Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
Indulge in the ultimate Southern dessert with this Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie — a rich, gooey treat bursting with toasted pecans, smooth chocolate, and a splash of bold bourbon flavor. Perfect for holidays or any special occasion, this bourbon pecan pie recipe delivers irresistible sweetness with a decadent twist.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- COLD Unsalted Butter
- All Purpose Flour
- Granulated Cane Sugar
- Fine Baking Salt
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- COLD Water
- Light or Dark Brown Sugar
- Maple Syrup
- Eggs
- Bourbon, or Italian Dessert Wine
- Vanilla Extract
- Pecans, coarsely chopped
- Milk Chocolate, melted
How to Prep Homemade Pies in Advance:
Save time and reduce holiday stress by preparing your pies ahead of time! Here are my favorite methods to prepping homemade pies for the holidays.
- Pre-shape and freeze pie crusts so they’re ready to be baked straight from the freezer (you may just need to add few extra minutes to help crisper them up before adding fillings).
- Pre-bake and freeze the pies. This is my personal favorite, because when properly stored in the freezer, you can prep the pies 2-3 weeks in advance. Just let them thaw on the counter overnight and reheat in the oven at 300F covered for 20 minutes.
Bake with me!
Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients
For the Homemade Pie Crust:
- 8 tbsp. COLD Unsalted Butter
- 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp. Granulated Cane Sugar
- ¼ tsp. Fine Baking Salt
- 1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/3 cup COLD Water
For the Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie:
- 5 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup packed Light or Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Maple Syrup
- 3 large Eggs
- 3 tbsp. Bourbon or Italian Dessert Wine
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp. Fine Baking Salt
- 3 cups Pecans coarsely chopped
- 3-4 oz. Milk Chocolate melted
Instructions
For the Homemade Pie Crust:
- In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine.
- Add the cubed butter and vinegar. Pulse until crumb-like texture.
- On LOW speed, slowly drizzle in the cold water JUST until the dough comes together. It’s okay if it’s still a little crumbly!
- Transfer the dough to plastic wrap, flatten into a ½” disc, wrap tightly in the saran wrap, then chill in the fridge 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 9” pie plate.
- Lightly flour your surface to roll out the dough to ¼” thick. Place in the grease pie plate. Trim and crimp the edges. Poke all over the bottom of the pie plate with a fork.
- Add pie weights or dried beans to spread evenly out in the crust.
- Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Brush the edges of the pie with an egg wash or olive oil then sprinkle with granulated cane sugar. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the beans to bake another 5-8 minutes to help crispen up the bottom crust.
- Let cool 10 minutes before adding the filling.
For the Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie Filling:
- Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until brown specks form at the bottom and it smells nutty, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk vigorously for 1 minutes.
- Add the salt, bourbon, and browned butter. Whisk vigorously for another 1 minute.
- Add the coarsely chopped pecans into the pre-baked pie crust. Spread out evenly.
- Evenly drizzle the melted chocolate over the pecans. If you prefer a less crunchy pecan pie, add only 2 1/2 cups chopped pecans.
- Slowly drizzle the filling mixture over the chocolate and pecans, allowing it to seep through the pecans before adding more.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then cover with aluminum foil to bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil to bake 10 more minutes, or until set in the center.
- Let cool at room temperature for 2-4 hours to overnight. If prepping in advance, let completely cool then cover with foil to keep on the counter overnight.
I truly hope you all enjoy this treasured recipe that has nestled its way into our hearts here in the ABM kitchen! ’till next time… xxL
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
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This worked exactly as written, thanks!
When you say tent it with foil, do you mean just the crust itself or the whole pie?
The whole pie!
Would this recipe work if I omit the bourbon? And if not, any recommendations on a good bourbon for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Aby! Yes, you could totally omit the bourbon. You could also substitute with a stronger Italian dessert wine which may be easier to find!
Hi Lauren, thanks for this recipe! I got to say I definitely ALWAYS love your recipes! I can’t wait to bake this pecan pie!
I do have a question, is it as sweet as the store bought pie?
Thank you, Ingrid!! It’s not as sweet as store-bought but it is a dessert pie so I know what may not be as sweet to me, may be sweet to others Lol … but totally worth the try 😉
Can you make ahead and freeze?
Yes! I would let it thaw on the counter overnight the day before serving 🙂
Can you leave out the chocolate?
Yes 🙂
Hi! Do you roast your chopped pecans in the oven before putting them in the pie mixture?
Hi Lexie! I do not roast them prior!
Hi! Do you heat the pie up once more before serving if having baked it ahead of time? I don’t want to overcook it!
I would not heat up a pecan pie since it’s best at room temperature. However, you can always pop it in the oven at 350F for 4-5 minutes for a little warmth, if desired!
Can you recommend a store bought crust?
Hi Melissa! Pillsbury and wholly wholesome have great options!
Hi Melissa,
I’m new to making pies /pie dough and have tried a few recipes, and now am using yours today! Do you find you sometimes need to use a little less water? I feel my dough is a little too moist with 1/3 cup (has the consistently of a pasta dough) , but has a better feel with maybe 1/4 cup (a little more crumbly). Any advice appreciated !
Hi Joe! How exciting! Yes, so you want to slowly add the water just until it comes together. You may not end up using all the water, but it’s there if needed as different flour brands can have different textures. Worst case, always feel free to add more flour to help make it more firm!
Hello,
What brand of milk chocolate do you recommend to use for this pie recipe?
I use Tony Chocolonely but there’s also other great chocolate brands!
Thank you so much! Also, what brand of Bourbon do you recommend for this pie recipe?
Hi! I can’t wait to try the recipe. Do you recommend ice cream or a whipped cream served on top?
Hi Emma! Either would be so delicious, I think it’s honestly based on personally preference! We always serve pie with vanilla bean ice cream 😉
Loved this recipe so much! Made it for Italian “Nonno” who loves pecan choc pie and he loved it. I think next time I have to roll the dough out a little thinner and I found baking less than the written amount works best for me! Overall, super delicious and I’m super happy that this was the first pie I made!
This worked exactly as written, thanks! Made it for Thanksgiving it was a hit and very easy to make.