Our distinctive recipe for a flavorful chocolate coconut pecan pie will dazzle your guests — and your tastebuds—this holiday season.
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Story by Iris Gonzalez
Editor’s note: Regular readers may recall a November 2019 story featuring a lemon chess pie recipe written on a scrap of paper. This recipe, too, has been squirreled away in the same family for safekeeping—until now.
There is much more than meets the eye in this chocolate coconut pecan recipe. A recreation of a friend’s beloved childhood pie, this memorable dessert has equal parts coconut and pecans.
Think artisanal candy bar, only baked in a pie crust.
Plus, with the help of a gluten-free pie shell from Trader Joe’s (as pictured), it’s celiac-friendly, too.
Whether you make your pie crust or use store-bought refrigerated pie dough, be sure to bake the crust first and cool before adding the filling. Use a fork to prick some small holes in the pie shell so it doesn’t puff up and crack while baking “blind” or empty. Underbake it by several minutes so it’s baked but not brown.
Measure the pecans and coconut by weight, not volume. You want a full four ounces of each. You’d be surprised how much room chopped nuts or coconut flakes take up in a measuring cup.
Have fun choosing your favorite cocoa powder (not hot cocoa mix, which is mostly sugar). I used an equal mix of raw cacao powder (used in smoothies for its health benefits) and super dark cocoa powder for a balanced, yet rich chocolate flavor.
You can serve this pie after it has cooled to room temperature without refrigerating it. Add dollops of whipped cream for a winning combination.
If you have leftovers, it is best to refrigerate them. The pie will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator—if it lasts that long.
Ingredients
- 1 store bought pie crust
- 4 ounces chopped pecans
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1½ cups sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted room temperature butter
- 2 extra-large room temperature eggs
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup condensed milk
- 4 ounces cup flaked unsweetened coconut
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and move one of the racks to the lowest level in your oven.
- Place the chopped pecans on a large baking sheet in a single layer and toast the nuts in the 350-degree oven for FIVE MINUTES. At the halfway point, mix the nuts so they toast evenly.
- Set your timer and do not leave the kitchen! Nuts burn quickly. If you smell toasted pecans take them out early. Otherwise, remove after 5 minutes and set aside to cool.
- Reset your oven to preheat to 400 degrees for the pie.
- Bake the pre-made pie shell, making sure to dock the interior. Underbake by a couple of minutes; remove from oven and cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Add butter and mix until it looks likes like coarse chocolate sand.
- Add in the eggs to mix, one at a time.
- Add in the evaporated and condensed milks and mix.
- Add in the flaked coconut and cooled, toasted nuts.
- Pour the mixture into the baked, cooled pie shell and bake in the oven with the rack set at the lowest level.
- Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. The pie is done when you jiggle the sides of the pie plate and the middle is only a little jiggly and the top is browned.
- Let cool completely before cutting into the pie, it needs to set first.
Iris Gonzalez is a journalist who covers technology, cybersecurity, and bioscience innovation in San Antonio’s startup community at Startups San Antonio. You can also check out her writing on food, travel, and culture at IrisGonzalez.com.
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