Chocolate Pretzel Pecan Pie

Everyone has a favorite holiday pie. Mine happens to be pumpkin. To be honest, I often find pecan pie to be too cloying, too one-note. Until this version, that is. See, this version has a few special additions that balance it out beautifully. Thanks to some salty pretzels and pecans (and some chocolate), it’s a pie that’s the epitome of the perfect balance of sweet and salty.

Is it any more trouble to make than a ‘regular’ pecan pie? No. Is it much better in every way? If you’re asking me, yes. It’s just so much more interesting! Every bite has a combination of crunchy-chocolatey-salty-sweetness that keeps you wanting more. It’s layered with flavor and it’ll have you wondering why you haven’t been making it this way for years.

I mean… just look at that!

It still has that signature pecan pie gooeyness, but it just has a lot more good stuff to back it up. You might be thinking, “Pretzels in a pie?” But I promise you, it works. It works oh so well.

You can use a pre-made pie crust here or your favorite recipe for pie dough – either way, the dough is not the star in this dessert. The star is the combination of flavors in the filling. That filling takes only a few moments to mix up – a quick stir of a handful of ingredients and you’re ready to pour it into the pie shell.

It might seem like an odd combo at first glance, but there’s not a lot of mystery here. While there’s a bit of bourbon to cut through the richness, it’s otherwise a classic exercise in contrast, where chocolate lingers on the tongue and a salty crunch balances the sweet. It’s a beautiful, unique pie.

Chocolate Pretzel Pecan Pie

1 hour to prepare serves 8-10

Ingredients

  • 1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 cups pecans
  • 3/4 cup mini pretzels
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9-inch pie pan with pie crust, folding under the excess and fluting, if necessary. Chill in refrigerator while you make the filling.
  2. To a large bowl, add the eggs, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, brown sugar, bourbon, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together until well combined, then stir in the pecans, pretzels, and chocolate chips.
  3. Spoon mixture into prepared pie crust. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover with foil and bake until the center is set and the filling is puffy, 15-20 minutes more.
  4. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Recipe adapted from Rabbit and Wolves.

Whizzco for LPE