Last Updated on August 19, 2026 by Deliciously Organic Editor
Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon is a fun way to take pecan pie up a notch or two. It’s an impressively delicious dessert that isn’t complicated to make. Fair warning, though – I don’t think you’ll have any leftovers.
I’m thrilled for the holidays, and think it’s time to kick back and have some fun. I came up with a list of recipes to share on the site for the next month, and I think you’ll be pleased! Gingerbread men, turkey roulade, mallomars, eclairs (I’ve been working on this one for months – I should have it perfected in the next week or two!), biscotti and more. There are quite a few sweets in that list, but hey, it’s the holidays. I want to give you some fun recipes to serve your family and friends so they can see just how delicious grain-free baking can be!
I’m so very thankful for all of you and how you’ve allowed me to continue sharing what I’ve learned about health and food. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends!
Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon (Gluten-Free)
Most agree that distilled spirits are ok to consume (in moderation, of course) when avoiding gluten or grains. I have found that I don’t have any negative reactions from distilled spirits, but if you don’t want to use a bourbon or whiskey in this recipe, you can omit it, or substitute with brandy. For a non-gmo bourbon, check out Wild Turkey or Four Roses.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 9inch pie
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Paleo
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 4 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon unflavored grass-fed gelatin
- 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into tablespoons (for a dairy-free option, substitute butter with 5 tablespoons chilled organic lard and 1 egg)
For the filling:
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Grade B maple syrup
- 1/2 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
- 3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons Bourbon (see the headnote)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
- 1 - 1 1/4 cups whole pecan halves
Instructions
- Place almond flour, coconut flour, gelatin, sea salt and coconut sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 2-3 times to combine. Add the butter to the flour mixture and pulse for eight 1-second pulses and then leave the processor on until the dough forms into a ball. (If dough is crumbly, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.) Press the dough on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF and adjust rack to lower-middle position. Heat maple syrup over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Simmer until syrup reaches 225ºF, about 10 -15 minutes. While syrup is simmering, place maple sugar and butter in a medium mixing bowl. As soon as the syrup reaches 225ºF, immediately pour syrup over sugar and butter mixture. Let mixture sit for 1 minute and then whisk together. Whisk in eggs, egg yolk, bourbon, vanilla and sea salt (the mixture might look a little grainy at this point). Place prepared pie crust in pie plate on a large baking sheet. Evenly scatter the chocolate chips over the crust. Pour filling into your prepared pie crust and top with pecans (the chocolate chips might float to the top, but you can still make a pretty design with the pecans).
- Cover the crust with pie shield or foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350ºF and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until outer edges aren’t jiggly anymore and crust is just turning golden brown (the center will be a little jiggly). The filling will be slightly less set in the center than the edges and it also might puff up in the middle, but will set as it cools. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Can this crust be made like 2 or 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge until I am ready to bake my pies?
Yes, you can make the crust, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you are ready to use.
Great! that will be one thing I can get out of the way early for Thanksgiving 🙂
I just started getting your posts and I like some of the recipes – like the GF pecan pie – but they call for gelatin which we don’t eat. Is there a substitute I could use? I assume it is to help bind ingredients in lieu of gluten.
Thanks!
I haven’t tested it, but I hear agar agar can be a good substitute.
I would love a slice! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Cheers! Kary
I like that you give dairy free options. My grandson has to avoid dairy, soy and things processed
in nut environment. It is so hard to find some flours like arrowroot and tapioca that are not made
in these facilities. I am afraid to buy off the internet because I can’t read the entire label. Is there
an answer to this dilemma ?
Thank you for your help.
Loved the pie! It was delicious! I loved the chocolate chips at the bottom. Hubby preferred it without them but still really liked it which is a win because he really isn’t much of a dessert guy. He also had no idea it was GF/grain-free!!! The In-laws had no clue of its GF status and all loved as well. I think this is new Thanksgiving pie tradition. My only complaint is that the crust is crumbly when cutting so no pretty slice presentation. Anyone else have that issue?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pie! What brand of almond flour did you use? Different brands can be more crumbly than others. Did you make any substitutions?
I Loved this!!!!!
I traditionally (Grain and corn syrup version) have made this pie, and my son was asking that I make it this year for Thanksgiving.
I was thrilled to see your version. What a treat for me to be able to eat one of my favorite pies instead of me making it and watching others enjoy.
I used coconut sugar in place of the cane sugar and it was great!
No one knew it was grain free. Yes, the crust was crumbly but I loved the texture and taste and best of all, the knowing it was was healthier all around!
Thank you, Thank you!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pie. Did you make any substitutions? What brand of almond flour did you use? I made this pie again the other day and haven’t had any issues with it being crumbly. Sorry for all the questions, but the more I know, the better I can help.
I used Honeywell almond flour.
I am not complaining at all; it was so good!
It just did not hold together super well when dishing it up.
Hi, I would like to use this crust recipe for other pies. how long would I need to bake it for like a chocolate or banana cream or coconut cream pie?
For those pies, you need to pre bake it. I usually bake for about 11 minutes (with pie weights on the crust), remove the weights and do an additional 11 minutes.
Ok….stupid question but I’ve never made a pie before. What blade do you use ion the food processor? Can someone take a picture and let me know?
No worries! Here’s a link to a picture on Amazon of the blade you need to use: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DLC-861TX-Stainless-Steel-Blade/dp/B0006GC8NU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418401016&sr=8-1&keywords=food+processor+blade
What can I substitute for the almond flour? I can do other nuts, but not almonds.