Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
The traditional pecan pie gets a makeover in the form of this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. It’s a fun and delicious twist on a classic recipe. Bake one up for dessert today!
Pumpkin Pie might be the more common dessert for Thanksgiving dinner tables, and I have no issue with pumpkin pie. It’s delicious. However, truth be told, I’m a pecan pie kinda guy. As far as I’m concerned, pecan pie can be served year-round. Serving pumpkin pie in the summer might seem odd, but serving pecan pie is always acceptable. A warm summer day? Pecan pie with a scoop of ice cream sounds great! A brisk Autumn day? Pecan pie – maybe with whipped cream instead of ice cream. A frigid winter day? That’s right…pecan pie. (We can go with both whipped cream and ice cream for the winter version – after all, it’s winter.)
As I’ve noted here before, I have fond memories of picking up pecans in my grandparents’ back yard. They had several really tall pecan trees, and we could pick up buckets and buckets of pecans. Of course, shelling those pecans was a bit of work, but I remember the adults sitting around shelling pecans on the wrap-around porch in the evenings. My grandparents’ lived in upstate South Carolina – perfect place for pecan trees.
I just did some online sleuthing (aka googling), and it appears that some varieties of pecan trees can grow in the north. (We live in zone 5B.) Does anyone have experience with cold weather pecan trees? I’m intrigued! I’m not sure I have a good spot to plant a massive pecan tree, but I’m still intrigued.
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan PieNow I love a traditional pecan pie, and I’ll eat a slice any time of the year. However, I put a couple of fun spins on this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. First of all, chocolate. I stirred some chocolate chips into the pie along with the pecans. Delicious! I served this pie cold, so the chocolate chips stayed fairly solid. However, the texture from the chocolate chips was a nice addition. An alternative here might be to melt the chocolate chips and then stir the melted chocolate into the pie filling. For me, the solid chocolate chips is the way to go.
And bourbon. Talk about a fun twist on a classic dessert! I mentioned in a post last year that I’ve started using vodka as the liquid in my pie dough. (Ironically, it was in this post for a classic Pumpkin Pie.) Alcohol doesn’t form gluten the same as water. This means that pie dough made with alcohol will be flakier and lighter thanks to the absence of gluten. Normally, vodka is used as it is the most neutral of alcohols, but this time I used bourbon.
I also mixed a couple tablespoons of bourbon into the pie filling. The result was amazing! There is a noticeable hint of bourbon flavor in this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie, but it wasn’t overpowering at all. In fact, taken together with the pecans and chocolate, this dessert was delicious. It’s definitely become a new favorite here in our house!
If you’re looking for a tasty holiday dessert, then try this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we do. Happy baking!
Did you make this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
For the Filling
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp bourbon
- 2 cups pecan halves
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- {optional} fresh whipped cream for garnishing
Instructions
For the Dough
- Using a food processor, add flour, brown sugar and salt; pulse until well combined.
- Cut butter into small cubes and add to the food processor; pulse until a crumbly mixture forms.
- Add bourbon and 2 Tbsp of water; pulse until well combined. (If needed, continue adding water 1 Tbsp at a time until dough comes together in a ball. I find that I rarely need to add additional water, though.)
- Shape dough into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Note: Dough can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight.)
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Working on a well-floured surface, roll pie dough into a 12” circle.
- Transfer pie dough into pan and gently press dough into pan; trim excess overhang so that you have ~½” of overhang on all sides. Tuck overhang under itself so that folded edge is level with the edge of pie plate.
- Use 2 fingers, crimp the edges of dough. Refrigerate dough for at least 15 minutes.
For the Filling
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add all ingredients except for pecans and chocolate chips(granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, eggs and bourbon); stir until well combined.
- Add pecans and chocolate chips; stir until well combined.
- Pour filling into crust and bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes, or until filling is set. (Note: Check the pie after 30 minutes. If crust is browning too quickly, tent pie with a piece of aluminum foil.)
