Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie is a “truth” in my house. And, the truth is: My family doesn’t care what else is on the table at Christmas or Thanksgiving, as long as this pie is there.
Note: I originally published this recipe a few years ago, but have updated it with some new ingredients, new photos and process shots, as well as updating the text of the post a bit. I’ve also included photos of the 9″ as well as the 10″ tart.
This pie. THIS pie. It really is EVERYTHING a pie should be. I’ve been making it since 2001, when I saw a version of it in the November issue of Bon Appetit. (I realize that for some of you, that’s most of your life!) It’s been on my Thanksgiving and sometimes Christmas table ever since. Of course I’ve made a few several changes. But, every holiday, my son swears this is the dessert he wants for his Birthday! Let me just repeat: It’s THAT GOOD!
The barely sweet cocoa crust holds an ooey-gooey caramelly-flavored pecan pie infused with puddles of bittersweet chocolate, bits of coconut, and roasty, salty pecans. And here’s the deal. Strangely, I don’t really care for regular Pecan pie, but this pie? Yes yes yes – any day, any time. Those who know me well would say it’s the ample amount of bittersweet chocolate embedded in the syrupy, gooey caramelly filling that does the trick for me. (They know me so well.) But it’s also the toned down sweetness from traditional Pecan Pie, and a nice salty note from the roasted pecans. And, you? …. Is there even a question whether YOU need to make this?
So, if you’re looking for a festive dessert for the holiday season that everyone will LOVE, this pie is for you! Enjoy!
Looking for more Christmas treats?
If this pie isn’t your jam, maybe try :
White Chocolate Cranberry Loaf Cake, with it’s hint of orange and cream cheese frosting
Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Penuche Frosting – so good with that salty caramel frosting! Or, take a peek at this
Chocolate Biscuit Cake, another impressive-looking-but-easy Golden syrup-containing recipe,
Sticky Toffee Pudding or these awesome
Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons or their Gluten-Free version.
Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie Recipe Details ->
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What you’ll need:
9″ Springform Pan or 10″ Springform Pan
Pastry Cutter, or 2 knives
This pie recipe is pretty straightforward, and is truly easier than it looks. The original recipe is delicious to be sure. But, with corn syrup and sweetened coconut, I wanted to bring the chocolate and pecan flavors more forward. I’ve made this in both a 9″ and 10″ Springform and Tart pan. Also, I have tried many substitutes for the corn syrup in attempt to cut the sweetness a bit more, eliminate overly processed ingredients, or to add a different flavor note.
I used to make it with real maple syrup (not “pancake syrup”) instead of corn syrup, for a less processed and less sweet filling. Maple Syrup was tasty, but it all but disappeared into the pie, without the thickness of a thicker corn or Golden Syrup. The last couple times making it, however, I’ve used Lyle’s Golden Syrup, which, as opposed to being made from corn (Corn Syrup), it’s made from Granulated Sugar. This is the ticket for sure! Golden Syrup, while still sweeter than sugar, is not as sweet as Corn syrup. It tastes a little toasty, a little buttery, a little caramel-y. So it provides this depth of flavor you won’t get anywhere else! All good things in my book! And, my new favorite variation on this favorite pie!
Also, I use unsweetened, shredded coconut, again, cutting the super-sweetness of the filling. And, just to add some salty to the sweet, because that’s who I am, my nut of choice here is roasted, salted pecans. (I purchase pre-salted, roasted pecans from Trader Joe’s.) I also use bittersweet chocolate chips or pieces instead of semi-sweet.
Making the Crust
The crust is a chocolate version of a traditional pie crust. The dough is somewhat drier than a regular pie pastry due to the addition of the cocoa powder. So you’ll mix together the dry ingredients, cut in the butter and then add the 3 egg yolks. I use either my fingers or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter. You just want to make sure there are many small pieces of cold butter and they are well distributed throughout the dry ingredients. Then, stir in the egg yolks. At this point, if you squeeze a handful of the dough, it should hold together. When using smaller-sized eggs, you may need an extra yolk. Then press it into a 9″- or 10”-springform pan. If it is just too dry and doesn’t press an inch up the side of the pan, add a tablespoon or two of ice water, and it should press well. But, I’ve only had to do this once in all the years I’ve been making this.
