German Chocolate Pecan Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

This German Chocolate Pecan Pie with a graham cracker crust combines the classic pecan pie recipe (made without corn syrup) with the amazing flavors of German chocolate cake. This rich pecan pie with chocolate and coconut is a perfect Thanksgiving dessert.

Best German Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe

Thanksgiving is in a matter of weeks, and I still feel like we’ve got months until the holiday season.

It happens every single year, but the holidays always have a way of sneaking up on me. We wait all year for the season, and it seems like it’s over before we even have time to blink.

This year, I’m attempting to be as organized as possible and have our family Thanksgiving meal planned and prepped fairly early. I’d love it if this was the year I didn’t have to make a last minute trip to the grocery store for all of the ingredients I managed to forget.

Last year it was cranberries (specifically for these Cranberry Orange Scones for Thanksgiving breakfast). The year before was sweet potatoes (for our favorite sweet potato biscuits).

And honestly, this German Chocolate Pecan Pie was born out of forgetfulness. I didn’t have enough time to chill pie dough so I went for the graham cracker crust. And let me tell you, this was one mistake I am eternally grateful I made.

Reasons Why You’ll Love This Coconut Pecan German Chocolate Pie:

• Graham Cracker Crust: Of course, you could definitely use a traditional pie crust recipe (my favorite is this Cream Cheese Pie Crust recipe). I opted for a graham cracker crust, because I absolutely love graham cracker crusts, and I figured the graham cracker flavor would pair super well with the flavors in this German Chocolate Pecan Pie (more info on this later on).
• Made Without Corn Syrup: This pecan pie recipe doesn’t use any corn syrup (Karo syrup), and is strictly a brown sugar filling. It complements the coconut and chocolate perfectly! The brown sugar filling in combination with the coconut has a very similar texture to that of German Chocolate Cake frosting, and it’s amazing!
• Not Too Sweet: I know a classic pecan pie complaint is that the pie is too sweet, and I feel like the addition of chocolate and graham cracker crust totally balances out the sweetness, making it absolutely perfect.

Can you believe that for many years, I declared pecan pie the worst dessert on the table?

And the worst part of it is that prior to this, I’ve probably only had one bite of pecan pie in my entire life. Max.

I guess the idea of a whole pie of nuts was never something I was nuts about, but, let me tell you, this German Chocolate Pecan Pie has me singing a different tune. First of all, I didn’t actually realize pecan pie had this super gooey interior (aka filling) that, with the addition of the nuts, tastes like toffee and caramel rolled into one delicious bite. Second of all, I’ve grown to really like nuts (cue these Pumpkin Spice Candied Nuts), so a whole pie of them doesn’t sound all the weird anymore.

Combine all of that goodness above with a graham cracker crust, chocolate, and coconut, and you’ve pretty much got a pie I can’t stop eating.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Graham Cracker Crust:

• Graham Cracker Crumbs
• Unsalted Butter
• Ground Cinnamon
• Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Pecan Pie Filling

• Unsalted Butter: I prefer unsalted butter, because I prefer controlling the salt content in my desserts.
• Dark Brown Sugar: Again, this chocolate pecan pie is made without corn syrup. The brown sugar is key to keeping this pecan filling rich and gooey, like a corn syrup mixture would. Moreover, use dark brown sugar because the extra molasses flavor enhances the flavor of the pecan filling.
• Eggs: For this pecan pie recipe, you use whole eggs rather than egg yolks.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: Heavy cream yields a very rich pecan german chocolate pie.
• All Purpose Flour: Flour helps thicken the coconut-pecan pie filling.
• Vanilla Extract
• Pecans: I prefer my pecan pie with chopped pecans, whereas a lot of original pecan pie recipes call for whole pecans. You can use whole pecans or chopped pecans.
• Shredded Coconut Flakes: Use shredded, sweetened coconut for this pie filling. Shredded coconut flakes are the right texture, and you want it sweetened to add overall flavor.
• Chocolate Chips: I opted for semisweet chocolate chips, but you could use dark chocolate as well. Additionally, you can use chopped semi-sweet chocolate instead of chocolate chips.

How To Make This Pecan Chocolate Pie From Scratch:

Graham Cracker Crust: Begin by making the graham cracker crust with a food processor. Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract in the food processor and mix until combined. Press the crust into the pie plate. Set aside.

Chocolate Coconut-Pecan Filling: Whisk dark brown sugar and unsalted melted butter together. Once combined, whisk in the eggs, heavy whipping cream, flour, and vanilla extract. Lastly, combine coconut and chopped pecans, and mix with the brown sugar mixture.

