Last Thanksgiving my sister-in-law brought what she kept calling "the best pecan pie ever" from some bakery in Dallas. Thirty-five bucks for one pie. Everyone ate it and yeah, it was good - just pecan pie with chocolate in it. But worth thirty-five dollars? Not even close. Got home and kept thinking about it so I tried making it myself. First try was way too sweet, made my teeth hurt. Second time I burned the pecans before they even went in. Third attempt the chocolate all sank to the bottom in one blob. Fourth time worked. Now this Texas chocolate pecan pie is what I bring to holidays and people keep asking which bakery I bought it from.
Why You'll Love This Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
Regular Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie is okay but gets boring after one slice. Too sweet, tastes the same the whole way through, nothing happening. This has chocolate mixed in so you get chocolate with toasted pecans and sweet filling together. Cuts the sugar and makes it worth having seconds. Chocolate also makes it look way better. Cut into it and people see chocolate chips and dark filling instead of brown goop. Looks like you tried when really you just dumped chocolate in with pecans. Made this last Christmas and my uncle who never says nice things about food told me it was better than restaurant pie. From him that's basically saying it cured cancer.
Not harder to make than regular Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie. Can you make normal pecan pie? Then you can make this. Just add chocolate. That's it. No extra stuff, no complicated things, just chocolate thrown in. Made this last Wednesday after work. Was cooling when Liam got back from soccer. Not some weekend thing that eats your whole Saturday.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Ingredients For Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
- How to Make Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie Step by Step
- Smart Swaps for Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie Variations
- Equipment For Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
- How to Store Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- Just Make This Pie Already
- Related
- Pairing
- Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients For Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
For the Pie Crust:
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold butter cut in cubes
- 3-4 tablespoons ice water
- Or just buy a pre-made crust if you don't want to deal with it
For the Chocolate Pecan Filling:
- 1½ cups pecan halves
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup dark corn syrup
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional but good)
For Serving:
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
- Extra chocolate shavings if you want to show off
How to Make Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie Step by Step
Prepare Your Pie Crust Base
- Mix flour and salt together in bowl
- Cut cold butter into flour with fork or fingers until mixture looks like coarse sand with pea-sized chunks
- Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing just until dough comes together
- Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes before rolling out
Shape and Prep the Crust
- Roll out chilled dough on floured surface to fit 9-inch pie pan
- Transfer to pie pan and trim edges, leaving 1-inch overhang
- Crimp edges however you want or just press with fork
- Refrigerate while you make filling
Toast Pecans for Maximum Flavor
- Heat dry skillet over medium heat
- Add pecans and shake pan every minute to prevent burning
- Toast 5 minutes until pecans smell nutty and look darker
- Remove from heat and let cool completely
Create the Chocolate Pecan Filling
- Preheat oven to 350°F while pecans cool
- Whisk eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter in large bowl
- Add cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and bourbon if using
- Stir in chocolate chips and cooled toasted pecans until evenly distributed
Bake Until Just Set
- Pour filling into prepared pie crust
- Bake 50-60 minutes until edges are set but center still jiggles slightly when shaken
- Cover crust edges with foil if they're browning too fast
- Center will look underdone but firms up while cooling
Cool Completely Before Serving
- Let pie cool on counter for at least 2 hours
- Don't cut into it early or filling runs everywhere
- Serve at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream
- Top with vanilla ice cream if you want
Smart Swaps for Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
Crust Options:
- Homemade → Store-bought pie crust (way faster)
- Butter crust → Shortening crust (flakier texture)
- Regular crust → Graham cracker crust (different flavor)
- All-purpose flour → Gluten-free flour blend (for gluten-free)
Pecan Alternatives:
- Pecans → Walnuts (cheaper, similar texture)
- All pecans → Half pecans, half walnuts (mixed nuts)
- Pecan halves → Chopped pecans (easier to cut)
- Texas pecans → Whatever pecans you can find (still works)
Chocolate Swaps:
- Semi-sweet chips → Dark chocolate chips (less sweet)
- Chocolate chips → Chopped chocolate bar (melts better)
- Semi-sweet → Milk chocolate (sweeter, kid-friendly)
- Regular chocolate → White chocolate chips (different but good)
Sweetener Changes:
- Dark corn syrup → Light corn syrup (milder flavor)
- Brown sugar → White sugar (less molasses taste)
- All corn syrup → Half maple syrup (different sweetness)
- Regular sugar → Coconut sugar (caramel notes)
Other Substitutions:
- Bourbon → Vanilla extract (no alcohol)
- Cocoa powder → Melted chocolate (richer)
- Butter → Coconut oil (dairy-free)
- Eggs → Flax eggs (vegan version, texture changes)
Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie Variations
Southern Living Chocolate Fudge Pecan Pie:
- Add 4 oz melted unsweetened chocolate to filling
- Use all dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet
- Top with chocolate ganache after cooling
- Way richer and more fudgy than regular version
Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie:
- Use full ¼ cup bourbon instead of 2 tablespoons
- Add splash of bourbon to whipped cream topping
- Only make this for adults obviously
- Has that Kentucky Derby fancy vibe
Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Recipe Style:
- Skip the cocoa powder completely
- Just use chocolate chips mixed with pecans
- Lighter chocolate flavor, more like regular pecan pie
- Good if you want subtle chocolate not intense
Mini Texas Chocolate Pecan Pies:
- Make filling and divide into muffin tin lined with mini pie crusts
- Reduce baking time to 25-30 minutes
- Makes about 12 mini pies
- Perfect for parties or when you want portion control
Equipment For Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
- 9-inch pie pan (glass or metal both work)
- Rolling pin for crust (or wine bottle works)
- Mixing bowls (at least 2)
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Dry skillet for toasting pecans
How to Store Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
Room Temperature (2 days):
- Cover loosely with foil or plastic wrap
- Keep on counter in cool spot away from heat
- Corn syrup preserves it so it doesn't need fridge right away
- Tastes best at room temperature anyway
In the Fridge (4-5 days):
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil
- Store in fridge after 2 days at room temp
- Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving
- Or eat it cold if you like it that way
Freezing (Up to 2 months):
- Wrap whole pie tightly in plastic wrap then foil
- Freeze for up to 2 months
- Thaw in fridge overnight before serving
- Might weep slightly after thawing but still tastes fine
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Bake pie up to 2 days ahead and store covered at room temp
- Crust can be made 3 days ahead and kept in fridge
- Don't freeze unbaked - filling separates weird
- Best made day before serving so flavors settle
Top Tip
- Don't skip toasting the pecans even when you're rushing. Raw pecans taste like nothing. Toasted pecans taste nutty and make the whole Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie better. Takes 5 minutes. First time I made this I used raw pecans thinking who cares. The pie was boring. Now I always toast them and it's completely different. Just don't leave them alone on the stove or they burn in like 30 seconds.
