Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

This chocolate bourbon pecan pie is sweetened with honey, molasses, and chocolate chips for a delicious twist on the Southern classic. (No corn syrup!)

I worked at Cracker Barrel all through college, and each fall they'd bring out their pie line-up.

It was a big deal.

There was apple pie, apple streusel pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and of course-- chocolate pecan pie.

There was a lot of pie.

And of course, without fail, each year I'd sample a little bit of pie to see which ones were my favorites.

And there was one pie that most definitely was NOT my favorite.

It's going to surprise you-- are you ready?

I do not like their chocolate pecan pie. It takes an already excessively sweet pie, and makes it even sweeter.

No thank you!

But then I tasted my mother-in-laws' naturally-sweetened pecan pie, and after playing with the recipe a little bit (to make it a bourbon pecan pie)-- I started thinking about that extra sweet pie from Cracker Barrel.

And I decided that chocolate and pecans really do taste fabulous together.

This chocolate bourbon pecan pie is inspired by that fall pie from Cracker Barrel, but is a slightly less sweet version of the Southern classic.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie without Corn Syrup

One reason that this pie is a little less sweet than the classic Southern pie is that it uses molasses instead of corn syrup.

Don't have molasses in your pantry? You can buy molasses online.

If you need help finding molasses in your local grocery store, or have questions about molasses, check out my other bourbon pecan pie recipe for tips.

Does it Matter What Kind of Chocolate Chips I Use?

I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but if you prefer milk chocolate or bittersweet chocolate chips-- go for it.

Avoid using white chocolate chips, mint chocolate chips, or any other non-traditional chocolate chips in this recipe.

There are too many other strong flavors in this pie.

Does it Matter What Kind of Bourbon I Use in this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie?

Nope.

I like to use Maker's Mark because the flavor stands out really well after baking, but I also like baking with Trader Joe's brand bourbon.

Avoid swapping the bourbon for any type of flavored whiskey.

Should I serve this with Ice Cream or Whipped Cream?

Either! Both!

Normally, I skip toppings for pecan pie, or stick to whipped cream only, but since this chocolate bourbon pecan pie is a little less sweet than standard pecan pie-- a little scoop of ice cream is just perfect.

After you make your pie, leave a comment to let me know that you tried it!