- Place pan on a cooling rack and let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. (Note: I like to refrigerate this pie and serve it cold the next day.)
- {Optional} Garnish with a dollop of fresh whipped cream before serving.
Looking for more pecan dessert recipes? Check out some of these other favorites, too:
Very interesting! I’m not sure if you said that you could taste the bourbon in the crust. It sounds cool, though. I’m good wihh pecan pie, but I think I’d be even better with chocolate chips in it. Or you know what might be interesting could be to coat the interior of the shell with a thin veneer of melted chocolate. And for me, the whip is required!
So the bourbon flavor in the crust comes through, but it’s not overly bourbon-y. You can definitely tell that there’s another level of flavor, but you probably couldn’t identify it if you didn’t know. Either way, it’s tasty. And I like your idea about a thin layer of chocolate on the shell – I’ve done similar stuff in the past, but I didn’t think about it this time. Excellent idea, sir!
Oh my goodness! Bourbon in the dough AND the filling! 🙌🏽 This is my kinda pie – even though am team pumpkin pie, I’d steal this away from ya cos Bourbon + chocolate is such a fantastic combo! Like you, Lil S is a pecan pie kinda gal and, every Christmas, she tries her best to finish a pecan pie all by herself- if I got my drone to steal this out of your kitchen- this is one pecan pie she would have to share!
Btw- David, you mentioned vodka- have you tried cognac? You have me wanting to try cognac in a pumpkin pie now!
Bourbon and chocolate really is a fun combination! Now as far as Lil S finishing that pecan pie by herself? That sounds like my kinda holiday activity! (Although to be fair, I might be a little tired of pecan pie by the time we get to the second half of the pie – haha.)
And, no, I haven’t tried other liquors yet. I think your idea of a cognac-crusted pumpkin pie sounds awesome! If possible, I’d try to sneak a couple of tablespoons into the pumpkin filling, too. Yum!
well, my teeth are hurting as I look at these incredible photos. but damn i bet this is good. I have a new liquor I’ve been using a lot, called Brown Sugar Bourbon. It’s a bourbon I can even handle!
Haha! I seem to recall you not being a big dessert person, Mimi. Perhaps just a glass of Brown Sugar Bourbon for you then? 🙂 (I think I’ve seen that flavored bourbon in the store – good to know it gets 2 thumbs up!)
I already love pecan pie, but then you go and add chocolate and booze to it to make it completely impossible to resist! This beauty needs to be on our Thanksgiving table!
Oh, this one would make for a great Thanksgiving dessert! I’m strange, though – I like the traditional stuff for Thanksgiving day. The day after? That’s the time for fun twists like chocolate and bourbon! Either way, cheers, my friend!
Pecan pie is one of my favorite American dessert. I can eat it all year. I love the addition of bourbon and chocolate. I would have to borrow some bourbon since my husband is a scotch kind of guy.
Hey Gerlinde! Pecan pie really is a unique dessert, but it’s SO good. And I bet you could get away with some scotch in this one instead of bourbon. The flavor isn’t overly strong, but rather an extra layer of flavor that you can’t quite put your finger on. Now that is all assuming you can get your husband to part with a bit of his scotch! 🙂
Ohhh this is my kinda pie! Love the bourbon in both the pie filling and the crust! Yum, I need a slice now!
This is a fun one for sure, Michelle! And don’t forget the glass of bourbon next to the slice of pie, too! 🙂
I love all the twists! And I’m with you – pecan pie all year long! For Thanksgiving, I really love a teeny sliver of every kind of pie. We usually have 3 or 4 different types and I love a bite (or two) of each. I’d love to be able to grow a cold weather pecan tree. We can grow walnut trees here, but I’ve never checked into the pecan.
I hear ya on the Thanksgiving array of desserts – Laura and I were just sitting down this morning to talk about what to make this year! And if you learn about pecan trees, let me know? I suspect it would take many years before it actually starts producing nuts, so it’s probably not worth it…but fun to think about!
