The Ultimate Pecan Pie Recipe (with Chocolate!!)
Chocolate bourbon pecan pie! This is the ultimate pie for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or really any fall celebration. It’s got everything you love most about a classic pecan pie recipe — warm, gooey center, plenty sweet, and lots of nutty pecans! — with the added bonus of chocolate and bourbon!
Why I love this recipe
- Just the right level of sweetness! The flavors are balanced out with bourbon, pecans, and chocolate in juuuust the right ratios.
- Tender, flaky homemade pie crust! It’s pretty much always worth the effort to make a pie dough from scratch.
- Hot and cold! I really love serving pecan pie slightly warm with a big dollop of cool, creamy whipped cream on top (or a generous scoop or two of ice cream).
Love chocolate desserts? Consider trying my chocolate chess pie, this easy flourless chocolate cake, or the simplest ever chocolate cherry dump cake next!
Ingredients Needed
- Large eggs: be sure to use room temperature eggs for best results!
- Dark brown sugar or light brown sugar, which I prefer over white sugar because of the added molasses. It adds a nutty sweet flavor!
- Light corn syrup, which gives pecan pie its signature gooey, syrupy consistency.
- Bourbon, optional, but just adds another level of complexity to the overall flavor.
- Unsalted butter, melted
- Pure vanilla extract or scraped out vanilla bean seeds.
- Kosher salt to season all the ingredients.
- Pecans, obviously! Use raw pecans, not toasted.
- Semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. I really, really love mini chocolate chips here because they hold their shape a bit better, but of course you can substitute and use whatever you like best.
I’m also making the pie dough from scratch (yes, totally use store-bought if that’s more your style!!) and cinnamon whipped cream.
How To Make A Flaky Pie Crust
I’ve got a whole post dedicated to mastering the art of homemade pie crust. Grab the following ingredients and check it out. There’s nothing quite like homemade!
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter, very cold
- Vegetable shortening, very cold
- Ice water
Directions
If making a homemade crust (yay!), prep that first and stick it in the fridge to chill. Once chilled, roll it out and place it in your pie plate.
To make the chocolate pecan pie filling, simply whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour the pecan pie filling into the prepped pie crust, then bake the pie for about an hour, or until the edges are golden and the middle is set.
You need to let this chocolate chip bourbon pecan pie cool for at least an hour before serving it. Near the end of the cooling time, whip up a batch of cinnamon whipped cream (you’ll need heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon). Dollop a generous serving of whipped cream atop each slice of pie and dig in!
Should I Chop The Pecans?
I prefer the pecans in the filling to be chopped, but I like to add whole pecans on top for the way it looks when baked. You can do whatever you want for the filling.
Freezing Pie
Once fully cooled, wrap the pecan pie tightly in plastic wrap, then freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the pie in the fridge overnight. You can also gently reheat pecan pie at 325°F for 15-20 minutes, just enough to heat through.
Expert Tips!
- Use very cold ingredients! If making the pie crust yourself, it’s important that your ingredients are all as cold as possible. If the butter or shortening is too warm when you make the pie dough, your pie crust won’t turn out nice and flaky.
- Add pecans on top before baking! Just before baking the bourbon pecan pie, place a few whole pecans on top to make it look prettier. This step is totally optional, but it’s a nice touch!
- Bake the pie on a baking sheet! If the pie overflows in the oven you won’t be stuck having to clean molten pecan pie filling off the bottom later.
- Don’t skip the fresh whipped cream! It is 100x better than the stuff in the can and will elevate any and every homemade dessert!
Swoon! This is definitely my favorite pecan pie on the planet. It is seriously so delicious, and I look forward to baking this every single Thanksgiving!
If you make this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! Don’t forget to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio and upload your photos below! We love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
More Holiday Desserts To Try!
Salted Caramel Apple Slab Pie & Homemade Pie Crust Impossibly Creamy Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Tender, Moist Lemon Olive Oil Cake Milk Bar Pie (Formerly Crack Pie) with Oatmeal Crust Pumpkin Dump Cake (The Easiest Pumpkin Dessert!)
Tell Us What You Think!
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review and rating—we value your feedback and it helps us keep creating (and sharing!) free recipes. Your support means the world!
Rate this Recipe
Ari’s Foolproof Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Homemade Pie Crust note that this recipe makes 2 pie crusts — you'll need 1 now, freeze the other for later!
For the filling
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 142 g (⅔ cup) dark brown sugar
- 225 g (⅔ cup) light corn syrup
- 3 Tbsp bourbon
- 28.4 g (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter melted
- 4.2 g (1 tsp) pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 cups pecans chopped + plus a few extra whole pecans to decorate the top
- 4½ oz (¾ cup) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
For cinnamon whipped cream
- 236 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
- 23.4 g (3 Tbsp) confectioner’s sugar
- 4.2 g (1 tsp) pure vanilla extract
- 5.2 g (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
Instructions
- If you haven't already, make the pie dough.
- Prepare the filling. Whisk together 3 large eggs, 142g brown sugar, 225g corn syrup, 3 Tbsp bourbon, 28.4g melted butter, 4.2g vanilla extract, and 1 tsp Kosher salt in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 cups chopped pecans and 4½ oz chocolate chips, then stir to combine. Set aside.
- Roll out the pie dough. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12” round. Carefully transfer the dough to a pie dish. Fold excess dough under the edges, then decoratively crimp with fingers or tines on a fork.
- Add the chocolate bourbon filling. Pour filling into pie dough, adding a few whole peans right on top, if desired. Transfer to a baking sheet, then bake for 55-60 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and the center of the pie is set. Let pie cool for at least an hour before slicing into it.
- Make the cinnamon whipped cream. Pour 236ml heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until peaks start to form, about 3 minutes, then add 23.4g confectioner’s sugar, 4.2g vanilla extract, and 5.2g ground cinnamon. Continue whisking until cream is fully whipped and reached desired consistency. Serve immediately with pie.
Notes
- If desired, you can use a store-bought pie crust.
- Leftovers: Fully baked bourbon pecan pie will keep for up to 4 days in a refrigerator.
- To freeze: Allow pie to cool completely, then wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To defrost: Allow pie to thaw fully at room temperature or place in a refrigerator to defrost overnight. Once thawed, you can heat the pie up in a preheated oven until warm throughout.
Nutrition
Photography by: Pate of The G&M Kitchen
I am making this pie now! What size pie dish should I use?
Hi Janet! A standard 9” pie plate is best!