Black Bottom Chocolate Pecan Pie
This chocolate pecan pie has two layers in its filling: a dark chocolate ganache for its black bottom, underneath a gooey brown sugar pecan filling. Not only does the ganache adds lots of chocolate flavor to the pecan pie, it also acts like a “seal” that prevents the pie crust from getting soggy. As a result, the pie stores really well and can be made several days ahead of serving.
For more unique Thanksgiving pie recipes, check out Hummingbird High‘s Pie Recipe collection! Popular recipes include Chocolate Chess Pie and an elevated version of Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Now that I’ve convinced you to make this black bottom chocolate pecan pie, here’s everything you need for the recipe:
Shopping List for Black Bottom Chocolate Pecan Pie
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the exact ingredient quantities:
All About Store Bought Frozen Pie Crust
Deep-Dish Frozen Pie Crust versus Regular Frozen Pie Crust
Deep-dish pie crusts ideally hold around 4 cups of volume and around 2 to 2 ½ inches deep. In contrast, regular pie crusts hold around 2 to 2 ½ cups of volume and are around 1 to 1 ½ inches deep. Store-bought pie crusts will typically specify whether or not they are “deep-dish” (but more on that shortly—not all store-bought pie crusts are created equal!). If the label doesn’t say anything, assume it’s a regular pie crust!
The Best Kind of Store-Bought Frozen Pie Crust for Black Bottom Chocolate Pecan Pie
I mentioned earlier that not all store-bought pie crusts are created equal. There’s a shockingly large variety of store-bought pie crust available. But in general, there are two kinds of store-bought frozen pie crust: the kind that comes in a sheet that you roll and shape onto your own pie pan, and the kind that already comes molded onto a disposable pie pan. To make your life easier, I recommend the latter kind that is already in the pan.
And again, find a store-bought frozen pie crust that labels itself “deep-dish” and can hold at least 4 cups of filling. But let me warn you now—some deep-dish pie crusts are LIARS! When I tried to make this with the generic “deep-dish” pie crust my supermarket sold, it wasn’t able to hold the filling. So stick with a trusted brand. I like Marie Callendar’s Deep Dish Pastry Pie Shells and Pillsbury Deep Dish Frozen Pie Crusts.
Can I use a frozen pie crust that I roll out and shape into the pie pan instead?
Yes, with reservations. First, make sure you have a 9-inch, deep-dish pie pan at home that can hold at least 4 cups of volume. Then, make sure to buy a pie dough sheet big enough to fit your pan.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any national recommendations for pie dough sheets. However, if you live in the Portland/Seattle metro areas, I recommend Grand Central Bakery’s Ready-To-Use Pie Dough.
Can I use homemade pie crust instead?
Yes, absolutely! In fact, if you have the time, I recommend doing so instead. I have a great recipe for an all-butter pie dough available in my cookbook, Weeknight Baking. Grab it online in this post for 15-Minute Stand Mixer Pie Crust Recipe!
Can I use a store-bought graham cracker pie crust instead?
Yes, with reservations. You won’t need to pre bake the graham cracker pie crust for as long as the Bake Time in the recipe below. Instead, follow the Bake Time recommended by the manufacturer.
Can I use a gluten-free pie crust instead?
Yes, absolutely! But doing so will NOT make this black bottom chocolate pecan pie recipe 100% gluten-free since the pecan filling contains flour.
How To Make Black Bottom Chocolate Pecan Pie
Here are the basic steps to make black bottom chocolate pecan pie from scratch:
First, pre bake the pie crust.
- Prep the pie crust for pre baking. (Prep Time: <5 minutes)
Unwrap the pie crust from its packaging and set it on a lined sheet pan. Cover the crust with foil and make sure that its crimped edges are completely covered. There should be no gaps between the foil and crust—if there are, you risk burning parts of your pie! Fill the covered pie with pie weights. - Pre bake the pie crust. (Bake Time: 30 minutes)
Bake for 30 minutes to “set” the pie crust. While the pie is baking, make your egg wash: whisk together 1 large egg white and 1 teaspoon of water. I also recommend prepping the ingredients—that is, measuring everything out—for the pumpkin pie filling at this time. - Seal the pie crust with egg wash. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
Once the pie crust is done baking for 30 minutes, set the whole thing—sheet pan with the pie full of pie weights—on a wire rack. Don’t forget to leave the oven on! Carefully use the foil to lift out the pie weights into a heatproof bowl. Be careful! Everything will be hot! Brush the bottom and sides of the pie crust with the egg wash. - Finish pre baking the pie crust. (Bake Time: 5 minutes)
Bake for another 5 minutes to “set” the egg wash. Once done, set the pre baked pie on a wire rack to cool completely.If you want to make your life easier, I suggest prebaking the pie a day ahead of making the ganache, pecan filling, and baking the whole thing. That way you don’t have to sit around and wait for the pie to cool!