Assembly: Sprinkle chocolate chips in the bottom of the crust, and spoon the coconut-pecan filling over the top of the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle more chopped pecans on top.

Bake: Bake this pecan chocolate pie for about 50-55 minutes, and use a pie shield to prevent excessive browning on the graham cracker crust. The pie is done when the center of pie jiggles slightly.

Cool Pie: Allow to cool at least 1 hour before serving in order for the filling to thicken up. You can serve pecan pie warm or cold.

Can I Make Into German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars?

• Absolutely! Instead of using a pie dish (I like to use a deep dish 9-inch glass pie plate or a deep dish 10-inch pie plate), you can use a large cookie sheet or a baking dish to turn this into chocolate pecan pie bars.

Pie Crust Variations:

Not into pecan pie with graham cracker crust? You can absolutely use a basic pie crust recipe instead.

• Cream Cheese Pie Crust: This is a very flaky crust with lots of cream cheese flavor.
• Traditional Pie Dough: This is my favorite classic pie crust recipe, and it’s the one I use for all my fruit pies.
• Chocolate Pie Crust: Making this pecan chocolate pie recipe with a chocolate graham cracker crust would be phenomenal! Or, add a little cocoa powder to your basic pie crust recipe for a chocolate crust
• Shortbread Crust: I love a shortbread crust! You can use the shortbread pie crust in my Blueberry Lemon Cream Pie. You don’t need to pre-bake the crust (like I do with that cream pie), because the crust will bake while the pie bakes.

What Is A Pie Shield?

A pie shield is one of my favorite baking tools. It’s a circular metal disk that shields the crusts of your pies, keeping them from browning excessively.

However, if you do not have a pie shield, you can manufacture your own version with aluminum foil. Take a square of aluminum foil and cut out the center. Then place over your pie. If done correctly, the pie crust should be covered and the center exposed.

Storage Tips:

• Serve: I like to serve this coconut pecan pie warm, because the nutty chocolate filling is so gooey and rich and makes it one of the most delicious pies. However, you can serve at room temperature, or cold from the fridge.
• Room Temperature: You can store pecan pie at room temperature for a couple of days, as long as the pie is covered with plastic wrap (or stored in an airtight container).
• Fridge: Or, store it in the fridge! Cold pecan pie is just as good as it is warm!

Quick and Easy Tips:

• Brown Sugar: Again, this is a chocolate pecan pie without corn syrup. A combination of eggs, brown sugar, and heavy cream make the rich filling! No light corn syrup or dark corn syrup.
• Crust: If you don’t want to make this with a graham cracker crust, go ahead and make it in a traditional pie crust.
• Toppings: Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! You can go extra decadent with caramel whipped cream.

Other Delicious Desserts to Try Next:

• Pecan Caramel Cheesecake
• Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
• Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie
• Rustic Apple Pie
• Butterscotch Pecan Pie

5 from 5 votes

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German Chocolate Pecan Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

50 mins

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

 

This German Chocolate Pecan Pie combines the classic pecan pie recipe (made without corn syrup) with the amazing flavors of German chocolate! This German Chocolate Pecan Pie is made in a homemade graham cracker crust, and is rich, sweet, and the perfect Thanksgiving dessert (or Christmas dessert) addition! 

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: german chocolate pecan pie

Servings: 1 9" or 10" Pie crust

Author: A Latte Food

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

German Chocolate Pecan Pie

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup + 1/2 cup chopped pecans divided
• 1 cup shredded coconut sweetened
• 1 cup chocolate chips I used semi-sweet

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract together until well combined. Press graham cracker crust into a 9" or 10" pie plate (I used a 9" 'deep' dish pie plate). Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and melted butter. Add in eggs, heavy cream, flour, and vanilla extract, and whisk until combined. Add in 1 cup chopped pecans and coconut.
4. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the bottom of the crust, in an even layer.
5. Pour the pecan pie filling on top of the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans over the top of the pie.
6. Bake (with a pie shield over the crust) for 50-55 minutes, or until the center only slightly jiggles when the pie is moved.
7. Allow to cool at least 1 hour before serving (pie can be served warm, room temperature, or cold--our favorite is at room temperature).
8. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*You can use a regular pie crust in place of the graham cracker crust.

Updated 2022.

Here are some other non-traditional Thanksgiving dessert favorites:

No Bake Cranberry Orange Pie

Apple Cheddar Pie

Upside-Down Apple Cake