Give Pecan Pie A Luscious Pudding-Like Texture With Chocolate

Pecan pie truly has it all: earthy, toasty pecans, a chewy, deliciously sweet filling, and that buttery, flaky crust. The classic is pretty fantastic all on its own, especially if you follow an expert like Ree Drummond's pro tips for perfect pecan pie. But if you've ever added chocolate to your version, you may be clued into the way this beloved element can elevate your slices of pie to new levels of taste and textural supremacy.

By adding about 3 ounces of chopped chocolate and 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to a standard nine-inch pie recipe, you can transform the classic filling into a velvety, pudding-like center that provides satisfying contrast to all those buttery pecans. You can stick to a semi-sweet chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder or opt for bittersweet chocolate, which brings a little balancing bite to the corn syrup-based filling. And it's easy to experiment with your chocolate preferences freely since this pie is a cinch to whip together.

To see for yourself why this filling is so magical, simply melt your chopped chocolate together with butter (about a half a stick will do the job). Give that combination a chance to cool down a bit while mixing your other ingredients; for classic pecan pie, typically that means corn syrup, eggs, brown sugar, salt and vanilla — but this is when you'll toss in that cocoa powder, too. Once you have these elements well-integrated, you can stir in your toasty nuts and that butter-chocolate mixture, and poof — you have a perfectly pudding-esque, chocolatey filling ready to go.

While this recipe will easily blow the minds of your pie-loving compatriots, you can also customize even further. Add depth by browning your butter first, give your filling a boost with 1 teaspoon of espresso powder, follow Joanna Gaines' advice and add ancho chile for a spicy twist, or top the whole pie off with a sprinkle of chocolate chips. If you've got a little booze on hand, bourbon is very welcome in this recipe, adding a caramel-y complexity, and a shot of vodka may even help you make your pie crust flakier. But no matter how you spin it, this luscious, chocolatey take on your classic pie will be a delightful change of pace.