Pop it into a 375F oven and bake for 15 minutes. After par-baking, reduce the oven heat to 350F, and let the pie crust cool a bit while you mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl and pour into the crust. This just takes a few minutes.
Making the Filling
If using Golden Syrup: You’ll want to begin by whisking together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until incorporated. Add in the Golden syrup, followed by the vanilla extract and salt. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut and pecans. Pour into the par-baked crust. When you pour the filling into the crust, you may feel the need to distribute the pecans a bit if they are all on one side of the pie, but don’t worry too much, they move around a bit to fill the space during baking. Then bake until it’s nice and golden brown, and only a bit of jiggle in the filling. In a 10-inch pan this takes 38-42 mins, or 50-55 mins in a 9-inch.
If using Maple Syrup: When you substitute maple syrup for the thicker corn syrup, you may need something to thicken it up so it still produces some body for the pie. A few years ago, I first added some molasses. I’m not sure whether it thickened it, but it did make for a less runny pie and added some richness (as if with this list of ingredients one would need more richness😉). The past couple years, I also added a tablespoon of flour to the filling, following the lead of Sally’s Baking Addiction in her pecan pie and my pie was easier to cut! It still doesn’t hold together quite as well as the corn syrup version, but it isn’t so sweet your teeth hurt.
Finishing the Pie
Once it’s out of the oven, sprinkle the remaining chocolate pieces over the pie in a circle (or whatever shape you like). Once they are melty and shiny, spread it until smooth, and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of coconut. I like to toast those flakes in the oven for about 4-5 minutes (watch carefully!) after removing the tart. Or you can use sweetened coconut on the top, but I just use the same unsweetened coconut I used in the filling.
Cool to room temperature before serving. The pie keeps well at room temperature, loosely covered with foil. After cutting, it still stores well at room temp or can be refrigerated, but the crust might lose a bit of its crispness in the fridge.
So, bake this Chocolate Coconut Pecan pie! It may become a staple on your holiday table!
PIN Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie ->
Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie Tart
Originally from Bon Appétit, this pie is a holiday tradition in my house. I make it every year at either Thanksgiving or Christmas, or maybe both. It’s THAT GOOD!
Equipment needed: ideally, a 10” Tart or Springform pan. I’ve also baked it in a 9” springform as well using a slightly longer baking time. The 9″ tart is nicely deeper, a bit more ooey-gooey (in a good way!), but takes 10-15 mins longer to bake, so you may need to tent with foil partway through the bake. I think the filling-to-crust ratio is better in the 10″ pan.
Special equipment needed: 9- or 10-inch Springform pan or tart pan with removable bottom.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 40-50 min
- Total Time: 70-80 min
- Yield: 12–16 servings 1x
- Category: Pies, Desserts, Thanksgiving, Christmas
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups (187g) All Purpose Flour
- 6 Tablespoons (45g) Unsweetened Cocoa (regular or Dutch-process is ok)
- 1/4 cup (50g) Granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 114g) Unsalted Butter, well-chilled, cut into small pieces
- 3 large egg yolks, lightly whisked
For the Filling:
- 1/4 cup (57g) Unsalted Butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (150g) Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 3 Large Eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 cup Golden Syrup (336g) or Maple Syrup (See Note 1)
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) Natural Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 1/2 cup, (90g, 3 oz.) chopped Bittersweet chocolate, or chocolate chips (See Note 2)
- 3/4 cup Shredded, Unsweetened Coconut
- 1 1/2 cups (170g) Pecan halves, chopped if large (I used Roasted & Salted pecan halves)
For the Topping:
- 1/2 cup, or 3 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips
- 3 Tablespoons Shredded, Unsweetened Coconut (See note 3)
At the Table:
- Lightly sweetened Whipped Cream – 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped, along 1 T Golden or Maple Syrup
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 375F or 350F for Convection oven.
- Place flour, cocoa, sugar and salt into medium-sized bowl. Whisk or stir with a spoon. Add the bits of chilled butter, and cut in with a pastry blender or with fingertips until mixture is like a coarse grain.
- Whisk together the egg yolks and stir into the mixture for 20-30 seconds. Mixture will be somewhat dry, but should hold together if you squeeze it, or when pressing it into the pan. If it doesn’t hold together when you squeeze a handful, slowly drizzle in 1 or 2 Tablespoons of ice water. (I’ve only had to do this once in the 15-20 times I’ve made this pie)
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of 10” Springform or Tart pan. Bake 15 minutes or until set. Cool while preparing the filling. It should be firm once cooled. Reset oven temp to 350F (or 335F for Convection oven).
