Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

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This chocolate chip pecan pie is a sweet and salty twist on the classic with gooey, buttery filling, toasty pecans, and pockets of chocolate all in my buttery, flaky crust. Sweet, salty, and perfect with ice cream or homemade whipped cream.

When I asked what kind of pie my Instagram audience wanted to see, I didn’t offer any suggestions, I just let the responses roll in. Very seriously and truly, 75% of the requests were some form of pecan pie, with an enormous lean toward “chocolate” as a descriptor.

No joke, you all were that specific.

That year, I made it three times in October– twice for testing and once as a gift for a neighbor– so our Thanksgiving dessert was just waiting for us in the freezer, and I actually daydreamed about it. It has since graced our Thanksgiving spread nearly every year, so it was time for the recipe, post, and photos to get a revamp. And now there’s a video, too!

“My 14 year old daughter made this with minimal help. Great recipe!“ — Tammy

Why corn syrup? When sugar is heated, it can crystallize, leaving you with gritty chunks if there’s nothing for it to dissolve into. Corn syrup brings sweetness in liquid form and prevents the sugars from forming those large crystals. That’s how you get a smooth, glossy filling instead of a grainy one.

Brown sugar and cinnamon. Brown sugar adds the deep, molasses-y sweetness I prefer over plain white sugar, and a little cinnamon adds warmth. I use orange zest in my pecan pie tarts and my classic pumpkin pie, but here I let the chocolate and pecans do the flavoring.

No pre-toasting, no blind baking. Nuts toast as the pie bakes, so there’s nothing to do ahead of time. And since the crust isn’t blind baked, this pie is quite simple once the crust is in the plate and the filling is mixed.

A toothpick won’t tell you much here, because this is a “wet” pie until it cools.

Instead, look for these visual cues:

Gently jiggle the pie plate. The filling should barely move, if at all. If it sloshes, it isn’t set yet.

Look for a solid filling. True doneness is when the corn syrup and eggs have completely set.

Let it cool. It firms up a lot as it cools, so don’t judge the slice by the first cut while it’s piping hot.

“I can honestly say I never thought I would eat, let alone make, a pecan pie but my 7 year old wanted to make one. And now I can say I am a huge fan of this recipe. It was delicious! Eating the leftovers might even have been better. Another very easy pie to make (also made the sweet potato pie which was another win).” — Kim

Halves or chopped? Either works, and a mix is great. Halves give you that classic pecan pie look on top, while chopped pecans make for easier slicing and more nuts in every bite. I usually buy the pecan halves, measure out all the pecans I need, and then roughly and coarsely chop the remaining half of the whole amount.

Can I use raw, roasted, or salted pecans? Raw is the easiest to control. If you use roasted and salted pecans, reduce any added salt in the filling so the sweet-salty balance doesn’t tip too far.

Can I swap another nut? Yes! Walnuts are the most common substitute and give a slightly more bitter, earthy flavor that pairs well with chocolate. Pecans are sweeter and more buttery, so the pie will taste a little different.

Which type of chocolate is best? Semi-sweet is my go-to because the filling is quite sweet and semi-sweet brings a nice balance. Bittersweet or dark chocolate gives a more sophisticated, less sweet slice. Milk chocolate would make things a little too sweet, so steer clear of that one unless you’re prepared for the results.

Can I use white chocolate or butterscotch chips? You can, but they’ll make an already sweet pie sweeter. If you try it, I’d suggest mixing them with semi-sweet or bittersweet rather than using them alone.

Can I add a splash of bourbon or espresso powder? Many people do, and both go beautifully with chocolate and pecans. I haven’t added either to this recipe, so I can’t give exact amounts, but start small if you experiment.

Another note on serving this pie: pecan pie is historically very loose and gooey, so the first couple slices that come out of the pie plate can be pretty messy. Usually by my third slice, I can get it out without too much damage, but if you’re really struggling, a cold pie cuts more easily than a warm or room temperature one.

As someone who prefers to eat her pie with ice cream, a messy “slice” dolloped into a bowl doesn’t bother me at all. But my best tip for clean slices is to come in with your pie server from the side of the slice to diminish the pressure behind the supportive spine of the crust which can sometimes squish everything together more. This is much easier to do when you’ve removed a couple sacrificial messy slices.

If you’re a pecan pie lover, adding sweet and creamy chocolate takes your next slice to a whole new pie level. Thank you to everyone all those years ago for requesting this one, and make sure you follow me on Instagram so you can be part of future surveys!