Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie (no corn syrup)
A twist on the classic dessert, this pecan pie recipe has chocolate, a splash of bourbon and maple syrup for extra flavor and richness. Whether you use our homemade pie crust or a store-bought pie shell, you'll love how simple it is to put together and how quickly it disappears from your holiday dessert table!
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 recipe Flaky Pie Crust or Basic Shortcrust Pastry if you prefer all-butter
For the filling:
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar or dark
- 2 tablespoons bourbon or whisky
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups pecans
- ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Instructions
For the crust:
- Roll 1 recipe Flaky Pie Crust, line the pan, crimp edges, prick the bottom and freeze it according to the instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Blind-bake: cover the cold pie crust with a large piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil that goes over the edges and fill it with ceramic pie weights (or dry rice/legumes or flour). Bake for 15 minutes and carefully lift the paper and weights. If it sticks to the dough, bake it for 5 more minutes. Return the pie crust to the oven after removing the weights and bake for 5 more minutes. It should be dry but white or light in color. Reserve.
For the filling:
- Mix 3 eggs and 1 cup light brown sugar in a large bowl. No need to beat them, just integrate them very well. I use a wire whisk.
- Add 2 tablespoons bourbon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix.
- Add ½ cup maple syrup, 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter and ⅛ teaspoon salt and integrate very well.
- Add half of the pecans (1 cup) and ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips and mix.
- Pour this mixture carefully into the prepared pie crust. Alternatively, you can scatter the add-ins (half the pecans and chocolate) on the bottom of the pie and pour the filling carefully.
- Top with the remaining 1 cup pecan pieces and do it quickly so they don't start to sink.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until puffed but slightly jiggly in the center. It might take a few more minutes or less, depending on your oven.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Store leftovers at room temperature for a day, or in the fridge for up to a week. Always well covered to prevent dryness. Bring to room temperature before eating.
Notes
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you need to adjust.
Crust: blind-baking the pie dough is important to prevent sogginess, even if you're using a store-bought one.
Pecans: use natural pecans (as opposed to lightly toasted ones) whether you're topping the filling with whole pieces so they look nicer when baked (last image above) and also if you're not. The nuts tend to go to the surface while baking and they will brown too much if they're already toasted.
Chocolate: you can use any type you want, but remember that the pie filling is sweet, so adding, for example, milk chocolate instead of semisweet will make it very sweet. It depends on your palate.