Make the Filling:
- In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar. Stir in the eggs, followed by the golden syrup, vanilla and salt. Stir in the 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, 3/4 cup coconut, and the pecans. Pour into the par-baked crust.
- Return the pie to the oven, and bake for 38-42 minutes for 10″ tart or 45-50 mins for 9″ tart, until filling is golden brown but with still a bit of jiggle, but it shouldn’t appear liquid (no sloshing!) in any way. Keep an eye on it during the last 15 minutes and tent with foil if it starts getting too brown. You don’t want the pecans to burn!
Add the Toppings:
- Sprinkle the 1/2 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips into a circle pattern on the crust. Wait a few minutes until it is melted and glossy, and spread until smooth.
- Sprinkle the melted chocolate with the 3 T coconut.
- Allow pie to cool completely before serving.
- Cover loosely with foil to store at room temperature. Serve topped with Whipped Cream lightly sweetened with golden or maple syrup if you like!
Notes
- Instead of Golden Syrup or Maple Syrup, you can substitute 1 cup corn syrup, or use half maple syrup/half corn or Golden syrup. If using Maple syrup, whisk in an additional Tablespoon of All-purpose Flour to thicken the mixture a bit.
- I’ve used Bittersweet chocolate or Bittersweet Chocolate chips in this recipe, but semi-sweet chocolate would work, too.
- You can toast the coconut for the topping if you like, about 4-5 minutes in a 350F oven.
- You can make the pie up to two days in advance of serving, and it will keep at room temperature up to 5 days. I’ve also refrigerated it after serving and it’s fine that way, too.(It’s unlikely there will be any left at this point.)
- I like to top it with lightly sweetened Whipped Cream. Just whip 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and at the end of whipping along with a Tablespoon or two, to taste, of golden syrup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 recipe
Keywords: Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie, Thanksgiving Desserts, thanksgiving desserts that are not pumpkin, Pecan pie without Corn Syrup, Christmas Desserts, Pecan Pie, Chocolate Tart, How to make a Chocolate Pecan Pie, family favorites, sweet and salty desserts
Of all the incredibly delicious desserts that you have shared this has to be one of the best. I hope you and your family are having a wonderful Christmas.
Thank you so much, Karen! I hope your holidays were festive as well! We are all well, and hope you are likewise!
Wow, such a delicious tart with so many flavours going on! Yum!
★★★★★
Thanks Michelle! It truly is one of the best!
Coconut, chocolate and pecans all put together to create a heavenly tart, it comes as no surprise why your family loves it so much! Thank you for sharing, Laura. Pinning it!
★★★★★
Thanks so much! And, thanks for the pin!
This is the pie version of the oh-so-delicious everything cookie! Just shove all of the best flavors together, and you’re bound to end up with something delicious! I can see why your family wants this one on the holiday table – I want it on my holiday table. Heck, forget holiday table. I want it on my desk right now!
★★★★★
Thanks, David! It truly is “THE Pie” in my house! And, since it’s all gone, I’m kinda wishing for a slice on my desk right now, too!
This sounds like a winning combination to me. First I love pecan pie and I’ve love Mounds candy bars so this sounds irresistible as far as I’m concerned. It seems that your family must agree with me. Of course, I’ve pinned.
I agree, Karen! Your list of yummy baked goods and candies is so similar to mine! And, obvi my family. Fortunately I’ve avoided a revolt for another year. We will see what next year brings! Thanks for the pin!
No, there’s no question really – I have already bookmarked this and will definitely give it a go! Wow, it does look amazing and that combination of flavours and textures would be super popular here, especially for Christmas. Thanks so much for sharing, Laura!
★★★★★
Thanks, Katerina! I hope you get the chance to make it! It’s truly a mainstay on our holiday table! Thanks for your kind words!
Wow!! These look amazing!! You never seize to amaze me with your beautiful recipes and photography!
Balvinder, you are so kind! I really appreciate your kind words! Thank you so so much!
It’s easy to imagine why your family loves this tart!
