Salted Chocolate Pecan Pie
Salted chocolate pecan pie is a fresh take on a classic. Brown butter, a bit of flaky sea salt, and lots of chocolate make this pie so spectacular!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Makes: 1 9-inch Pie
Ingredients
- 1 recipe all-butter pie crust
- 2 1/4 cups roughly chopped pecan halves, plus more for arranging on top if desired
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
Instructions
- Roll the pie dough out to between 1/4 and 1/8th inch into a large round on a lightly floured surface. You shouldn’t need much flour, if your dough is sticking, you likely added too much water. Lay the pie crust into a pie pan, pressing it into the edges, trim the excess, and crimp the edges if desired. Use a fork to dock the pie crust all over and transfer the dough-filled pie pan to the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat an oven to 400 F.
- Place the chopped pecans on a small parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast the pecans in the oven for 5-7 minutes, until they're fragrant and lightly browned. Let the pecans cool.
- Place the chilled pie pan on a baking sheet. Line the pie crust with crumpled parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or small format dried beans. Make sure the weights/beans fill the crust all the way to the top. Bake for 15 minutes, then gently remove the parchment and pie weights and bake 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let the pie crust cool slightly.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 F.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Cook over medium-low heat until the butter is golden brown and nutty smelling. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate until it's melted. Set aside to cool slightly. If you need to speed up this process, transfer the melted chocolate to a heat-safe bowl and transfer to the fridge, stirring it every few minutes until barely warm.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the melted chocolate and butter mixture, cocoa powder, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the chopped pecans.
- Pour the filling into the partially baked pie crust and smooth it into an even layer. Arrange the remaining pecan halves on top in a pretty circular design, if desired. Place the pie on a baking sheet and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the filling is mostly set and is puffed around the edges and middle (look for an internal temperature of 200°F). Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cool to room temperature for 1 hour and chill for 2 hours before serving.
Notes
This pie can be made ahead and kept at room temperature, covered, for 2 days.
