We’re adding chocolate to our Thanksgiving dessert menu with dark chocolate pecan pie. Rich and delicious, this variation of a classic is garnished with sea salt, chocolate shavings, and homemade whipped cream.

Why You’ll Love Chocolate Pecan Pie

• A decadent adaptation of my favorite pecan pie
• Simple to make with only 9 ingredients in the filling
• Sugary and buttery, but not overly sweet
• Incredible texture
• The filling sits atop the best pie crust
• No pre-baking needed
• Great make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert

If you’ve tried (and loved) my dark chocolate pecan cookies, think of this recipe like the pie version of those cookies!

Chocolate Pecan Pie Ingredients

Since this pie is made with just a few ingredients, it’s imperative to use high quality nuts and spices. I genuinely love Diamond of California pecans and McCormick pure vanilla extract (though homemade vanilla extract is excellent too!).

For the BEST chocolate pecan pie, use these ingredients:

1. Homemade Pie Crust: We’re talking mega flaky, mega buttery, and mega delicious. This is the one and only pie crust recipe I use. It’s been passed down through generations and stands the test of time. It’s old-fashioned, yet never out of style. Here’s my recipe for all butter pie crust if you’re interested.
2. Pecans: An obvious addition!
3. Dark Chocolate Chips: You’ll need 1 hefty cup of dark chocolate chips. If you can’t get your hands on dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chips work just as well. Or chop up a couple dark chocolate bars and use those instead.
4. Eggs: Eggs hold the filling together.
5. Corn Syrup + Brown Sugar: I prefer to use dark corn syrup and dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor and highly suggest you try the same. Corn syrup sweetens the pie and helps prevent crystallization while the pie bakes. We’re only using 1/2 cup of brown sugar because the chocolate chips add sweetness, too.
6. Salt + Butter + Vanilla Extract: Each give pecan pie its traditional flavor.
7. Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a little something special. 🙂

Isha’s Tip: Make sure you use room temperature eggs. You see, there’s melted butter in this pie filling. Cold eggs will solidify it and you’ll be left with random chunks of butter in your filling. Those chunks of butter will melt once the pie is baking, but then you’ll have random patches of pie with melty butter and others without. We can’t have butter-less bites of pie! Room temperature eggs definitely make a difference.

How to Make Chocolate Pecan Pie

1. Make the pie crust.
2. Roll out the pie crust. You’re aiming for a pie dough circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish and tuck in the edges. Crimp or flute the pie crust edges.
3. Spread the pecans inside pie crust.
4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly on top.
5. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour on top.
6. Bake. I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. If you find the whole pie is browning too quickly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie. After the pie comes out of the oven, don’t forget to top with coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt for the perfect finishing touch!
7. Slice and serve. The pie is delicious warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or even salted caramel.

How to Freeze Chocolate Pecan Pie

Chocolate pecan pie is a wonderful dessert to make ahead of time. Simply bake the pie as directed, allow it to completely cool, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before slicing. This pie freezes and thaws beautifully; no one will ever realize it isn’t freshly baked!

Let’s Compare Pecan Pies

I’ve shared a few pecan pie recipes on my blog and you might be wondering which to make first. Here’s a quick review:

1. My Favorite Pecan Pie: This pecan pie recipe is classic and simple with an unexpected dash of cinnamon. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty—my favorite for good reason.
2. Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie: Today’s recipe! Dark chocolate pecan pie is a deep and decadent variation of my classic recipe.
3. Maple Pecan Pie: You’ll love the warm and cozy flavor combination in maple pecan pie. And it’s made without corn syrup!
4. Brown Butter Pecan Pie Bars: My brown butter pecan pie bars feature a brown butter crust. They’re easily portable and serve a big crowd.
5. Mini Pecan Pies: Made with my favorite homemade pie crust and a salted pecan filling, these mini pecan pies are adorable and perfect for any holiday gathering.
6. Pecan Pie Cheesecake: Enjoy pecan pie goodness on top of a brown sugar cheesecake in this crowd pleasing pecan pie cheesecake recipe. Two desserts in one!