The hardest question I’ve been asked lately has been, “What’s your favorite pie to make at Thanksgiving?!” THIS IS HARD FOR ME TO ANSWER. But, if I had to answer, I’d wince and say this Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie. Of course I love all pie but chocolate and pecans are a match-made in heaven. They’re meant for each other!
For this post, I teamed up with Karo® Corn Syrup which is my go-to ingredient for the silkiest smoothest pecan pie. It’s an essential ingredient in classic pecan pie because it prevents the crystallization of sugar. This is crucial when cooking all of these ingredients together.
The corn syrup isn’t overly sweet but I really love the dark chocolate because it balances the sweetness in the pie and gives a really complementary bitterness.
Let’s dive in!
How to Make a Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
- For this recipe, you can use store-bought pie crust or homemade pie crust. I made my own. If you want more of an in-depth post, click here!
- Fit the pie crust into your pie dish and transfer it to the fridge.
- Whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, Karo Light Corn Syrup, eggs, vanilla extract and salt.
- Then, add the pecans and chocolate chips or wafers to the pie crust. Pour the filling over the pecans and chocolate.
- Brush the edges of the pie crust with egg wash and then transfer to the oven.
- Bake for about 45 minutes until bubbling and the edges of the pie crust are golden brown.
- Here’s a step you must follow: let it cool to room temperature, about 2 hours! If you don’t let it cool completely it won’t set properly and will be super runny!
I like to add some flaky sea salt on top of the pie crust and serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
How to Make Ahead
I know that at this time of year everything should be made ahead because we have a lot going on. Here are some ideas to make it ahead:
- You can make the pie crust and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and roll it out and proceed with the recipe.
- Another option is to make the entire pie, cover lightly with a clean kitchen towel and keep on the kitchen counter for up to 2 days.
If you make this Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie, let me know on Instagram!

Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter , cold from the fridge
- ⅓ cup very cold water , divided
Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie:
- 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- ¾ cup Karo Light Corn Syrup
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups pecans (wholes and halves)
- 1 cup bittersweet (74% cacao) chocolate wafers or chips
- 1 large egg , beaten, for egg wash
- To serve , whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream
Instructions
To Make the Pie Crust:
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a box grater, grate the cold butter atop the flour mixture. Working quickly, and using your hands, break the butter bits into the flour until they’re evenly distributed and resemble the size of small peas. Add a 50% of the recommended water and mix.
- The mixture will be shaggy at this point. From here, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dough comes together. Flour your counter and dump the dough onto it. Knead a few times more until it comes together. If making a double pie crust, divide the dough, forming two discs. Wrap the disc(s) in plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
To Roll Out the Pie Dough:
- Remove the pie crust from the fridge and allow to stand on the counter for about 10 minutes. I always find this helps with rolling it out. Begin to roll the dough, being sure to rotate it every so often to avoid sticking, to a 13-inch round. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9-inch pie dish. Gently fit the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish. Trim the dough around the pie tin, leaving a 1 ½-inch overhang (this is important is you want a nice crimp). Tuck the overhang under itself all the way around. Rest your right thumb on the edge of the pie crust and using your left hand, shape a v. Push the two together, creating a large crimp. Work your way around the entire pie curst until you’re done. Transfer to the freezer or fridge while we make the filling!
To Make the Filling:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, melted butter, light corn syrup, eggs, vanilla extract and salt.
- Remove the pie shell from the fridge and add the pecans and dark chocolate to the pie shell. Pour the filling over the pecans and chocolate. Brush the edges of the pie crust with egg wash and place on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven to bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the center has set (it may rise slightly and be slightly jiggly). Be sure to check on it periodically throughout the baking process—if at any time the crust get too brown, you can place a piece of foil over it to stop the browning.
- Allow it to cool completely for about 2 to 3 hours before slicing it. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
To Make Ahead:
- Make up to 2 days ahead and store on the kitchen counter and cover lightly with a clean kitchen towel.
Equipment
Nutrition
(This post is sponsored by Karo® Corn Syrup. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep A Cozy Kitchen cozy.)
Donna says
Was this recipe for one pie? 3 cups of pecans and 1 cup of chocolate chips filled my 9” pie crust. When I added the filling it didn’t take long for it to overflow the sides! I couldn’t even get all of the filling in the pie! Its in the oven right now, so I don’t know yet how it will turn out. It will definitely be nutty! Lol…all I can figure out is the recipe is doubled and intended for 2 pies, though I find no mention of that anywhere in the recipe, in fact it says it makes one pie.♀️
Shereen says
I loved this recipe when i made it last year! It was the perfect balance of sweetness. Is there a link we can support you to order the corn syrup from?
rayan james says
your pie looks so amazing! love it.
david jacob says
The first time saw this type of dish really looking very delicious and mouthwatering and I recommend everyone to try this type of food.
Richerd says
Thank you for sharing this recipe ! its very delicious
Adriana says
Hiii! The flavor was amazing but my filling was a little runny even though I left it in the oven for about an hour. Any suggestions? Ty!
Adrianna Adarme says
it being runny usually has to do with it not setting properly. was it still slightly warm when you cut through it?
Adriana says
I left it on the counter overnight and sliced into the next day. Will try again soon!
Jessika says
According to positive comments, I'm definitely going to use this recipe next weekend. Thanks for the inspiration, Adrianna!
Adrianna Adarme says
Let me know how it goes!
Savannah says
Adrianna, thank you for sharing this recipe! My pie is currently in the oven. 🙂 I have a question though...when do the 3 eggs get added to the filling? The recipe doesn’t say. I just guessed and whisked them in with the other filling ingredients. Hope that was correct!
Adrianna Adarme says
apologies for this! yes, you did it right! it should be added with the rest of the filling! let me know how it tastes! 🙂
Savannah says
It was sooo good! Definitely making another for Thanksgiving!
Adrianna Adarme says
YAY!