This pecan brownie pie is exactly what it sounds like - a thick, fudgy brownie with pecans baked in a flaky, buttery pie crust! It's the perfect pie for those out there who aren't big fans of the tradition pecan, pumpkin or apple pie.
This gorgeous pecan brownie pie is the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, or just for a chilly autumn afternoon. Plus, this might be actually be the easiest homemade pie you could make! There's no need to par-bake or blind bake the pie crust, all you need to do is whip up a one-bowl brownie recipe, pour it in a homemade all-butter pie crust prepped from the day before, then bake it all in one go. Super simple, yet impressive and delicious.
For more cozy fall pie recipes, try Cardamom Cherry Pie, Turtle Pecan Pie, and Salted Caramel Apple Pie.
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Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted Butter: For the crust, be sure your butter is extra cold. For the pie filling, no need to bring it to room temp since it will be melted.
- Chocolate: To ensure this pie bakes properly and tastes as delicious as possible, use high-quality bittersweet chocolate.
- Sugar: You'll need both brown sugar and granulated sugar for the brownie filling.
- Egg: You'll need just one egg for the brownie filing.
- All-Purpose Flour: Be sure to weigh your flour very carefully for both the pie crust and the brownie filling.
- Cocoa Powder: I prefer to use dutch-process cocoa powder for a richer chocolate flavor.
- Espresso Powder: This is optional, but it amplifies the chocolate flavor!
- Pecans: Fold chopped pecans in the brownie filling and top it with whole pecans.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this pecan brownie pie recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Roll the dough. Roll out the pie dough into a rough circle about ⅛″ in thickness. Carefully place in the pie pan, pressing up against the sides. Cover and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
STEP 2: Crimp the edges. Take the pie crust out, cut off the excess dough, and crimp the edges as desired, then chill for another 30 minutes while you make the brownie filling.
STEP 3: Make the chocolate filling. In a large bowl, heat the butter in the microwave until fully melted. Stir in the chocolate, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. If needed, heat the mixture in the microwave in 20 second increments until the chocolate is fully melted.
STEP 4: Whisk. Whisk in the egg and vanilla until fully combined.
STEP 5: Add dry ingredients. Next, fold in the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt until just combined.
STEP 6: Fold. Fold in the chopped chocolate and chopped pecans.
STEP 7: Fill. Take the pie crust out of the fridge and pour the batter into in the center. Using a rubber spatula, spread the brownie filling out evenly and smooth out the top.
STEP 8: Decorate. Top the brownie filling with more whole pecans.
STEP 9: Bake. Place the pie directly on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake the pecan brownie pie for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the pie crust is golden.
STEP 10: Cool and serve. Let the pie cool completely before serving.
Expert Baking Tips
- I recommend making the pie dough the day before baking the pie.
- The most important thing with making pie crust is to always keep the dough cold at all steps. So use ice cold water and cold butter, and any time you touch the dough you should put it back in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
- For a more comprehensive recipe on pie crust, check out my Homemade All Butter Pie Crust.
- Store this pie covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
This brownie pie filling is adapted from my popular Brown Butter Brownies recipe, and the secret ingredient to making them ultimate fudgy is melted chocolate! Adding both dutch process cocoa powder and melted chocolate ensures that your homemade brownies bake up ultra chocolatey and fudgy.
Normally, I would recommend baking pie at a high temperature - 425 degrees F (220 degrees C), but since this pie has a brownie filling, it needs to be baked at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). To make up for this lower temperature, you should still follow the other two tricks:
2. Preheat the oven with a metal baking sheet on the bottom rack
3. Use a metal pie pan and bake the pie directly on the hot baking sheet
- Pie pan: I recommend using a metal pie pan to ensure the crust has a crisp bottom.
- Baking sheet: Preheat the oven with a metal baking sheet in it to bake the pie directly on.
- Kitchen scale: You'll need a kitchen scale to weigh all of your ingredients (read why below)!
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other fall recipes you'll love
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📖 Recipe
Pecan Brownie Pie
Equipment
- 9" Pie Dish
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust:
- 160 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 113 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 25 g vodka
- ½ cup ice water
For the Pecan Brownie Filling:
- 56 g unsalted butter
- 28 g bittersweet chocolate
- 46 g brown sugar
- 66 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 42 g all-purpose flour
- 27 g dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 35 g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 25 g chopped pecans + more whole pecans for topping
Instructions
For the Pie Crust:
- In a medium bowl combine the flour and salt.
- Cut the cold butter into cubes and toss in the flour. Using your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until quarter sized pieces are left.
- Add the vodka and a small amount of water, then toss with your hands to combine.
- Continue adding very small amounts of water until the dough can hold together, but is not overly wet.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then chill for at least one hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rough rectangle, fold in half, then again into quarters. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out again into a rough rectangle and repeat the folding process. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes, but ideally overnight.
- The day you are going to bake the pie, roll out the pie dough into a rough circle about ⅛″ in thickness.
- Carefully place in the pie pan, pressing up against the sides. Cover and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Take the pie crust out, cut off the excess dough, and crimp the edges as desired, then chill for another 30 minutes while you make the brownie filling.
For the Pecan Brownie Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place a parchment lined baking sheet on the bottom rack.
- In a large bowl, heat the butter in the microwave until fully melted.
- Stir in the chocolate, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. If needed, heat the mixture in the microwave in 20 second increments until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Whisk in the egg and vanilla until fully combined.
- Next, fold in the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt until just combined.
- Fold in the chopped chocolate and chopped pecans.
- Take the pie crust out of the fridge and pour the batter into in the center. Using a rubber spatula, spread the brownie filling out evenly and smooth out the top.
- Top the brownie filling with more whole pecans.
- Place the pie directly on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake the pecan brownie pie for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the pie crust is golden.
- Allow the pie to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- I recommend making the pie dough the day before baking the pie.
- The most important thing with making pie crust is to always keep the dough cold at all steps. So use ice cold water and cold butter, and any time you touch the dough you should put it back in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
- For a more comprehensive recipe on pie crust, check out my Homemade All Butter Pie Crust.
- Store this pie covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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