This cocoa pecan pie has an amazingly flaky, buttery crust and a no-bake chocolate pecan pie filling. It freezes nice, and you may make it with all-purpose or gluten-free flour.

Folks appear to be loving my Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars, so right here’s one other chocolaty pecan deal with.

In the present day’s recipe is predicated on my corn syrup-free Gluten-free Pecan Pie. For as we speak’s recipe, I lowered the quantity of maple syrup and elevated the brown sugar to make it a bit cheaper.

I additionally decreased the quantity of general sweetener as a result of I added chocolate chips. You’ll positively wish to use semi-sweet, bittersweet or darkish chocolate.

This pie can be WAY too candy with milk chocolate.

I additionally elevated the quantity of butter, considering the added cocoa powder. I didn’t desire a dry, crumbly pie!

The result’s chic.

Elements

Right here’s an outline of what you’ll want.

For the pie crust:

If you happen to’re gluten-free, learn the part about gluten-free flour beneath.

For the filling:

How you can make it

I’ll let the photographs do the speaking! The complete recipe, with ingredient measurements and directions, are beneath the put up and above the feedback part.

“This recipe appears to be like too lengthy! Bah!”

The filling is made by merely mixing all of the filling substances collectively.

The pie crust isn’t any extra sophisticated than some other pie crust recipe, however I’ve included a number of element. In order that’s why the recipe appears to be like lengthy.

Do I’ve so as to add the chocolate chips/chunks?

No, you’ll be able to omit them and use extra pecans of their place.

Can I omit the cocoa powder?

Effectively then you definately don’t desire a cocoa pecan pie. 😉 Please see the pecan pie I linked to on the prime of this put up!

It has an oat flour crust, however you need to use the basic pie crust in as we speak’s recipe, if you happen to choose.

Are you able to style the apple cider vinegar within the crust?

Undoubtedly not. If you happen to don’t have any, you need to use white vinegar.

Some individuals say it inhibits the gluten (if you happen to’re utilizing all-purpose flour), and that tenderizes the crust and makes it flaky. I’ve seen individuals declare the identical for gluten-free pie crust, though it doesn’t have gluten.

I used vinegar in pie crust for the primary time with this recipe. Then I learn this particular person’s experiment. They stated it didn’t do a factor.

Vodka, nonetheless, appeared to have a optimistic impact! I’ll attempt that subsequent time. For now, I’m thrilled with this crust, for the primary time ever making a flaky pie crust, so I’ve included the vinegar within the recipe.

Ought to I toast the pecans first?

No must. If you happen to did that, the pecans that float to the highest of the pie would burn because the pie bakes.

I truly thought I had barely burned my pie when it got here out of the oven. The pecans seemed and even smelled a bit of burned.

However as soon as the pie had cooled, nothing tasted or smelled burned.

However if you happen to take a peek whereas baking and are frightened about it getting too brown, you’ll be able to cowl the pie with foil.

The highest of the pie will likely be dry properly earlier than it’s executed baking, so you’ll be able to simply cowl it with out the foil sticking to the pie. It’s also possible to use a pie defend if the crust appears to be like prefer it’s browning an excessive amount of, however my pie crust was nowhere close to getting too browned.

The dry prime of the pie truly makes it troublesome to know when it’s executed. The highest will likely be dry when the filling beneath continues to be a puddle of liquid.

55-60 minutes is what I wanted, however all ovens are completely different. It’s higher to bake it too lengthy than too brief!

The crust

I’ve been saying it for years, however I’m not a fan of regular pie crust. I discover it boring and a waste of energy.

This one is scrumptious, although! I added vanilla and extra salt than typical to the pie crust to present it some taste.

I’ve one other recipe developing with this crust, sadly not in time for Thanksgiving, and after I had reduce out just a few items, the pie truly slid across the pan, and I may choose up the pie and maintain it in my fingers.

Which may sound like a bizarre factor to say, however I’ve gone via dozens and dozens of dangerous pie crusts over time. They’d stick with the pan, be greasy, and on and on.

However that is the right crust! I additionally tried it out on the filling of this Chocolate Fudge Pie, and it got here out nice.

It additionally works for recipes through which you want a completely baked pie crust with a no-bake filling.

You can also make it with all-purpose flour or Bob’s Purple Mill Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. If you happen to’re gluten-free, you’ll wish to learn the gluten-free part beneath.

I wouldn’t advocate making an attempt it with white complete wheat.

If you wish to use that, I’d discover a recipe that already requires it. It’s a bit extra absorbent than common flour.

It’s also possible to use a store-bought pie crust if you happen to choose.

Do I’ve to relax the dough?

Each good pie wants a fantastic crust. One option to obtain that’s to relax the dough and let it relaxation briefly earlier than rolling it out. The additional step could seem insignificant, however it’s the key to getting the optimum crust, even when utilizing gluten-free flour.