Next, make the ganache layer.
- Prep the ingredients for the ganache. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
The ganache only has two ingredients: dark chocolate and heavy cream. Although you won’t need to prep the cream beyond measuring it out, you DO need to take the time to prep the chocolate. Specifically, you need to chop the chocolate into fairly small ¼- to ½-inch pieces. Any larger and the pieces won’t melt properly! - Make the ganache. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
Cook the cream in a small sauce pan just until it starts to boil. Immediately pour it into a shallow bowl containing the chopped chocolate. Cover with a lid (I just use an upside down plate!) for 5 minutes to trap the heat in and allow the cream to melt the chocolate.After 5 minutes, uncover the cream and chocolate and whisk together to make the ganache. Immediately pour it into the prebaked pie crust, using a spatula or spoon to spread it evenly across the bottom and sides of the crust. Freeze the whole thing while you make the pecan filling to allow the chocolate to set.
Then, make the pecan filling.
- Prep the ingredients for the pecan filling. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
To prep the pecan filling, measure all the ingredients out and making sure everything is at the temperature described in the recipe. That means milk and eggs that are at room temperature, and butter that’s been melted and cooled slightly so that it’s not scalding hot.You’ll also need to dice some of the pecan halves for the filling. I recommend chopping them up into ½- and 1-inch pieces.
- Make the pecan filling. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
The pecan filling comes together SUPER quickly. First, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and salt, then the milk and eggs, then the vinegar, vanilla, melted butter, and finally, the pecans. It’s important to mix the ingredients in the order that they’re listed in the recipe. If you throw everything together in one bowl, the filling ends up pretty lumpy and has a hard time smoothening out.
Finally, assemble and bake the black bottom chocolate pecan pie.
- Assemble the pie. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
Remove the pie crust from the freezer and set it on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pour the pecan filling into the crust over the chocolate layer. Then, garnish the filling with the remaining pecan halves. The pecan halves should stay on the surface of the filling as opposed to sinking—this is what you want! - Bake the black bottom chocolate pecan pie. (Bake Time: 50 minutes)
The pie needs 50 to 55 minutes in the oven. When done, the edges of the filling should be set. But the center should wobble just EVER so slightly. Again, this is what you want! After you pull the pie from the oven, it will continue to cook and set the filling to the perfect texture.
Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ
Why do you prebake the crust?
Most custard-filled pie recipes instruct you to pre bake the pie crust before filling it. Prebaking the pie crust helps keep the crust crisp and prevents a soggy-bottomed pie. There’s also the fact that many custard fillings cook much faster than the crust itself. The crust needs extra time in the oven to really crisp up. Learn more in my post on How to Pre Bake Pie Crust.
In my recipe below, I add specific instructions on how to pre bake store-bought pie crust. Although most store-bought pie crusts have instructions on how to pre bake the crust, I am never satisfied by their results. I found that the crusts were never crispy or done enough! So the recipe below uses my tried and tested method of pre baking pie crust. It includes a neat trick on “waterproofing” the crust with egg wash!
Help! When making the ganache, I poured the cream into the chocolate and waited 5 minutes like you instructed. However, when I started mixing the ingredients together, all the chocolate didn’t melt. What did I do wrong?
Several things could’ve happened here:
It could be that the chocolate wasn’t chopped finely enough. In the recipe below, I specifically instruct you to finely chop the chocolate into ¼- to ½-inch pieces. If the chocolate is too big (even ½- to 1-inch pieces), it won’t melt completely when combined with the cream.
Or it could be that you didn’t get the cream hot enough. The cream needs to be pretty hot—as close to freshly boiled as possible—when you add it to the chocolate. The cream also loses a lot of heat when you pour it into the bowl of chocolate, so make sure you cover the bowl with a lid to trap the heat in!
Or it could be that you didn’t steep the chocolate and cream for the right time. If you steep it for too short of a time, the chocolate won’t have enough time to melt. If you steep it for too long, the cream will cool down too much. Set a timer for 5 minutes—that’s the perfect amount of time to steep the ingredients together!
Finally, don’t panic. If your chocolate didn’t melt, you can fix it! Set the bowl of chocolate and cream on a saucepan filled with 1 to 2 inches of water. Make sure your bowl is heatproof, and the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water! Cook everything over medium heat, mixing occasionally, until the ingredients combine.
