Chocolate bourbon pecan pie is a decadent dessert that's perfect for Thanksgiving! All you'll need is a thin slice of this decadent chocolate treat to feel satisfied.
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I've hesitated to share this family favorite for a few years because both the crust and filling are adapted from other recipes. However, I've come to realize that it's not a very straightforward adaptation, and I want my kids to have an easy place to find how to make their must-have Thanksgiving dessert.
The pie crust is an all butter crust adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction. It is the best crust I've come across, and I highly suggest you use it to make her cherry pie once cherry season comes around! It makes enough for two crusts, so you're basically required to double the filling recipe and make two (no one will complain).
The chocolate bourbon pecan filling is adapted from Joy the Baker, who was one of my very first inspirations in the food world. It's rich and nutty, with enough dark chocolate to keep you up at night (just the way I like it!).
The pie as a whole is rich, chocolatey, nutty, and perfect for fall. It has plenty of texture and tastes even better after a couple days in the refrigerator. Come join me on this adventure!
Ingredients
For the pie crust
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Salted butter
- Ice water
For the filling
- Granulated sugar
- Dark corn syrup
- Melted butter
- Eggs
- Bourbon
- Vanilla extract
- Chopped pecans
- Dark chocolate
For the egg wash
- Egg
- Cold water
How to make bourbon chocolate pecan pie
Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, and salt.
- Add the butter and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
- Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring to incorporate it into the flour mixture. Stop adding water when the dough starts to form clumps and come together.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to bring it together into a ball.
- Using a large knife or a bench scraper, cut the dough in half. Flatten each half into a round disc that is about 1 inch thick.
- Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.
- Dust a clean work surface lightly with flour and place your dough disc in the center, lightly dusting the top with flour as well. If your disc is very hard, wait a few minutes for it to soften, then roll it out starting in the center and working your way to the edges. Make sure you roll evenly in all directions to maintain the round shape. If the dough feels sticky, sprinkle it and the rolling pin with a little more flour. You'll need to roll the dough out to about 12 inches wide and ⅛ inch thick.
- Transfer the dough to a 9 inch pie pan and trim the edges. I like to trim it about an inch longer than the outer edge of the pie plate if possible. Fold the edges under and flute the edge all the way around.
Pecan Pie FIlling
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, corn syrup, eggs, bourbon, and vanilla until combined.
- Sprinkle the pecans and chocolate evenly over the prepared pie crust. Pour the filling over the top.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the beaten egg and 1 tablespoon cold water. Brush the egg wash lightly over the exposed crust. You will not need all of the egg wash.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes.
- When the pie is done it should be puffed and jiggle uniformly. Cool the pie for a few hours at room temperature, then wrap with plastic wrap and chill overnight in the refrigerator before cutting and serving.
Top tips
Measure carefully
Baking is a science, and this is never more evident than when baking pies. The crust especially will benefit from careful measurements.
When measuring flour, always spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife for an accurate measurement. When measuring liquid ingredients (such as corn syrup), use a glass measuring cup and check the measurement on a level surface at eye level.
How to make flaky pie crust
The trick to making a flaky crust is to use cold ingredients. If your ingredients are too warm the butter will melt into the dough. Little chunks of butter throughout the dough are what will give you a flaky crust.
To help with this, I like to cut my butter into cubes and then keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use. I will also measure ½ cup of water in a 1 cup glass measuring cup, then fill the cup with ice while I prepare my other ingredients. When it's time to add the water, measure out ½ a cup of the ice water.
How to flute pie crust
After you've trimmed the edges of your pie crust to be about 1 inch longer than the pan, tuck the edges under. Use the second knuckle of your index finger and the index finger and thumb of your other hand to form a wave in the crust. Continue this all the way around the pie.
What to do with extra pie crust
This recipe makes two pie crusts, but you'll only need one. I usually make two of these pies at a time because I have a large family and we love leftovers, but you could also freeze it for another day. If you're set on using it up now but don't want two pies, check out this fun post about what to do with leftover pie dough.