Refrigerating pie dough, gluten-free or not, solidifies the fats, stopping it from overmixing into the flour, which helps preserve the construction because it bakes. Moreover, the flour absorbs moisture within the dough, producing a flakier texture.

Non-chilled dough is much less easy and crumbly, which makes it tougher to roll out. It may additionally brown rapidly and be powerful.

And if you happen to’re utilizing all-purpose flour, the resting time helps loosen up the gluten within the dough, which helps forestall a tricky crust.

So don’t skip this step as a result of it’s the easiest way to realize a brilliant flaky crust.

Ought to I blind bake the pie crust?

I didn’t, however you’ll be able to in order for you the pie crust backside further crisp.

I blind baked this pie crust about 8 occasions with different fillings, and it labored nice each time and by no means burned. In the present day, I blind baked a pie after which had it within the oven with the filling for one more 70 minutes!

It was at a decrease temperature, however nonetheless. It was nowhere close to getting burned.

To blind bake it, right here’s what to do:

1. Loosely cowl the highest of the pie crust with plastic wrap and place it within the freezer (not fridge!) for 45 minutes.




2. Whereas it’s in there, preheat the oven to 400 °F (205 °C) and place a baking sheet on the baking rack that may suit your pie.




3. Line the crust with a bit of parchment paper after which fill it with pie weights/ beans. Loads of sources say that you must fill all of them the best way to the highest of the pan, however I simply did the underside, and it was nice.




4. Fastidiously place the pan on the now very popular baking sheet and bake for 20-23 minutes or simply till you see the tops of the crimped edges beginning to very flippantly brown.
5. Take away the pan from the oven. Take away the parchment paper and weights and bake the crust for one more 5-7 minutes or till the underside of the crust is dry and beginning to brown. Now you can flip off the oven and switch it on once more in quarter-hour, or simply hold it operating.
6. Take away the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to chill fully – about half-hour. After about 20 minutes of cooling, begin getting ready the filling and switch the oven to 350 °F (175 °C).

Do I’ve to bake the pie crust on a baking sheet?

No, however it’d be foolish to not. Because of this:

• It’s simpler to drag the pie out of the oven when it’s on a baking sheet.
• I’ve made this actual pie recipe, as written, 4x and by no means had butter soften down from the crust or had the filling bubble over. Not even shut. However possibly your pie pan is a bit of smaller, your model of butter works a bit of otherwise, or no matter.

  You understand what actually stinks? To drag a pie out of the oven after 10 minutes of baking as a result of there’s burned butter on the underside of your smoked-filled oven. You’d have to scrub up the mess earlier than placing the pie again within the oven, and the crust, and maybe the entire pie, can be ruined.

  It’s a extremely irritating and unhappy scenario that may be 100% averted by utilizing a baking sheet.

• Cook dinner’s Illustrated did an experiment. The cherry pie they baked instantly on the oven rack had a soggy, juice-soaked crust. The crust of the pie baked on the baking sheet was strong and never soggy. You possibly can learn the reason why on the hyperlink. It’s attention-grabbing, however this put up is getting overwhelmingly lengthy. 😬

What sort of pie pan to make use of?

Because you’re going to be chilling or freezing the pie crust dough after which inserting it in a scorching oven, you’ll wish to examine your pie dish to ensure it’s protected to take action.

Most ceramic pie dishes must be protected from the fridge or freezer to the oven, however it’s not common, so examine the producer’s directions. Ceramic pie dishes warmth slowly and evenly, and so they can stand up to sudden temperature adjustments.

When utilizing Pyrex or glass bakeware, keep away from excessive temperature adjustments as a result of it could trigger the dish to shatter and break. Glass pie dishes are nice as a result of you’ll be able to examine the underside to see if it has browned. Nonetheless, you don’t wish to likelihood it by inserting it in a scorching oven instantly from the freezer.

Trendy oven-safe glass pans are designed to resist average temperature adjustments, so taking a dish from the fridge to the oven set at 350 °F (175 °C) must be protected, however not your grandmother’s dish. I like to recommend erring on the protected facet except you’ve executed it earlier than and are assured your dish can stand up to the temperature change.

Steel pie dishes are usually constructed from aluminum or aluminized metal and are nice warmth conductors. They’re excellent for blind baking or pre-baking pie crusts and getting the crust good and crisp.

Steel dishes can stand up to excessive temperature adjustments, so you’ll be able to take them from the fridge or freezer and put them straight into the recent oven. However hold an in depth eye on them as a result of they will warmth rapidly and overbrown the crust. If it seems to be browning too quick, you’ll be able to place foil strips over the sides of the pie to maintain it from over-browning or use a helpful pie defend.

