Chocolate Pecan Pie

Chocolate. Pecan. Pie.

Are you running into the kitchen for a slice? I am! I adore this pie at Thanksgiving and have been making it for the past few years. The family loves it! It’s decadent, rich, and reminds me of the chocolate pecan pie of my childhood…sweet and perfect.

“But it’s so unhealthy…”

Actually, the ingredients in this pie are pure, simple and low-glycemic. You don’t have to feel guilty about this dessert on Thanksgiving day and your family won’t even know you used healthier ingredients! I chose ingredients that I feel comfortable feeding my family and children. Instead of high-glycemic, processed cane sugar, you will see coconut sugar and pure maple syrup. Raw cacao and grass-fed butter supply this pie with extra nutrients and the rustic, homemade crust will not disappoint. I hope you’ll give this pie a try at your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner, or anytime of the year!

Ingredients:

for the crust
1 1/2 cups organic all purpose flour (or einkorn flour) + more for dusting
large pinch of salt (such as himalayan or celtic)
8 tbsp grass fed butter, chilled and cubed
4 tbsp ice water

for the filling
1 cup pecan halves
6 tbsp grass-fed butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
4 eggs (preferably pasture raised)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp espresso (optional but highly recommended)
large sprinkle salt (such as himalayan or celtic)

To Make:

to make crust: choose pastry cutter/knives or food processor option below.

pastry cutter or 2 knives option:
in a large bowl add flour and salt. mix to combine.
add butter and cold water.
use pastry cutter (or 2 knives) to cut butter and mix until dough forms a chunky, lightly mixed consistency.
on a lightly floured surface, add dough and make a ball of the dough. flatten into a disk and store in the fridge in plastic wrap for 1 hour or up to 2 days.

food processor option:
for an easier option, pulse flour and salt in processor.
add butter and ice water and pulse until dough forms a chunky, lightly mixed consistency.
on a lightly floured surface, add dough and make a ball of the dough. flatten into a disk and store in the fridge in plastic wrap for 1 hour or up to 2 days.

chill and prepare the dough: when dough is firm and chilled. remove plastic wrap and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 12 inch circle. transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. fold over dough and crimp edges. “dock” or poke dough with a fork to create holes which prevents dough from puffing up in the oven. heat the oven to 375 degrees then chill dough in fridge again for 30 minutes before baking.

prebake the pie crust:
remove chilled pie crust from the fridge. line parchment paper over dough and fill with pit weights, beans, or my version (small ceramic pot lid 🙂 )
bake for 25 minutes.

to make filling:
in a small saucepan over medium/low heat, add butter and chocolate. stir until combined and smooth. so dreamy!
in a large bowl, mix together butter chocolate mix. maple syrup, eggs, sugar, cacao, espresso and salt. pour filling into prepared pie crust. place pecans over filling. bake until filling is set at 30-40 minutes.
to check: filling needs to slightly jiggle, and not be liquidy.
remove pie and let cool.

serve and enjoy!

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