Kentucky Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

Square side shot of southern chocolate pecan pie on a vintage plate.

Kentucky Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

For a classic Southern dessert, it doesn't get much better than a chocolate bourbon pecan pie!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chocolate bourbon pecan pie, chocolate pecan pie, chocolate pecan pie recipe, easy chocolate pecan pie, old fashioned chocolate pecan pie recipe, southern chocolate pecan pie

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 55

Cooling Time 4

Total Time 5 5

Servings slices

Calories 706kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Equipment

1 deep dish pie plate

Ingredients

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (I use Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, sifted
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
¼ cup bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use homemade 2-ingredient bourbon vanilla extract for the best flavor!)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (4 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans
Optional, for serving: vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the pie crust in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. Chill the pie shell in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, flour, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and pecans; stir to combine. Pour into the chilled pastry shell.
On the middle rack (or in the lower third of the oven), bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust as it’s baking. You may want to place a pie crust shield (or strips of aluminum foil) around the edges of the crust after the first 20 or 30 minutes to prevent the edges from browning too much. If the top of the pie is getting too dark before it’s fully set, you can loosely tent the whole pie with a piece of aluminum foil.
Place the pie on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Use a deep-dish pie plate (at least 9 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep). A standard pie plate is too shallow to accommodate all of the filling.

I prefer Pillsbury’s refrigerated pie crust, which is sold in a box of two. You only need one crust for this recipe, so stash the extra in your freezer for another day. You do not need to “blind bake” or “pre-bake” the crust.

If you’re using a Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust, follow the instructions on the box. Let the crust come to room temperature before unrolling (or else the crust will tear). Leave the crust in its wrapper on the counter for 15 minutes, or microwave on defrost for 10-20 seconds.

Pick a high-quality Kentucky bourbon for the best flavor! I used Woodford Reserve here, but this is also a great list of the top rated Kentucky bourbon brands.

Bake the pie on the middle rack (or in the lower third of the oven) — not on the top rack. This allows the crust to become crisp and flaky (not soft and soggy), so that you can avoid the extra step of pre-baking the crust.

Shield the crust or the top of the pie after the first 20-30 minutes if they're getting too dark before the filling is done. I love this silicone pie crust shield, but aluminum foil also works well.

If you're worried that the filling might bubble over a bit, don't pour all of the filling into the crust, and set the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips when it goes into the oven.

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