When making a new recipe I like to see how many steps I can skip without negatively impacting the end result. This pie is a perfect
example of not only skipping a few steps, which I’ve deemed as unnecessary :), but also substituting (most of) the refined ingredients for whole ones. I replaced the white flour with whole-wheat flour and the corn syrup with maple syrup, but I do admit I left in the chocolate chips and some of the brown sugar because it certainly is okay to indulge in such treats in moderation! Just top a warm piece of the finished pie with some homemade vanilla ice cream and you’ll be in love with this super delicious and non-intimidating dessert as well.
If you’re looking for treats that would be okay to eat during the 10-day pledge (meaning without chocolate or brown sugar!) then check out this link for ideas: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/#dessert
Shortcut Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (melted (preferably unsalted))
- 2 tablespoons milk
For the filling:
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter (melted)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups pecans (chopped or whole)
- ¾ cup chocolate chips (dark)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a pie pan mix together crust ingredients thoroughly including flour, salt, butter, and milk. Squeeze the dough into a ball to make sure there is enough moisture. If it crumbles into pieces too easily then add another splash of milk.
- Shape the crust by thinning it out with your fingers/hands until the pie dish is evenly covered (pictured above). Feel free to make the edges look “fancy” with a fork.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake until pie is set, about 20 – 25 minutes.
- Let cool for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.
We think it is best topped with a little vanilla ice cream!
Wanted to make this for Thanksgiving.
What is the pie pan size?
I have a 9” and a 9 1/2” deep dish.
Thank you
Hi Paula, I would go with the 9″, that should be fine. – Nicole
Is the nutrition information for the entire pie or for a piece? It says 1106 calories so just wanted verify that was for the entire pie? Thanks can’t wait to try it out!
After eating the traditional pecan pie yesterday, I am looking for a healthier recipe! My husband is the pecan pie lover here, and he doesn’t like chocolate. Any ideas for making traditional (not chocolate and not overly pecany) pie with less sugar? My traditional recipe calls for 4 eggs. What could I substitute for a lower sugar option with the standard 4 eggs and 1 c pecans?
Hi Ginger, while we haven’t tried a modifying this recipe, you could possible omit the brown sugar, add another cup of pecans, and 1/2 cup of maple syrup or honey as your sweetener. I’ve seen a handful of recipes work this way. I would definitely try searching for a recipe that fits your needs to be exact, though. Enjoy! – Nicole
This has become a dessert staple in our house. I was never one for pecan pie but this recipe is incredibly delicious and I love that its made of real ingredients so I don’t feel bad indulging a bit. I LOVE how this has chocolate in it! Soo yummy. It smells like s’mores when its cooking. An absolute fav.
Loved this recipe! If I’m being utterly honest, it wasn’t my grandma’s traditional pecan pie I was going for…but for a healthier, real food option it was great! And I totally didn’t feel nearly as guilty consuming this one compared to grandma’s classic made with all the not-so-good-for-you goodness :)
I love your honest review! Now I can wait to try it out. :)
Can the eggs be omitted? I have vegan guests.
Hi there. Eggs are one of the largest ingredients here and we have not attempted to make this recipe without them.
Also…I saw many people said they would try w/o chocolate chips but I never saw anyone post afterwards… Would anyone like to share how this was w/o chocolate chips? My husband can’t have chocolate, and I only have one bag of pecans from the States so I don’t want it to go to waste!
Can maple syrup be substituted for honey? I live in India and do not have access to maple syrup.
Hi. While we’ve not tried subbing in this recipe, we do use honey and maple fairly interchangeably. Let us know if you give it a go.
do you have a recipe for a pumpkin pie?
Hi Barbara. Lisa does not have a pumpkin pie recipe.
She has an awesome pumpkin cheesecake with pecan crust- search for that one!
I tried a similar recipe with the same ingredients to make bars and it came out great!
I wanted to love this recipe but I didn’t. It was VERY easy to make but it’s NOT a pecan pie. It basically a chocolate pie with tons of pecans but doesn’t even come close to being a pecan pie. Even if you judge it based on taste alone and not expectation of the title it’s like eating chocolate fudge w/ pecans. It’s super rich but just not very good.
Thanks for the recipe. We made this for thanksgiving and it was great!! Love that the crust was so simple! Crust was a tad salty but otherwise it was fantastic! I agree with others who’ve said it was mostly pecans…but that’s what we wanted! We don’t love all that goo in traditional pecan pie anyway! With leftovers, I actually like this pie even better cold with a nice glass of ice cold milk!
I cannot see the recipe :(
This pie is amazing!
Technical difficulty resolved. ;)
Do you have ideas for making this dairy free?
Hi there. You could try using coconut oil and almond milk. :)
I thought the flavor was good, but it did have too much pecans and not enough filling for our liking. Also, the chocolate didn’t melt too well and the pecans were not soft. Maybe it needs a longer cook time?
Hi Ana. Every oven is going to cook a little differently, so adding a bit of time as long as you watch is closely may work. Also, feel free to experiment with the filling to make it work for you. :)
Hi! I would really like to try this recipie but I am on a sugar free diet – is there any way to make this without brown sugar? Thanks!
Hello Caroline. We’ve not tried as we really don’t use sugar free alternatives in our recipes. You are welcome to experiment and share your results. ~Amy