Christmas

Salted Caramel Chocolate Pecan Pie

by:
October 28, 2013
4.6
13 Ratings
Salted Caramel Chocolate Pecan Pie
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 8 to 10
Author Notes

This recipe, originally published in Southern Living Magazine, is to die for! Full of chocolatey goodness and topped with sweet, toasted pecans. This has been a family favorite for many years, and will continue to be for years to come. What can be better on a chilly fall holiday? —Stacy Blair

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Chocolate Filling
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter (melted)
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup 100% unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
  • Your favorite pie crust recipe, enough for one 9-inch crust
  • Salted Caramel Topping
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 cups toasted pecan halves
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
  1. Chocolate Filling
  2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Stir together sugar, butter, flour, cocoa, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add eggs and whip until everything is blending nicely. Add chopped pecans, mix, and pour into pie shell.
  3. Bake at 350°F for 35 -40 minutes. You may find that the filling seems uncooked, but I assure you it is! It thickens as it cools on a wire rack!
  1. Salted Caramel Topping
  2. Bring the sugar, lemon juice and water to boil in a saucepan. Be sure not to stir the mixture, just swirl the pot from time to time. Watch for the sugar to change colour to a nice brown. , for 8 minutes or until dark amber. Remove from heat and add cream and butter. Continuously stir the mixture until boiling stops and all ingredients are mixed. Stir in table salt.
  3. Arrange pecan halves on top of the chocolate filling. I layered them in a single layer in a concentric circle style. Top the pecans with the caramel mixture. Let the pie cool for 15-30 minutes before sprinkling the sea salt on top. The caramel mixture will thicken and keep the pecans in place. ENJOY
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50 Reviews

PAMcHughDO
PAMcHughDO November 23, 2023
I have made this three times as written. Using a 9-inch pie plate it has overflowed each time. Shame on me forgetting this since last year! It is reliably delicious. I will use a deep 10.5-inch pie plate next time. You may want to do the same.
 
Ld8988
Ld8988 October 24, 2023
Ok so heres an edit. I left the pie in the fridge for a couple hours and it definitely firmed up. It was better. It's a good recipe but I would have just gotten caramel topping and used that instead or left out the lemon. Very yummy though. Just takes patience..
 
Alix A.
Alix A. October 24, 2023
I’ve learned to cook it a little longer than the recipe suggested, because it can be runny. I also have pulled back a little on the lemon in the caramel. I also have had to be more patient with the caramel. I’ve made this every thanksgiving for the last 10 years and it’s always a hit. I’ve started using a thermometer with some of my baking. More consistent than looking at it. Pecan pie should be pulled when it’s 200°.
 
Ld8988
Ld8988 October 23, 2023
I created an account just tot write about this pie.
I had high hopes.
I'm not even kidding, I tried making the caramel part 3x. THREE TIMES. I thought it was me. But no. It was not. Something weird about it. Maybe the lemon?
Super runny when i cut it too. It had been sitting out.
I was so amped about this pie and had a strict budget which I used the last of to buy ingredients for. Money completely wasted.
This pie honestly...no.
Save ur money
 
Maggie
Maggie November 17, 2020
This pie is wonderful. Omit the lemon from the caramel.
 
Courtney J.
Courtney J. November 22, 2017
Do you ever have a lot of caramel left over? I feel as though I have way too much. Is there a chance I’m not cooking the caramel long enough and it’s too runny?
 
Jenny W.
Jenny W. November 25, 2014
I am trying to make this pie ahead for Thanksgiving .. is that possible? Should I make it all and stop before the carmel topping and just add that the day of?
 
Erica
Erica November 22, 2014
Question: Do you pour the caramel topping over the pie when it's still hot and right out of the oven, or does the pie need to cool a bit before you cover with the pecans and topping? Thanks!
 
Kari
Kari September 16, 2014
I made this pie today and while it tastes delicious, it is basically pudding! I followed all the directions, but somehow ended up with a liquidy mess! Any ideas what I can do next time? Should I put more than 1/3 cup flour in?
 
mchronic@att.net
[email protected] March 3, 2014
The best crust ever and so easy is Cook's Illustrated Fool-proof pie crust, which can be found on this site...or on www.cooksillustrated.com.
 
Isabelle K.
Isabelle K. December 10, 2013
Sorry, maybe I missed it, but where can I find the recipe for the crust?
 
Alix A.
Alix A. November 29, 2013
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was SUCH a hit! Like raving to the point of making me a little uncomfortable (once I hit a certain level of praise, it starts to get awkward). I did toast the pecans in the toaster oven and used a little less finishing salt. I'd accidentally allowed my caramel to go over by about 30 seconds (so it tasted a little bruleed) and I felt like adding all the salt would have brought out more of that flavor than I wanted. Additionally, it was probably one of the most attractive desserts I've ever seen, let alone made! A million stars!!!
 
Bridget
Bridget November 27, 2013
How does this pie fair in the fridge? If I make it tonight should I refrigerate and warm up tomorrow or just leave it sit out til tomorrow? Do you think I should wait to make the topping until we're close to eating it?
 