US butter vs. US European-style butter vs. precise European butter

This pie tastes SO a lot better with US European-style or precise European butter (which means butter produced in and for a European nation – not butter exported to the US from Europe). It’s fairly boring with common US butter.

US European-style butter works the identical as US butter. They can be utilized interchangeably.

BUT! Precise European butter from Europe isn’t interchangeable with US butter or US European-style butter in all recipes. Particularly pie crusts!

I actually can’t perceive why precise European butter works otherwise than US European-style butter. I’ve seemed up the fats proportion of some manufacturers of US European-style butter, and so they’re 82%, identical to the butter in Europe. It is not sensible.

However I can let you know after dwelling in Germany for 14 years, the 2 sorts of butter aren’t interchangeable. I’ve a provide of US butter in my freezer and take a look at all of my baked butter-containing recipes with each sorts of butter, so I can see the distinction facet by facet.

So on the off likelihood you’re in Europe and have entry to US all-purpose flour or the Bob’s Purple Mill GF flour I discuss beneath, that you must use 110 grams of butter + 3 grams of water instead of 113 grams of butter.

It sounds foolish, I do know, however it makes a giant distinction.

The rationale I point out the flour is as a result of flour might be massively completely different relying on the place you reside. It’s finest to discover a pie crust recipe from the nation the place you might be.

So many US expats I do know spent their first vacation seasons confused about why their pie crusts had been swimming in butter or why their cookies unfold completely flat. The butter and flour are guilty!

Dwell exterior the US?

Along with what I stated above, that you must take note of egg measurement. Medium eggs within the EU = giant eggs within the US. So if you happen to’re within the EU, that you must use medium eggs when making US recipes (they virtually all the time name for giant eggs). If you happen to’re not within the EU, you want eggs which can be 50 grams with out their shell.

Utilizing eggs which can be too massive or small would positively affect this recipe, so please simply don’t knowingly use the mistaken measurement. 🙂

Do I would like a meals processor?

I believe it’s a lot simpler to make use of one, however if you happen to don’t have one, then you may make it by hand. I used a pastry cutter to chop within the butter.

I really feel like I had to make use of a bit of bit extra water to get it hydrated, which resulted in a barely much less crisp crust, however it was nonetheless good!

Can I take advantage of a special crust?

Pecan pies are on the candy facet, so that you don’t wish to use a cookie-like crust for this recipe. I don’t advocate a gingersnap, graham cracker, or oatmeal cookie crust like on this Eggless Cheesecake.

Can I freeze this pie?

Sure! It freezes nice. You possibly can even eat it straight from the freezer. A minimum of from my freezer.

However you couldn’t style the crust when it’s so chilly. Simply a number of chocolate taste! It’s finest to let it sit for possibly half-hour after which serve.

Gluten-free model

It’s onerous to imagine that is gluten-free when utilizing Bob’s Purple Mill Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour! I used to be sort of shocked.

I assumed I’d get a lot better outcomes with King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour. I used to be so confused after making it the primary time and having such improbable outcomes that I assumed I had grabbed the mistaken bag of flour.

I instantly made it once more with Bob’s and obtained the identical outcomes.

Then I attempted it with the King Arthur GF flour, and the outcomes weren’t wherever close to pretty much as good. Okay for gluten-free pie crust? Sure.

However one of the best ever gluten-free pie crust? Nope. It wasn’t in any respect flaky.

How do I make this paleo?

You’d first must discover a paleo pie crust. There’s no option to make the pie crust recipe beneath paleo.

I actually wouldn’t advocate a nut flour-based crust. Maybe one with cassava flour and/or starches, together with some nut flour. However not a recipe with 100% nut flour, as I’m fairly positive the crust would get soggy.

For the filling, you’d want to make use of 5.5 tablespoons (77 grams) refined coconut oil instead of the 6 tablespoons of butter. Additionally, use coconut sugar as a substitute of brown sugar, arrowroot/tapioca starch as a substitute of cornstarch, and paleo chocolate.

Vegan choice?

Sorry, however no. There aren’t any good subs for the eggs within the filling.

I hope you’ll take pleasure in this cocoa pecan pie! If you happen to attempt it out, please let me know beneath the way you preferred it. 🙂 Thanks!

