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This Chocolate Pecan Pie features a fudgy chocolate filling studded with crunchy pecans. It’s a rich, chocolate upgrade from classic pecan pie and will quickly become one of your favorite holiday desserts!
If you need an easy dessert to make for Thanksgiving, this chocolate pecan pie recipe is sure to be a winner. All you need is 7 simple ingredients to make the filling, and it’s naturally dairy-free.
Be sure to plan on making this pie ahead of time, because it’s best served chilled. You’ll need to let it cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving, but it’s even better when you serve it the next day.
Plus, making it ahead of time will make your life easier for a big holiday meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This pie gets its dairy-free creaminess from a combination of coconut milk and chocolate chips. Not all semi-sweet chocolate chips are naturally dairy-free, so be sure to check the label on the package if you need to.
If you’d like a less sweet pie, use dark chocolate chips instead.
Paired with bourbon vanilla extract (or regular vanilla extract if that’s what you have), maple syrup, and crunchy pecans, it has a rich flavor and comes together quickly. If you don’t keep coconut sugar in your pantry, brown sugar will also work.
You can use a store-bought pie crust to save time, or try my oat flour pie crust or almond flour pie crust which both fill a 9-inch pie pan. My homemade pie dough is naturally gluten-free!
Need an egg-free recipe? Try my Vegan Chocolate Pie with some crunchy pecans stirred into the filling. It has a fudgy, truffle-like texture you’ll love.
How to Make Chocolate Pecan Pie
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and arrange a prepared pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate.
Fill a small saucepan with 1 inch of water and place it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the chocolate chips and coconut milk to a bowl that will fit snugly over the top of the saucepan, so it will create a double-boiler.
Stir often, until the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture looks smooth.
Pour the melted chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Once the outside of the bowl feels cooler to the touch (you don’t want to cook the eggs by adding them to hot chocolate), add in the maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and salt.
Stir well, until the mixture looks smooth and runny in texture.
Add in the chopped pecans and stir well, then pour the pie filling into the unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 350ºF for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center has risen and isn’t jiggly. There will most likely be a few cracks in the pie, but it will sink slightly as it cools and make those less noticeable.
Let the pie cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. It has a creamy, fudgy texture when you serve it cold from the fridge. Top it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a totally decadent dessert.
Leftover pie can be stored for up to 5 days tightly covered in the fridge, but I imagine it will be eaten before then!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this pie can be frozen as long as you keep it tightly sealed in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before you plan on serving it again, so it can soften up.
In this recipe, maple syrup is used as a swap for the dark or light corn syrup that is normally used in pecan pie. Maple syrup has a thinner consistency than corn syrup, which is why you must pair it with something else that will help thicken the pie filling. In this case, the combination of chocolate chips, coconut milk, and coconut sugar all work together to thicken the pie when it’s chilled.
This cooking time shouldn’t cause a pie crust to burn, but if you want to be on the safe side, you can cover the edges of the crust with a pie crust shield or aluminum foil. (Just make sure you don’t cover the center of the pie.)
Looking for more pie recipes? Try Vegan Pecan Pie (made without corn syrup), No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, or French Silk Pie for more ideas.
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips*
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and press an unbaked pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate. You can use a prepared store-bought crust to save time.
- Fill a small saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add the chocolate chips and coconut milk to a heat-save bowl that fits snugly over the top of the saucepan. Stir often as the steam from the boiling water heats the bottom of the bowl, melting the chocolate chips. When the melted chocolate looks smooth, use oven mitts to remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes. (It needs to not be hot, so it won't scramble the eggs.)
- Transfer the melted chocolate to a large mixing bowl. When the outside of the bowl doesn't feel hot, you can add in the maple syrup, coconut sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Mix well until smooth, then add in the chopped pecans and stir again.
- Pour the chocolate pecan filling into the unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350ºF for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center of the pie has puffed up and started to crack.
- Let the pie cool on a trivet or wire rack for 1 hour, then transfer to a flat shelf in the fridge to chill until firm, at least 4 hours. (Overnight is even better!)
- Slice and serve the pie chilled. You can add any toppings you like, such as whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Leftovers can be tightly sealed and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this dairy-free chocolate pecan pie, leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
This pie is AMAZING. Megan does it again and perfects a super delicious, and healthy chocolate pecan pie!! I know the recipe says to wait until it’s chilled to eat, but we couldn’t wait and had 2 pieces of it warm and it was gooey and delicious and everything you would want in a warm chocolate pie. And then the cooled version is amazing as well. We made ours with GF pie crust and it turned out amazing!! Thanks Megan for this super fun Thanksgiving treat!!
Is there a way to make this without eggs? Anything I can substitute? I love the idea of chocolate and pecans but can’t have eggs.
My guess is that adding cornstarch to the filling might work as an egg swap, but I haven’t had the chance to test it yet. I usually use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to replace 1 egg, so feel free to experiment with it if you have a chance! I’ll update the recipe if I end up testing out the egg swap.
Is there a gluten free pie crust you recommend?? Thank you!
Yes, try my Oat Flour Pie Crust or Almond Flour Pie Crust recipes.
So good and so easy to make!! Love love this recipe. Was so quick and came together so easily. Highly recommend
So good and so easy to make!! Love love this recipe. Was so quick and came together so easily. Love her recipes!
This Chocolate Pecan Pie is AMAZING! The rich chocolate flavor paired with the pecans hits the taste buds just right. The texture is perfect. I also appreciate how this recipe uses ingredients you would already have on hand. It was easy to put together, which I greatly appreciate as a mom with a busy schedule. A slice of this pie with a cup of coffee was a great way to enjoy the perfect dessert! 🙂
Hello! Love your recipes, have used many for years now. Sorry in advance, I hate to ask a “what would you substitute” question, you get some really crazy ones sometimes! If you don’t need this to be dairy free, do you know what regular milk type would be the best substitute for the coconut milk? Heavy cream? Thank you!
Heavy cream should be the perfect substitute in this. I hope you love it!
Any chance whole milk would work for this recipe?