Use a pie crust shield
I recommend having a pie crust shield on hand in case your crust begins to darken too much before the filling is cooked through. A pie crust shield is usually made of silicone and is adjustable to fit your pie plate. Lay it over the top of the crust about halfway through the bake time to prevent over-browning.
Chill before cutting
A few hours at room temperature are not enough, you need to chill this pie in the refrigerator before cutting. Cutting this pie before it has chilled will result in a lot of loose liquid. This isn't a huge problem, the pie is still delicious and edible, but it will leave the remaining pieces without as much filling.
How to store
Keep leftovers covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze slices of pie for up to 3 months.
Tips for customizing chocolate pecan pie
- Top cooled slices of pie with whipped cream
- Swap the bourbon for and equal amount of brandy
- Use a store bought crust to save time
- Try swapping the dark chocolate for milk chocolate
FAQ
I do not recommend substituting shortening for butter in a 1:1 ratio in this recipe. If you prefer to do a mix of shortening and butter, I recommend you try this pie crust recipe.
Yes, if you prefer to cook without alcohol you can omit the bourbon from this recipe. You may want to increase the vanilla extract to 1 tablespoon to help make up for the lost flavor and liquid.
You can substitute any whiskey or brandy for the bourbon in this recipe. I would not recommend using any type of alcohol other than those because the flavor would be too different.
I would consider myself a pretty casual baker, so while most baking recipes call for unsalted butter, I like the flavor and ease of salted butter in my baked goods. If using salted butter, you'll only need to add ½ teaspoon of salt to your pie crust. If using unsalted butter, add 1 teaspoon.
More chocolate recipes
- Dark Chocolate Brownies
- Mini Chocolate Muffins
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Cups
- Orange Chocolate Cake
- Whole Wheat Chocolate Fudge Cookies
- Chocolate Cake with Warm Butter Sauce
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Chocolate Revel Bars
- Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- ½ cup ice water
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark corn syrup
- ⅓ cup melted butter, slightly cooled
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup chopped pecans
- 3 ounces coarsely chopped dark chocolate, at least 60% cacao
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, and salt.
- Add the butter and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. The butter should be pea sized and coated in flour. You can also use your hands to do this, but work quickly so you don't melt the butter.
- Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring to incorporate it into the flour mixture. Stop adding water when the dough starts to form clumps and come together. It will still look kind of dry until you get your hands into it. You don't want it to be overly wet. It's ok if you don't use the whole ½ cup of water, but I wouldn't recommend using much more than that.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to bring it together into a ball. Try not to overwork the dough, just handle it enough to work in any dry flour.
- Using a large knife or a bench scraper, cut the dough in half. Flatten each half into a round disc that is about 1 inch thick.
- Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days. You'll only need one of these discs for this recipe, see the post above for ideas on how to use the extra crust or freeze it for later use.
- Dust a clean work surface lightly with flour and place your dough disc in the center, lightly dusting the top with flour as well. If your disc is very hard, wait a few minutes for it to soften, then roll it out starting in the center and working your way to the edges. Make sure you roll evenly in all directions to maintain the round shape. If the dough feels sticky, sprinkle it and the rolling pin with a little more flour. You'll need to roll the dough out to about 12 inches wide and ⅛ inch thick.
- Transfer the dough to a 9 inch pie pan and trim the edges. I like to trim it about an inch longer than the outer edge of the pie plate. Fold the edges under and flute the edge all the way around. To flute, use your fingers or knuckles to create a wavy edge. You can see the post above for more tips on how to do this.
Pecan Pie FIlling
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, corn syrup, eggs, bourbon, and vanilla until combined.
- Sprinkle the pecans and chocolate evenly over the prepared pie crust. Pour the filling over the top.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the beaten egg and 1 tablespoon cold water. Brush the egg wash lightly over the exposed crust. You will not need all of the egg wash.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes. If the crust begins to darken too much, use a pie crust shield or make one out of aluminum foil.
- When the pie is done it should be puffed and jiggle uniformly. Cool the pie to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours before cutting and serving, or covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 4 days.
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