This is a pie I can definitely get behind. Well, most pies, but even more so with this one 😉 Looks so freaking good, David! Like a cocktail and dessert all in one. This one is happening soon! Happy weekend!!
Haha – like you said, Dawn, I can get behind pretty much any kind of pie…but add chocolate, bourbon and pecans? That’s pretty much my dream pie right there! Hope you had a great weekend, my friend!
I remember a friend of mine’s mother when I was a kid made an awesome pecan pie. (She was from Virginia via Kentucky.) This one looks every bit as good! And I especially like the fact you add a splash of bourbon…. 😉
Bourbon makes everything better, right, Frank? 🙂 Cheers, buddy!
Yum-O! I think pecans are my favorite nut, too, David! (because peanuts are legumes, right, so it would be difficult to choose between the two😉). Anyway, chocolate in pecan pie is a “must-do” in my house, too! And bourbon? sounds like the perfect trifecta of flavors!
You make a legit point about peanuts being legumes…although I still consider them nuts! You know what we need to do? Create a combination pecan pie and peanut pie! Doesn’t that sound like the best of both worlds!?
this sounds delightful david. i didn’t know that about adding some kind of liquor to pastry dough but i will try it next time. not that i make my own dough much these days. i love the idea of adding chocolate and bourbon to this pie… Yum!! actually the spiced rum i bought recently would go down well in this…
Yeah, the liquor in pie dough is a fun little twist. Water is what creates gluten, and since the alcohol evaporates in the oven, you’re left with a pie dough without much water – and hence it’s flakier! I bet that spiced rum would be a fun addition to this pie. The alcohol flavor comes through as an added depth of flavor instead of being hit-you-in-the-face flavor…if that makes sense. Either way, have fun experimenting, Sherry!
David, I love pecan pie in any shape or form. Including bourbon in the pie and crust sounds like great additions. My favorite way to eat pecan pie is to sneak a late-night slice right out of the fridge. How about you?
My grandparents had over twenty pecan trees in their yard. So, I also have memories of those pecan cracking and picking days. They had a hand-cranked contraption that cracked the pecans that I liked to run. But, picking, not so much.
Oh, I love the idea of a late-night slice of pecan pie. To be fair, I don’t usually do late-night snacks, but I will go for a cold slice of pie almost any time of the day…if that happens to be late at night, then it’s late at night! 🙂
Wow. 20 pecan trees! My grandparents had 2-3 trees, and we always had more pecans than we knew what to do with. Granted, those trees were HUGE, but still. The cracking the pecans is one thing, but as you noted the picking was always the hardest. I remember the adults sitting around doing that in the evenings with a cocktail in hand. Bourbon really does make everything better, right??
I love all kind of pie. Addition of chocolate and pecan does make it even better. The flaky pie crust infused with bourbon makes it a great dessert all year
You make a good point, Rahul – I wouldn’t be sad about seeing this pie at any time of the year! 🙂
Yep I’m definitely with you here David. I’d far rather have a slice of pecan pie than a slice of pumpkin pie. Although that might be more because pumpkin pie isn’t really a thing here. But pecan pie definitely is! Serve me this chocolate bourbon pecan pie with a good dollop of vanilla ice cream please. Thank you!
Pumpkin pie is good – I’m not gonna lie. However, I would take a slice of pecan ANY day over a slice of pumpkin. And then add a splash of bourbon and a handful of chocolate chips? I’m in! Now I’m wondering if we could make this with a splash of scotch (whisky)?
Wow that pie looks stunning definitely will pick that up over pumpkin pie
Thanks so much, Raymund! This is indeed a delicious pie!
I want to make this pie but was wondering…can I substitute a spiced rum for the bourbon or will it not work with the chocolate? Thanks!
Hey Roberta! You can absolutely use a spiced rum here instead of bourbon. It won’t cause any trouble with the chocolate! I can’t speak to the taste as I’ve only tried bourbon + chocolate here, but it sounds like a good idea to me. Let me know if you try it with spiced rum!