan pie? It is so decadent and yummy. And so easy to make! I love a recipe that doesn’t take much preparation. You can definitely use a pre-made crust from the grocery store or you can use this delicious, all butter crust recipe that I’ve included here. It is heavenly.
This Thanksgiving, let’s add some dark chocolate. Why mess with pie perfection? Because not only do toasty pecans scream for a little dark chocolate, Thanksgiving dessert is seriously lacking in the chocolate department. Right?? I’m not usually one to complain about non-chocolate desserts, but I’ll gladly welcome a sliver of deep dark chocolate-y pecan pie to my dessert plate.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pecans
- 6 ounces 70% chocolate roughly chopped into pieces (or semisweet chocolate)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)
- 3/4 cup golden syrup maple syrup, rice syrup or light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons bourbon optional
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs whisked
- 9 inch pie crust or pie shell
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350°F (175°C) with rack on lowest position in oven. Prepare pie crust. If using uncooked pie crust, prick the base a few times with a fork to prevent air bubbles before pouring in the filling.
- When oven is hot, toast pecans on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Roughly chop half of the toasted pecans. Reserve the other half for decorating the top of the pie.
- Fill a small pot 1/3 of the way with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to low and place a heat-proof bowl on the pot. Fill the bowl with the chocolate and stir continuously until the chocolate is melted.
- Add the butter to the chocolate, stirring well to combine until butter is melted. Mix in the cocoa powder until completely dissolved.
- Take the bowl off the heat. Whisk in syrup, sugar, flour, bourbon, vanilla and salt.
- Add the eggs and whisk well to combine. Fold in chopped pecans. Pour into prepared pie shell and top with remaining pecans.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until centre is just set to the touch but still a little jiggly underneath. If your pie is browning too fast, loosely tent with foil.
- The pie will be puffed up as soon as it comes out of the oven, but it will deflate and flatten as it cools. Let cool on a wire rack for about 4 hours and serve warm, or refrigerate to chill overnight.