❀

• Prep Time: 40 min
• Cook dinner Time: 1 h
• Prepared in: 6:40 h
• Yield: 12 slices

Elements

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups (156 grams) all-purpose flour or for gluten-free, use 1 1/4 cups (173 grams) Bob’s Purple Mill Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour + a tiny bit extra for flouring
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon nice sea salt
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter (ideally US European-style butter for one of the best taste!), reduce into 8 pats
• 1 teaspoon chilly vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon chilly apple cider vinegar
• 2.5 to five.5 tablespoons (37-81 grams) chilly water

Filling:

• 1 cup (200 grams) gentle brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup (160 grams) pure maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, melted and nonetheless heat
• 3 giant eggs (50 grams every, out of shell), room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons (17 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups (193 grams) chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup (113 grams) semi-sweet, bittersweet or darkish chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Instructions

Make the crust:

1. Get out a typical 9” (23cm) pie plate. It must be one which’s protected to maneuver from the fridge to a scorching oven (see put up for more information). Don’t grease it.
2. To the bowl of a meals processor fitted with an S-blade, add the flour, granulated sugar and salt. Pulse just a few occasions.
3. Flip it to the bottom pace and add within the butter. Course of simply till you’ve got pea-sized bits of butter. Don’t overprocess! Cease pulsing.
4. Evenly drizzle the vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar excessive.
5. Activate the bottom pace and pour in 2.5 tablespoons of water. The quantity of water you want will rely on how chilly your substances, kitchen, and so on. are. I’ve made this a number of occasions with the identical model of substances, and have wanted between 3 and 5.5 tablespoons.
6. Course of very briefly till it appears to be like prefer it’s coming collectively. It’ll look shaggy and never like a uniform ball. Pinch some collectively. If it stays collectively with out being crumbly, it’s prepared. You do not wish to add an excessive amount of water. Extra water than needed = non-flaky pie crust. If you happen to assume it wants a bit extra water (it virtually actually will), add extra water, 1 teaspoon at a time. If you happen to assume you’ll be able to kind a disc with it with out it falling fully aside right into a thousand crumbs, that’s one other clue it’s prepared.
7. Place the dough within the heart of a giant piece of plastic wrap and wrap it up right into a flat disc, about 1” (2.5cm) or rather less. If you happen to can’t kind a disc as a result of it’s nothing however crumbs, it wants a bit of extra water.
8. Refrigerate for at the least 45 minutes and as much as 2 days.
9. Place a baking sheet on the baking rack (one within the decrease third of the oven) that may suit your pie. That is for the not possible case that one thing spills over and for a crisper crust backside. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
10. Very flippantly flour a bit of parchment paper and place the unwrapped dough on there. Sprinkle a tiny little bit of flour excessive of the dough.
11. Place the plastic wrap or one other piece of parchment paper on prime of the dough and roll it out in order that it’s about 1/2” (1 1/4 cm) wider than the highest circumference of your pie plate.
12. Take away the piece of plastic wrap or parchment protecting the pie crust, place the ungreased pie pan on prime of the dough, after which flip over the dough and pan. Press the dough down across the edges on the backside of the pan after which take away the piece of parchment paper.
13. Fold the dough up so it is not hanging off the edges, and crimp the sides. The dough ought to go all the best way up the sides and be crimped alongside the rim.
14. Place within the fridge, uncovered, for at the least quarter-hour whereas getting ready the filling.

Make the filling:

15. In a big mixing bowl, stir collectively all filling substances apart from the pecans and chocolate, sprinkling on the cornstarch and cocoa powder reasonably than plopping down a giant clump. If there are any eggy bits that are not popping out, take away them, or they’ll bake up ugly.
16. As soon as mixed, stir within the pecans and chocolate chips.
17. Pour the filling into the unbaked chilled pie crust, however don’t pour so excessive that it goes over the crust! My photographer and I had loads of room left over with our customary pie pans.
18. Bake for 55-60 minutes or till the center is about.
19. Place on a cooling rack to chill fully, about 2-3 hours, after which refrigerate for at the least 2 extra.
20. Refrigerate any leftovers for as much as 4 days. It additionally freezes nice for as much as 3 months.

Notes

1. If you happen to dwell in Europe, use 110 grams butter + 3 grams of water to copy US butter for the pie crust. As an alternative of 84 grams of butter within the filling, use 82 grams (and no water). Additionally use medium EU eggs as a substitute of huge eggs.
2. I put the vanilla and apple cider vinegar collectively in a tiny bowl within the freezer for about 10 minutes, and the identical with the water. I don’t put the vanilla/ACV and the water collectively in the identical bowl since you may not use all of the water.

• If you happen to take a peek whereas baking and are frightened about it getting too brown, you’ll be able to cowl the pie with foil. The highest of the pie will likely be dry properly earlier than it is executed baking, so you’ll be able to simply cowl it with out the foil sticking to the pie.
• It’s also possible to use a pie defend if the crust appears to be like prefer it’s browning an excessive amount of, however my pie crust was nowhere close to getting too browned.
• The dry prime of the pie truly makes it troublesome to know when it is executed. The highest will likely be dry when the filling beneath continues to be a puddle of liquid. 55-60 minutes is what I wanted, however all ovens are completely different. It is higher to bake it too lengthy than too brief!

Recipe by Texanerin Baking | www.texanerin.com