Description
This decadent Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie combines the rich nuttiness of pecans with luscious dark chocolate chips in a buttery, flaky homemade pie crust. Finished with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt, this dessert is perfect for holidays or any special occasion, offering a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and chocolatey flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- Pie crust dough (homemade, enough for one 9-inch pie shell)
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 topping (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Pie Crust: Make the homemade pie crust dough using your preferred recipe and chill it thoroughly as per instructions, at least 2 hours.
- Preheat Oven: Adjust the oven rack to the lower third and preheat to 350°F (177°C).
- Roll Out Dough: On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer and fit it into a 9-inch pie dish, smoothing out wrinkles. Crimp the edges to finish the crust. There’s no need to pre-bake the crust.
- Add Filling Base: Evenly spread the pecans inside the pie crust, then sprinkle the dark chocolate chips uniformly over the pecans.
- Mix Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, dark corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, sea salt, and cinnamon until fully combined and slightly thickened.
- Pour Filling: Pour the egg mixture evenly over the pecans and chocolate chips in the pie crust.
- Bake: Place the pie in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until the top is lightly browned. After 20 minutes, cover the edges with a pie crust shield or aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
- Cool: Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. The filling will set as it cools.
- Finish and Serve: Sprinkle the top with coarse or flaky sea salt if desired. Slice and serve with optional whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Store leftover pie at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerate for 4-5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing: You can prepare the filling (except pecans and chocolate chips) up to one day in advance and refrigerate. Pie dough can be made 1-5 days ahead and kept chilled. The baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
- Extra Dough: Freeze the second pie dough disc for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before use.
- Pie Dish Recommendation: Use a glass pie dish to monitor crust browning for best results.
- Chocolate Variations: Dark chocolate chips can be substituted with semi-sweet chips or chopped semi-sweet, dark, or bittersweet chocolate (about 6 ounces).
- Corn Syrup Swap: Light corn syrup can be used instead of dark if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 of pie)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
