Chocolate Pecan Pie

I had a slight fail adapting the pecan pit receipt to a chocolate one because I made the graham cracker crust too moist so next time I'd make sure it was drier and maybe freeze it prior to using. I think this would be good with hazelnuts instead of pecans as well, giving it a Nutella feel!

Pecan Pie

Ingredients

Filling

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup brown rice syrup or agave nectar
3/4 cup maple syrup
4 tbsp. Earth Balance dairy-free, soy-free margarine or coconut oil
3/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch salt
2 cups broken pecans
about 100 whole pecans

Graham Cracker Crust

1 ½ cups (170 g) vegan GF chocolate graham cracker crumbs (or 11 graham cracker sheets pulverized to crumbs in a food processor)

2 Tablespoons vegan sugar

1 Tablespoons vegan brown sugar packed

5 Tablespoons (100 g) vegan butter melted

1/2 cup vegan chocolate pieces for the drizzle.

Method

Crust

Pulverize graham crackers in food processor until finely ground into crumbs (skip this step if starting with graham cracker crumbs). 

Stir together graham cracker crumbs and sugars in a medium-sized bowl.  

Add melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well until crumbs are all moistened.

Pour mixture into pie plate or springform pan.  U

se the bottom of a measuring cup to firmly pack crumbs into the bottom of the pan and (if using a pie pan) gently press up the sides.  

Use your fingers to pack crumbs tightly into the sides of the pie pan.

If the crust needs to be pre-baked, bake on 350F (175C) for 10-13 minutes and allow to cool before filling. 

If using this crust as part of a different recipe, bake according to your recipe's instructions.  

If this crust is for a no-bake recipe, refrigerate or freeze for 10-20 minutes before filling.

Filling

In a small saucepan, heat the brown sugar, rice syrup and maple syrup to a simmer.

Simmer a few minutes, until the brown sugar has dissolved.

Turn off the heat and add the margarine, stir to melt.

Then add the applesauce and vanilla and stir to combine.  Set aside to cool.

Line a pie plate with pastry crust and flute edges as desired.

Fill the pie shell with the broken pecans.

Pour the cooled applesauce mixture over the pecans.

Place the whole pecans in a circular pattern on top of the pecan filling.

Place the pie in the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees.

Bake about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown (the mixture will be hot and bubbly).

Once pie is cooled to room temperature melt the chocolate in a double broiler and drizzle over the top, refrigerating immediately, can be made the day before.

Serve at room temperature and enjoy!