- Take it out when the middle still jiggles. Looks underdone but it's not. Keeps cooking while cooling and sets up right. Bake until middle is solid and you get dry cracked Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie nobody wants. I overbaked the first three times because the jiggle scared me. All three were dry. Now I pull it with the wobble and it works.
- Let it sit at least 2 hours before cutting. Maybe 3. Filling needs time to set or it runs like soup. Liam wants to eat it right away because it smells good. Can't. Have to wait. Cut into it early once and filling just poured onto the plate. Looked awful. Tasted fine but looked like I dropped it. Just wait.
FAQ
What are the ingredients for a pecan pie?
Regular Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie is pecans, eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt in a pie crust. That's the basic version. This Texas chocolate version adds chocolate chips and cocoa powder to the filling. Some people add bourbon. Some use brown sugar instead of white. But the base is always pecans, eggs, corn syrup, and sugar. That's what makes it pecan pie instead of just nuts in a crust.
What is the official Texas pie?
Pecan pie is the official state pie of Texas since 2013. They grow a ton of pecans there so it makes sense. This chocolate version isn't official or anything but a lot of people in Texas make it this way. My sister-in-law lives in Dallas and says everyone down there puts chocolate in their pecan pie. Don't know if that's true but she swears by it.
What is in chocolate pecan pie?
Same stuff as regular Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie but with chocolate added. Pecans, eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, vanilla. Then you add chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Some recipes use melted chocolate instead of cocoa. Some skip the cocoa and just use chips. This version has both for more chocolate flavor. That's basically it. Not complicated.
How to tell if chocolate pecan pie is done?
Edges should be set and firm but center still jiggles when you shake the pan. Don't bake until center is totally solid or it'll be dry. The jiggle looks wrong but that's what you want. It firms up while cooling. Stick a knife in the center and it should come out with some filling on it but not liquid. Completely clean knife means it's overbaked. I've ruined three pies baking them too long before I figured this out.
Just Make This Pie Already
So that's everything about Texas chocolate pecan pie after I've made it maybe twenty or thirty times by now. Works for Thanksgiving when you're sick of regular pumpkin pie, Christmas dinner when you need something that feels special, random Saturday afternoons when you want pie for no reason, or when someone asks you to bring dessert and you want them to think you actually tried. Nobody has ever complained about chocolate and pecans mixed together. Not once. Even people who say they don't like pecan pie eat this one because the chocolate makes it different.
If you want more recipes that don't take your whole weekend, check out our Easy Salted Honey Pie Recipe - looks like you bought it from some expensive Brooklyn bakery but costs eight bucks to make at home. Our Garlic Butter Bacon Cheeseburger Rollups are what happens when you want a cheeseburger but don't want to deal with buns falling apart. And our The Best Pink Velvet Cake is for when you're over red velvet that doesn't taste like anything except food coloring.
Make this Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie and tell me how it goes. I actually read all of them even the ones that are just people saying it looks good without trying it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rate this Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie if you make it!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie
Equipment
- 1 9-inch pie pan (Glass or metal)
- 1 Rolling pin (Wine bottle works too)
- 2 Mixing bowls (Large and medium)
- 1 Whisk (For mixing filling)
- 1 set Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Skillet (For toasting pecans)
- 1 Wire rack (For cooling the pie)
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold butter - Cut in cubes
- 3-4 tablespoons ice water - Add as needed
- 1 store-bought crust - For convenience
For the Chocolate Pecan Filling
- 1½ cups pecan halves - Toasted
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips - Or dark chocolate chips
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup dark corn syrup
- ⅔ cup brown sugar - Packed
- 3 tablespoons butter - Melted
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder - Unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons bourbon - Optional but recommended
For Serving
- whipped cream - Optional
- vanilla ice cream - Optional
- chocolate shavings - Optional garnish
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water gradually until dough just comes together. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll out chilled dough to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer, trim edges, and crimp. Chill while preparing filling.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add pecans, shaking every minute. Toast about 5 minutes until fragrant and slightly darker. Cool completely before using.
- Set oven to 350°F (175°C) while pecans cool and crust chills.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, and melted butter. Add cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and bourbon (if using). Stir in chocolate chips and toasted pecans until evenly coated.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust, spreading evenly. Cover crust edges with foil if needed to prevent overbrowning.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly when shaken. Don't overbake.
- Let the pie cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours so the filling sets properly before slicing.
- Slice and serve at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Add chocolate shavings if desired.
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