Stacy B.
Stacy B. November 27, 2013
We kept ours in our microwave (our storage place for baking!!) for a few days and it still tasted great!! Of course it will always taste the best right out of the oven... But we had no problems with it keeping, especially for one day
 
Bridget
Bridget November 27, 2013
Awesome thanks for the quick response! :)
 
jaskun
jaskun November 25, 2013
Did you copy this recipe from the cover pie on the November issue of Southern Living? It's the EXACT same. I guess that's okay, but I develop recipes and think it's nice to at least credit someone who inspired it.
 
Stacy B.
Stacy B. November 25, 2013
This is a recipe that was has been passed down in my family for many many years... Its quite possible that it was a commercial recipe way back when my grandma first started baking? This recipe came from her... I did not, in anyway copy it from Southern Living... I cannot get that magazine where I live and had no idea it was on the cover... Credit still goes to my grandmother.. sorry!
 
gustus
gustus November 25, 2013
Did you create this recipe for Southern Living? It's identical to one in their November 2013 issue...you can see it in myrecipes.com. Regardless of its provenance, I'm looking forward to trying it.
 
Stacy B.
Stacy B. November 25, 2013
This is a recipe that was has been passed down in my family for many many years... Its quite possible that it was a commercial recipe way back when my grandma first started baking? This recipe came from her... I did not, in anyway copy it from Southern Living... I cannot get that magazine where I live and had no idea it was on the cover... Credit still goes to my grandmother.. sorry!
 
Steffanie
Steffanie November 24, 2013
Great looking pie, can you help me with a substitute for corn syrup ? Can't find that easily in France. Thanks, I would really love to make this for Thanksgiving !
 
Sara
Sara November 24, 2013
Hi Steffanie, are you in Paris? You can get corn syrup at Thanksgiving in the 4e. You could substitute golden syrup (also not super easy to find though). If you can't get either of those, I would try glucose syrup- ask your local patisserie (if they are nice ;), they might give you some.
 
Stacy B.
Stacy B. November 24, 2013
I'd try what Sara suggested!!
 
Steffanie
Steffanie December 30, 2013
Sara, thanks for your reply. I ended up with Golden Syrup from UK. Pie was a big success.
 
cosmiccook
cosmiccook November 15, 2023
Hi Steffanie, try G. Detou in Paris. Also check out David Lebovitz's blog--he talks about where to get "American" ingredients. But I believe I saw it at D. Detou. You can also sub Lyle's golden syrup or cane syrup (actually prefer this).
 
Lgrothe
Lgrothe November 24, 2013
Stacy is this a deep dish pie?
 
Stacy B.
Stacy B. November 24, 2013
I just used a regular plate for this one. I found the filling rises nicely!
 
Alix A.
Alix A. November 22, 2013
Do you blind bake the crust ahead of time?
 
Stacy B.
Stacy B. November 24, 2013
No blind baking!
 
EllnMllr
EllnMllr November 21, 2013
Are any of the pecans toasted? (Either the chopped ones that go into the filling, or the ones on top?
 
Stacy B.
Stacy B. November 21, 2013
I actually didn't toast them, but you certainly could!!
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames November 9, 2015
The recipe says to use toasted pecans on the top. That seems like such a bad idea, because if you put already toasted pecans on a pie that is then going to be baked, the pecans will get too dark. (Trust me, I know. I've baked dozens of pecan pies over the years.) I strongly recommend that the recipe be revised to specify raw pecans for the top.
Toasted pecans in the filling -- by all means, use them. They'll make the pie taste even better. ;o)
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames November 9, 2015
Okay, I see that the toasted pecans on top go on after baking. I pulled the trigger too soon. (I make pecan pies all the time, and by the time a standard pie comes out of the oven, there is a crust on top, so I don't fully understand how you get the pecans to adhere to the top . . . . I guess they just get stuck on with the caramel? Do they stay nicely put when you slice and serve? I keep thinking this could be improved by placing raw pecans on halfway through and then letting them bake into the top, and then cover with caramel. ;o)
 
Ld8988
Ld8988 October 23, 2023
Also to get rid of the lemon in the caramel recipe.
 
cosmiccook
cosmiccook November 15, 2023
I just saw this recipe; I tend to agree w Stella Parks on cream in caramel. Do yourself a favor make & use Cajeta. And BROWN THAT BUTTER! It really adds dimension to the pie. Since I'm able to get small batch artisanal cane syrup here in N.O. I prefer that over corn syrup.
 
Juliebell
Juliebell November 17, 2013
Stacy I clicked on your link and your pies are beautiful not to mention that darling baby girl. Looking forward to trying your recipes and the gorgeous crust.
 
Stacy B.
Stacy B. November 17, 2013
Awe! Thanks so much for your kind words Julie!!
 
Lizthechef
Lizthechef November 5, 2013
I have a new high bar in regards to crust-making - yours! Best of luck in the contest. Your recipe rocks. Oh, and are you available to make pies in San Diego on the 27th? ;)
 
Stacy B.
Stacy B. November 5, 2013
Awwww thanks so much for your incredibly awesome comment! I sure wish I could make pies in San Diego on the 27th! Gah!! I haven't gotten around to posting more of my pies on here, but here are a few more I have made in the last few weeks!! http://www.thelittleredbutton.ca/category/recipes/baked-in-a-pie/