Easy Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe with Gooey Chocolate Layer for Thanksgiving
This chocolate pecan pie has a gooey brown sugar pecan filling over a fudgy layer of melted chocolate, all in a flaky crust. It takes about 1 hour 10 minutes plus 3 hours to cool, makes 8 slices, and can be baked a day ahead.
My family can never agree on pecan or chocolate for Thanksgiving. So one year I stopped arguing and just made a chocolate pecan pie. Nobody has asked for anything else since.
It starts with a classic pecan pie filling. Then a layer of chocolate goes right on the crust before the filling is poured in. It melts into a fudgy layer that sits under all those toasty pecans.
It’s rich, so small slices go a long way. A dollop of whipped cream on top and you’re set. This is an easy Thanksgiving pie that looks like you tried way harder than you did.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Pecan Pie
- A fudgy chocolate layer under classic gooey pecan filling
- Simple ingredients, one bowl for the filling
- Store-bought or homemade crust both work
- Bake it a day ahead, it slices even cleaner
- Two holiday favorites in one pie
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, deep dish if you have it
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, or 6 oz chopped chocolate
- 1 1/2 cup (165g) pecans, chopped, plus a few halves for the top
- 1 cup (240ml) light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chocolate: Chips hold their shape a bit, chopped bar chocolate melts into a smoother, fudgier layer. Dark or bittersweet cuts the sweetness nicely.
- Pecans: Pieces make the pie much easier to slice than all halves. Save a handful of halves just for the look on top.
- Corn syrup: Light corn syrup gives the cleanest set. Dark works but the filling turns darker and tastes more like molasses.
How to Make Chocolate Pecan Pie
Step 1: Prep the Crust
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Set the pie plate on a baking sheet. It’s much easier to carry a full pie that way without sloshing filling over the edge.
Step 2: Layer the Chocolate and Pecans
Scatter the chocolate over the bottom of the crust, then the chopped pecans on top. Putting the chocolate down first on purpose gives you a clean fudgy layer. If you stir chips into the filling instead, they sink anyway and clump in spots.
Step 3: Mix the Filling
Whisk the corn syrup, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla and salt until smooth. Let the butter cool a few minutes first so it doesn’t start to cook the eggs. Don’t whip it, just whisk till combined. Too much air makes the top puff up and crack.
Step 4: Pour and Top
Slowly pour the filling over the pecans and chocolate. Press a few pecan halves on top if you like.
Step 5: Bake
Bake 55 to 65 minutes. Check at 25 minutes and cover the crust edges with foil or a pie shield if they’re already golden. The pie is done when the edges are puffed and set and the center jiggles just a little, like gelatin, not like liquid. A thermometer in the center should hit 200°F (93°C).
Step 6: Cool Completely
Cool on a rack at least 3 hours. This is where most runny pecan pies come from. The filling finishes setting as it cools, and slicing warm turns it into a puddle. Chocolate also needs the time to firm back up.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Dark metal pie pans bake faster than glass. Start checking 10 minutes early.
- If your pie is still runny after cooling, it was pulled too early. Next time go by the jiggle or the 200°F reading, not the timer.
- Make it a day ahead, cover and keep at room temp. Cold slices cut the cleanest.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Fit crust into a 9-inch pie plate, crimp, and set on a baking sheet.
- Scatter chocolate over the bottom of the crust, then the chopped pecans.
- Whisk corn syrup, both sugars, eggs, cooled melted butter, vanilla and salt until just combined.
- Slowly pour filling over the pecans. Top with a few pecan halves if you like.
- Bake 55–65 minutes until the center only slightly jiggles (200°F). Shield the crust edges with foil after 25 minutes if browning fast.
- Cool on a rack at least 3 hours before slicing.
Notes
- Slicing before it’s fully cool is the number one cause of a runny pie.
- Chocolate goes on the crust first so it forms a clean layer instead of sinking in clumps.
- Store covered at room temp 2 days or in the fridge up to 5 days.
- Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients and will vary with brands and portion size.
Make This Chocolate Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving
This chocolate pecan pie is the one that ends the pecan vs chocolate debate at your table. Everybody wins.
Bake it the day before so your oven is free for the turkey. It actually slices better on day two.
Tried it? Leave a star rating below and tell me who at your table asked for seconds.
For more Thanksgiving dessert recipes you will love:
