This Malted Chocolate Pecan Pie is a creative twist on a classic. Toasted pecans combine with a malty chocolate custard in this fan favorite fall pie hailing from the Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Shop in Brooklyn, New York.
(This recipe was originally published in December 2013, but was updated with new photos and content in 2023).
Pecan pie is a classic fall and winter pie, but this version with a tangy, malted chocolate pecan filling is a stunning revelation that would be welcome on any holiday menu. Whereas a typical pecan pie can be cloyingly sweet with a sticky and gooey texture, this pie is revolutionary.
It has a much softer and somewhat creamy bite to it with a bit of tanginess from sour cream, and a great background flavor from the bittersweet chocolate. Pecans are aplenty and give this pie a bite. It almost reminds me of a not-too-chocolatey, softer and creamier brownie pie.
It's also a lot less time consuming to make than most seasonal fruit pies, which require peeling and slicing piles of fresh fruit. If you enjoy pecan pie and chocolate, try this variation to make a decadent chocolate pecan pie worth celebrating.
Ingredient notes
- Pecans: Use chopped pecans or pecan pieces instead of whole pecan halves. The pie will be easier to cut and the there is a better balance of nuts to crust to filling.
- Barley Malt Syrup: Barley malt syrup is a thick, sticky, dark brown, unrefined sweetener made from barley. It's often used in breadmaking, bagel making, and other baking. In this chocolate pecan pie, it provides sweetness in addition to a distinctly malty flavor.
- Chocolate: Use bittersweet chocolate with 60-70% cacao.
- Sour Cream: You don't need much, but it adds a bit of creaminess and tanginess to the filling.
- Pie Dough: Although you could use a store-bought single crust pie dough for this recipe, I always recommend making homemade pie dough if you have the time. Although this malted chocolate pecan pie is adapted from the Four & Twenty Blackbirds pie shop in Brooklyn, NY, my preferred pie dough is a different dough using mostly butter and a little bit of shortening. The recipe is included below the pie recipe at the bottom of this post in a separate recipe card.
How to make it
To partially pre-bake the crust, preheat the oven to 425°F and place a baking sheet on a rack on the lowest position.
Roll out the dough to ⅛-inch thickness and carefully lay it into a 9-inch pie pan or dish, being careful not to stretch the dough. Trim the edges and crimp as desired.
Freeze the crust for about 15 to 20 minutes to allow it to firm up. Prick all over the bottom and sides with a fork about 25 to 30 times (PHOTO 1). Line the crust with a piece of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dry beans (PHOTO 2).
Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the crimped edges are set but not browned.
Remove the pan and the baking sheet from the oven, lift out the parchment and the pie weights and let the crust cool for a minute. Beat together an egg white and water. Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides with a thin layer of egg white glaze to moistureproof the crust.
Return the pan, on the baking sheet, to the oven’s middle rack and continue baking for 3 more minutes. Remove and cool completely before filling.
Filling instructions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. To toast the pecans, spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, toast the pecans in a small baking pan in your toaster oven. Set aside to cool.
Bring an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl large enough to rest on the rim of the saucepan, above the water.
Melt the butter and chocolate over this double boiler, whisking occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat.
Add the brown sugar, barley malt syrup, salt, cinnamon, and ginger, and stir well (PHOTOS 3-4).
Mix in the sour cream, then the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, stirring briskly after each addition.
Finally, stir in the cooled toasted pecan pieces (PHOTOS 5-6).
Baking instructions
Place the pre-baked pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in the filling.
Bake the malted chocolate pecan pie on the middle rack of the oven for 52 to 57 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, about 35 minutes through baking.
The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is slightly firm to the touch but still has some wobble (like gelatin). Be careful not to over-bake or the custard can separate. The filling will continue to cook and set after the pie is removed from the oven.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
This pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.
When I crimp the edges of my pie crusts, I don't often trim the dough (as long as it's not too excessive), but instead just fold the dough underneath itself to make a thicker edge. Then I crimp the crust as desired, usually with my knuckles.
Don't skip the step where you chill the rolled out, crimped pie crust before pre-baking it. Letting it thoroughly chill will help it hold its shape better in the oven.
For pie weights, you can purchase ceramic pie weights and/or use dry beans. I actually use a combination because I had purchased pie weights at one time, but they weren't enough to really fill the pie crust so I added dry beans to have enough. Either way, you want to make sure you completely fill the pie with weights (and push them out toward the edges), otherwise the sides won't properly stay up when pre-baking.
While baking your malted chocolate pecan pie, if the crust browns too quickly, tent the edges with a ring of aluminum foil.
Other recipes you may like
- Cranberry Sage Pie
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie
- Pear Ginger Oatmeal Crumb Pie
- Pineapple Pie
- Earl Grey Cream Pie in a Sugar Cookie Crust
- Peppermint Mousse Black Bottom Pie
- Nutella Pie
- Sweet Potato Bread Pudding
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Malted Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ready-made pie crust or enough homemade pie dough for 1 single-crust pie (my preferred pie dough recipe follows)
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
Pie:
- 1 ½ cups (150 grams) pecan pieces
- 2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cocoa), finely chopped
- 1 cup (200 grams) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (80 grams) barley malt syrup
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup (120 grams) sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
Instructions
- To partially pre-bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 425°F and place baking sheet on a rack on the lowest position. Roll out the dough to ⅛-inch thickness and carefully lay it into a 9-inch pie pan or dish, being careful not to stretch the dough. Trim or fold the edges underneath and crimp as desired.
- Freeze the crust for about 15 to 20 minutes to allow it to set. Prick all over the bottom and sides with a fork about 20 to 25 times. Line the crust with a piece of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dry beans. Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the crimped edges are set but not browned.
- Remove the pan and the baking sheet from the oven, lift out the parchment and the pie weights and let the crust cool for a minute. Beat together the egg white and water. Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides with a thin layer of egg white glaze to moistureproof the crust. Now, return the pan, on the baking sheet, to the oven’s middle rack and continue baking for 3 more minutes. Remove and cool completely before filling.
- For the pie: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. To toast the pecans, spread them in a single layer on a small rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant, stirring occasionally (alternatively you can toast the nuts in a toaster oven, but you will still need to set your regular oven to 350°F to bake the pie later). Set aside to cool.
- Bring an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl large enough to rest on the rim of the saucepan, above the water. Melt the butter and chocolate over this double boiler, whisking occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat.
- Add the brown sugar, barley malt syrup, salt, cinnamon, and ginger, and stir well. Mix in the sour cream, then the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Stir in the cooled toasted pecan pieces.
- Place the pre-baked pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in the filling. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 55 to 60 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, about 35 minutes through baking (if the crust browns too quickly, tent the edges with a ring of aluminum foil). The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is slightly firm to the touch but still has some wobble (like gelatin). Be careful not to over-bake or the custard can separate. The filling will continue to cook and set after the pie is removed from the oven.
- Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.
Notes
- Use chopped pecans or pecan pieces instead of whole pecan halves. The pie will be easier to cut and the there is a better balance of nuts to crust to filling.
- Barley malt syrup is a thick, sticky, dark brown, unrefined sweetener made from barley. It's often used in breadmaking, bagel making, and other baking. In this chocolate pecan pie, it provides sweetness in addition to a distinctly malty flavor.
- When I crimp the edges of my pie crusts, I don't often trim the dough (as long as it's not too excessive), but instead just fold the dough underneath itself to make a thicker edge. Then I crimp the crust as desired, usually with my knuckles.
- For pie weights, you can purchase ceramic pie weights and/or use dry beans. I actually use a combination because I had purchased pie weights at one time, but they weren't enough to really fill the pie crust so I added dry beans to have enough. Either way, you want to make sure you completely fill the pie with weights (and push them out toward the edges), otherwise the sides won't properly stay up when pre-baking.
- Adapted from The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
The Best Dough for Flaky Piecrust
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (312 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
- ¾ cup (170 grams) cold unsalted butter cut into ¼-inch cubes and frozen
- ¼ cup (60 grams) vegetable shortening preferably in baking stick form, frozen, cut into ¼-inch pieces, and put back in the freezer
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (130 grams) ice-cold water
Instructions
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3 times to blend. Scatter the frozen butter cubes over the flour mixture. Pulse the machine 5 to 7 times, holding each pulse for a 5 full seconds, to cut all of the butter into pea-size pieces.
- Scatter the pieces of frozen shortening over the flour-and-butter mixture. Pulse the machine 4 more 1-second pulses to blend the shortening with the flour. The mixture will resemble coarse cornmeal, but will be a bit more floury and riddled with pale butter bits (no pure-white shortening should be visible).
- Turn the mixture out into a large mixing bowl, and make a small well in the center. If you find a few butter clumps that are closer to marble size than pea size (about ¼ inch in diameter), carefully pick them out and give them a quick smoosh with your fingers. Pour the cold water into the well.
- Use a curved bowl scraper to lightly scoop the flour mixture up and over the water, covering the water to help get the absorption started. Continue mixing by scraping the flour up from the sides and bottom of the bowl into the center, rotating the bowl as you mix, and occasionally pausing to clean off the scraper with your finger or the side of the bowl, until the mixture begins to gather into clumps but is still very crumbly. (If you are working in very dry conditions and the ingredients remain very floury and refuse to clump together at this stage, add another tablespoon of ice-cold water.)
- Lightly gather the clumps with your fingers and use your palm to fold over and press the dough a few times (don’t knead! —just give the dough a few quick squishes), until it just begins to come together into a single large mass.
- For single- and double-crust pies, mini pies, potpies, or hand pies: Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, gently shape each portion into a flat disk 1 ½ to 2 inches thick, and wrap each tightly with plastic wrap. For quiche, leave the dough in one piece, flatten it into a single large disk 1 ½ to 2 inches thick, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days before rolling. (The dough may discolor slightly. No worries. This is merely oxidization and will not affect the flavor or appearance of your finished piecrust.)
Notes
- The wrapped, chilled dough can be put in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
- Adapted from Magpie
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
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