Yeah, I didn’t put anything bad in it, for sure! 😉
I absolutely love sweet + salty desserts, so I know this one would be a huge hit in our house! The addition of bittersweet chocolate to this tart is a great idea. If this doesn’t scream holiday dessert, then I don’t know what does! 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks, David! It is perfect for the holidays, indeed! And the bit of salt just takes it over the edge to phenomenal! Thanks for visiting and your kind words, my friend!
Maple + chocolate + coconut + pecans? Gosh this is delicious! Now wonder this tart has been your family’s favourite for many years. Love its rich, luscious, and somewhat airy texture. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Ben! I know, it’s a great combo! Always such a hit!
WOW! What a beautiful tart! The chocolate and pecans sound so delicious!
Thanks, Balvinder! It does have 3 of my favorites; chocolate, toasted salty pecans, and coconut! Thanks for visiting!
Looks so luscious! I would love to try it!! Pinning! xo
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Kim!
Im out of words for how incredibly delicious this tart looks!!! Perfect!
Oh, thank you so much, Camila! It is so scrumptious!
Beautiful photos!! And who doesn’t love that combination?? My Monday could certainly use a slice (or 2) of this! Delish, my friend 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Dawn! I appreciate your kind words. And I agree, this is definitely one of the best flavor combos there ever was!
No wonder this pie is so popular every year at this time in your household Laura. That combination of chocolate, coconut and pecans is to die for! Never mind Thanksgiving, Christmas or Birthday’s, I’d be asking you for this EVERY day! Ha ha!!
★★★★★
In fact they do ask many days. My plan is to turn it into a bar cookie. That could be the everyday version.! 😋
Laura, you’ve definitely sold me on this tart! The coconut, pecan, and chocolate sound so wonderful together. And I’m sure I’ll love your changes to make it a little less sweet. When the kids want it on their birthday, you know you’ve got a keeper!
★★★★★
Thanks, Kelly! This is indeed our all-time favorites! Hope you love it like we do! ❤️
I love the maple syrup + molasses twist to this pie, Laura! And the bit of all-purpose flour in there is an excellent trick. You better believe this pie is going to become a truth in our house soon, too! It looks absolutely delicious, and my mouth is totally watering thinking about all of those flavors together. Yum!
★★★★★
Thanks, David! Happy to spread the truth about best desserts there ever were! I’m glad you appreciate the maple syrup + molasses, too! Yum, indeed!
That crust! That filling! I’m in love! Pecan pie is one of my favorites, so turning it into a tart and adding a ton of chocolate basically makes this my dream come true dessert! I’ve got to try this soon!
★★★★★
Katherine! yes, those are the things that make this our favorite, too! It’s so good! Can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
This looks amazing! Would it work to use those tiny individual Swedish tart pans for a hand-held version?
Linda! I’m glad you like the looks of this pie! This is a really good question. But I’m sorry, I can’t say whether it would or wouldn’t work, since I haven’t tried it. I do think the crust recipe would need to be tweaked a bit, because it makes a thicker type of crust, and in a tiny tart pan, that would be a problem. I also think it might be a “fussy” crust for a tiny pan, because it starts out rather “powdery” (for lack of a better word), so pressing it into the little tins would be difficult. I would say you could use a chocolate cookie crust, and pre-bake it, but for me, I would be wary of the sweetness. You could also use a traditional pie dough rolled super-thin. The filling, though would be awesome in individual portions. Sorry I can’t be of more help here. Thanks again, for visiting and for your question! I may have to give this a try!
Ok, I’ve been looking at Swedish tart tins. I think if you use the deeper ones, and maybe increase the crust recipe a bit, it could work. You’d just need to watch closely in the oven and adjust baking time and watch for doneness by their color. Hope that helps!
This sounds delicious. I especially love the chocolate crust, it makes it so much more special somehow! Would love to try a slice of this!
Thanks, Caroline! Hope you get the chance to make this! And, you’re right, the chocolate crust is certainly special – not too sweet, and so perfect for this pie! Thanks for visiting and for your kind words.
That chocolate crust looks delicious!! This definitely looks like the perfect holiday pie. How could anyone resist a slice?!!
I’m with you, Kelly! I can’t believe I’ve been making it for so long, and will likely continue. In my house it’s known simply as “The Pie.” And we all know which one we’re talking about.
so decadent!! love it!
Yum. Definitely going to try this!