Help! The chocolate and cream just would NOT combine. In fact, the more I stirred, the ingredients kinda separated? What did I do wrong?
Ganache can sometimes “split” or “break”, meaning the fat in the chocolate separates to give the ganache an oily, separated appearance. This can happen when the ganache is stirred too vigorously or at too low of a temperature. So when whisking, aim for a slow but steady motion!
Also, again, don’t panic! If the ganache breaks, we can fix it. Set the bowl of ganache on a saucepan filled with 1 to 2 inches of water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook over medium-low heat to 92°F, whisking slowly but steadily to re-emulsify the ganache.
Can you freeze black bottom chocolate pecan pie?
Yes!
Cool the pie on a wire rack completely. Once it’s cool, stick the entire thing—pie pan and all—in the freezer. At this point, leave it uncovered. You’re freezing it to get the filling solid for wrapping later. Freeze for 2 to 4 hours, until the pie filling is completely solid. Then, wrap the entire thing in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Doing so ensures that the pie doesn’t absorb any flavors or odors from other goods in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To serve, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Serve slightly chilled, or rewarm individual slices in the microwave.
Best Recipe Tips
Equipment Tip
- No pie weights? No problem! You can use other pantry items like beans, rice, and even granulated sugar in their place. And if you don’t want to waste food, you can also use household items like coins from your loose change jar! I promise the coins won’t melt in the oven—it takes a LOT of heat to melt metal.
Ingredient Tip
- Because the ganache contains just two ingredients, you’ll be able to taste the quality of each ingredient. It’s worth sourcing high-quality chocolate for the ganache from baking bars. Avoid chocolate chips! Chocolate chips often contain additives and emulsifiers to help prevent the chips from melting. But since you’re making ganache, you WANT the chocolate to melt!
Technique Tips
- The recipe for the ganache instructs you to bring the heavy cream “just to a heavy boil.” What does that mean? Cook the cream until it reaches a boil. The moment it starts boiling, remove it from heat and pour it over the chocolate.
It can be tricky to boil cream properly. The edges of the cream will bubble violently, while its center seemingly remains stable. Then, all of a sudden, the cream will boil over. You’re looking for the moment the cream’s center bubbles, right before it starts to boil over. Don’t be afraid to whisk or swirl the cream to get its center to bubble!
- For the best pie crust, only brush the bottom and sides of the pie crust with egg wash. Avoid brushing the pie crust crimp. Doing so will cause it to overly brown and burn before the filling is done cooking! So don’t worry if you have leftover egg wash—this is normal.
- Check the pie crust at 40 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly, tent the pie with a sheet of aluminum foil.
Get the Recipe:
Black Bottom Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 1 (9-inch) pie
This black bottom chocolate pecan pie is filled with a layer of dark chocolate ganache topped with gooey brown sugar pecan filling!
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For the Black Bottom Chocolate Pecan Pie
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First, prebake the pie crust. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
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Prep the pie crust. Place the frozen crust, still in its plate, in the center of the pan. Cover the crust with foil, making sure the crimped edges are completely covered and that there are no gaps between the foil and the crust. Fill with pie weights and spread them out so they are more concentrated around the edges of the crust.
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Prebake the crust. Bake for 30 minutes. While the crust is in the oven, make the egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and water.Remove the sheet pan from the oven, keeping the oven on. Carefully lift out the pie weights and foil. Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides of the pie crust (but not the crimped border) with a thin layer of egg wash. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack to cool completely.
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Once the crust is cool, make the ganache layer. Place the dark chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream just to a heavy boil over medium heat in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove from heat and immediately pour over the chocolate, then place a heatproof plate over the bowl to create a makeshift lid. Let sit, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.Remove the plate. Whisk slowly but steadily until the ganache is thick, smooth, and shiny. Scrape the ganache into the cooled pie shell and spread evenly over its bottom and sides with an offset spatula. Place the shell in the freezer to set the ganache while making the filling.
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Prep your oven. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
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Make the pecan filling. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and salt. Mix in the milk until combined. Mix in the eggs, one by one, adding the next egg only when the previous egg has been incorporated. Mix in the vinegar, vanilla, butter, and diced pecans.Place the ganache-coated pie crust on a parchment-lined half sheet pan and pour in the filling. Scatter the pecan halves on top.
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Bake the pie. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center of the pie just slightly jiggles. Cool on a wire rack.
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Serve and store. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The pie can be kept at room temperature, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for 1 day. After that, cover tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 more days.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
