I have made a pecan pie every holiday season for the past six years. It wasn’t a pie I had a full appreciation for until I wrote my cookbook, and I came to love the nutty, maple flavored combination. It was a delicious change to the chocolate sweet treats I typically gravitate towards. Additionally, I was testing the recipe right around Thanksgiving, so it was seasonally appropriate, and always brings back memories every time I bake the holiday dessert.
As I was making my Thanksgiving menu this year, I initially planned to make both a pumpkin and pecan pie, but then hesitated. Thanksgiving is not complete without pumpkin pie in my opinion, but what about my love of chocolate? That’s when I had the idea for a chocolate pecan pie. After a quick search on the internet, I quickly realized that was in fact a thing, and got to recipe testing right away.
This recipe is the result. Upon first bite, I thought now that is one of the best things I have ever baked, but then I say that to myself a lot. If you are looking for a pie that marries holiday tradition with your love of chocolate, look no further.
Substitutions you can make to make this pie grain-free and/or dairy-free
The pie filling is inherently grain-free, so you will just need to switch up the crust. I used the recipe for my go-to gluten-free pie crust. It is made with oat flour, coconut sugar, egg, and avocado oil. If you would prefer a grain-free pie crust, use 1 1/4 cups of almond flour and 1/4 cups tapioca flour instead of the oat flour.
If you want to make your pie dairy-free, substitute coconut oil for the butter. Note that this will likely alter the resulting texture (the filling may be more “firm” upon chilling). You will also want to make sure the chocolate you use is dairy-free as well.
Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the crust
- Cooking spray
- 1½ cups oat flour 135 g
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar of choice I used coconut sugar; 18g
- 1 large egg beaten
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
For the pie filling
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- ¼ cup grass fed butter or coconut oil
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2½ cups pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
- Make the crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour and sugar and stir. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg and avocado oil until creamy.
- Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir until combined and a dough is formed.
- Use your hands to gather the dough into a ball. Place the ball of dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll it out to ⅛- to ¼-inch thick. Flip the flattened dough across the pie plate, using your fingers to press onto the bottom, fix any cracks and seal around the edges. Set aside until ready to use.
- Make the pie filling. Combine the chocolate chips and butter in a large microwavable-safe bowl. Heat for one-minute and stir until melted. If needed to further melt, continue to heat in 20 second intervals, stirring between each until creamy.
- Whisk the sugar into the melted chocolate mixture. Add in the eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and sea salt. Whisk until creamy and fully combined. Fold in the chopped pecans and stir until incorporated.
- Transfer the pie filling to the pie plate with the crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the edges are slightly firm to the touch and slightly cracked. The center may look darker in color and still “jiggle,” but the pie will firm as it cools.
- Allow the pie to cool completely at room temperature (at least 1-2 hours) before transferring to the refrigerator to further set (at least 2 to 4 hours).
