Black Bottom Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie uses robust maple syrup, a hint of bourbon, and dark chocolate to take pecan pie to new flavor heights!
It’s the prime time for Fall.
The leaves here in New England are beautiful, and this California-girl-turned-Bostonian will not miss a chance to enjoy the colors to the fullest.
In fact, it’s become sort of a tradition for my husband and I to head to northern New Hampshire to go “leaf peeping” (along with half the population of the state, it seems).
I like traditions. They’re comforting like a warm blanket and Hot Chocolate on a rainy day.
Some traditions are sacrosanct. There must be Pecan Pie and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread at Thanksgiving or things will get ugly.
Altering well-loved recipes can be tampering with tradition, but how else can new versions of a classic come about?
Take for instance the aforementioned Pecan Pie. Can we make it differently, and (dare I say it) better? You bet!
Friends, I give you Black Bottom Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie!
(Whoa…that’s a mouthful!)
Jump to:
Improving on Pecan Pie
This recipe for Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie has many tweaks to a traditional Pecan Pie recipe. I started with Epicurious' Maple-Pecan Pie recipe, then went to town.
Here's what I did:
- Replaced the expected corn syrup (which only adds sweetness but no flavor) with maple syrup (which offers both)
- Ditched the white sugar for more of the caramel-goodness that brown sugar provides
- Added a layer of melted dark chocolate on the crust that gave a delightful surprise and cut the cloying sweetness a bit
- Added bourbon (like 4 Roses or Widow Jane). Need I say more? This is Scotch & Scones after all…if I can bake with liquor, I will!
It's like a normal Pecan Pie recipe, made better
Making a Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie recipe with a black bottom is done in four easy steps.
Step 1: Make the pie crust
Start with a frozen homemade all butter pie crust. I use my No Recipe Pie Crust using the 9-6-3 recipe ratio for a single crust pie. You can also use a store bought pie crust.
Step 2: Make the chocolate (black bottom) layer
Spread a layer of melted dark chocolate on the bottom of the crust and chill it while you make the filling. You can use semisweet chocolate if you'd prefer a slightly sweeter chocolate.
Step 3: Make the filling
I like to pack in as many pecans as I can. It is a pecan pie recipe, after all!
Mix up the filling with robust maple syrup and bourbon.
Step 4: Decorate & bake
Use any pie dough scraps to make leaves. It really adds to the festive touch (and covers the cracks in the crust!). Attach your leaves with an egg wash.
An improved Pecan Pie recipe
This Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie is excellent. Rich maple caramel goodness with a hint of bourbon spiciness and a layer of dark chocolate all interact and balance each other.
It's pecan pie taken to new flavor heights!
Do I have to make a full-sized pie?
No! The beauty of pie is that it's relatively easy to make them smaller, or indeed, as pie bars (aka slab pies). Perfect for feeding smaller groups, or to have pies to freeze for later.
If you'd prefer to make four 6-inch pies, you only need to make half the filling recipe, still using a single crust pie.
For a small 7-inch pie (enough for 2 to 4 people), half the filling recipe will give you slightly more than you need, but it's the easiest way to adapt this recipe (⅓ the filling recipe may be closer). Use half the single crust pie, or the 6-4-2 recipe ratio.
I adapted this recipe again to make Pecan Pie Bars (minus the melted chocolate). All the goodness of pecan pie in a portion-controlled bar, it's a slab pie that's sure to be a hit!
Bakers throughout time have been altering recipes. How else are new recipes created?
In my family, Black Bottom Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie has now become another of my customary contributions to Thanksgiving...nay, it's a tradition.
And check out these Thanksgiving dessert inspirations for more out-of-the-norm ideas. Adapt them to suit your needs!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Related Recipes
Pies and tarts can be sweet or savory, and there are so many fillings from which to choose. From fruits to nuts and custards, there's bound to be a pie or tart that catches your fancy! Here are a few choices to try.
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Recipe
Black Bottom Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Shell
- 1 single pie crust, see Recipe Notes
- ½ cup dark chocolate, melted, at least 65% cocoa
Filling
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup, robust flavor
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, salted or unsalted
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, if using unsalted butter
- 2 cups pecans, or enough to "pack" the pie pan
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Rollout pie crust and ease into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim edges, creating decorative cutouts with trimmings if desired. Add decorative crimping or press with a fork to edge. Chill crust and decorative pieces in the freezer 10 minutes.
- Spread melted chocolate over bottom of crust, then chill an additional 10 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
- While crust is chilling, whisk the filling ingredients in medium bowl to blend.
- Add pecans to chilled crust (as many as can fit), then pour filling over all. Add the decorative crust pieces if desired. Brush edges and decorative pieces with egg wash.
- Bake until filling is set and slightly puffed, about 1 hour, checking after 45 to 50 minutes to avoid over-browning the pecans. If edges are browning too quickly, cover with foil or a pie shield after 30 minutes.
- Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. Don’t worry if the filling has cracked a bit as it puffs up. It will subside when cooled.
