This Chocolate Pecan Pie comes together in no time and is complete with a salted caramel topping that really sets it apart! Indulgent chocolate, fragrant toasted pecans and a sprinkling of salt make for a phenomenal combination that will truly make you swoon.
Spread your pecan halves on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 5-10 minutes, or until you can smell a nutty pecan fragrance. The outsides of the nuts should be a darker brown.
Par-Bake your pie crust:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (use convection if you have it!). If using homemade pie dough, roll out one portion of pie dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8th inch thick. Chill 30 minutes flat on a baking sheet.
Place chilled dough on top of a 9-inch pie dish or tin. Allow to warm up just enough to be workable. Lift up the edges and allow it to settle on the bottom. Gently press the sides to fit the dish allowing the edges to overhang the dish. Start on one side and roll the edges under towards the dish. Roll until you reach the dish, then gently press it down on the dish to seal. Repeat with the rest of the crust.
Flute the edges by pressing one knuckle on the outside and two knuckles around it from the inside of the crust. Chill for 10-30 minutes depending on how warm it got.
Line the inside of the chilled crust with parchment. Fill with pie weights, beans or rice. I find beans work best. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes and then remove the weights and parchment. I remove the parchment and weights when the crust has just begun to brown and doesn’t look raw anymore.
Make & bake the pie:
Stir together sugar, melted butter, all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add eggs, stirring until well-blended. Fold in chopped pecans.
Pour mixture into a warm pie shell, and bake in a preheated oven (350°F conventional) for 35 minutes. The filling will be loose but will set as it cools.
Let the pie cool on a wire rack.
Prepare the topping:
In a small pot bring sugar, lemon, and water to a boil. Stir only until sugar dissolves. Boil, stirring occasionally and watching carefully, until the sugar changes color to a dark amber.
Once dark amber in color, remove immediately from heat and add cream and butter, stirring or whisking constantly until completely incorporated and caramel is glossy. Stir in salt.
Assemble:
Arrange the pecans on top of the chocolate pecan pie and then pour caramel over the top. Cool for 15 minutes; and finish with a sprinkling of sea salt or fleur de sel.
Notes
Yield: 1, 9-inch pie. For a deep dish, I recommend multiplying the filling by 1.5. Technique – Chocolate pecan pie is done when the filling looks set but yields like Jell-O when gently pressed with the back of the spoon or your fingers. The filling will continue to set as it cools.Variations – Try adding 2 tablespoons of Bourbon to the filling or swapping out the topping for a fudge sauce!Storage – Store chocolate pecan pie for up to 5 days at room temperature, 10 days in the refrigerator or 3 months frozen.Recipe originally adapted from Southern Living.