Every year, we drive the 3+ hours it takes to get to our family reunion in the Texas Hill Country and every year, we stop at this little place on the side of the road to buy a pecan pie. It’s a small place that features everything you could ever want a pecan in.
Growing up, pecan pie wasn’t really a thing at our house. Holidays were all about pumpkin pie. But after stopping once at that little red barn with an 8 ft tall squirrel outside, I found a new dessert favorite.
The little red barn had all sorts of pecan items for sale, like pralines, turtles, and pecan pie. But the chocolate pecan pie caught my eye first. I mean, chocolate is always a good addition to anything, right?
And so, my love of chocolate pecan pie was born. Now, I couldn’t just leave well enough alone, so I added bourbon to it.
This recipe isn’t just good. It’s dang good. I guarantee if you bring this one to the family potluck, you’ll be asked to bring it back for years to come.
Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
Crust
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
- ¼ cup ice water
Filling
- 2 cups pecans (about 7 ounces)
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ⅔ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the ice water. Knead the dough 2 or 3 times on a lightly floured surface and pat into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch round. Fit the dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim the overhang to 1/2 inch, fold the edge under itself and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 375°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the pecans for about 8 minutes, or until fragrant; coarsely chop. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, melted butter, bourbon and salt until blended. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Pour the filling into the pie shell. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for about 55 minutes, or until the center of the pie is set. Tent the crust with foil halfway through the baking time if the edge is browning too quickly. Transfer the pie to a rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.
Make Ahead – The pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day. Rewarm at 325° for 15 minutes.
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