Chocolate Pecan Pie - Low Carb & No Sugar Added

This Sunday I worked on a new holiday dessert recipe...Chocolate Pecan Pie! Years ago I used to make a chocolate pecan pie using a recipe by Baker's Chocolate. We loved it because the dark chocolate helped cut a lot of the sickening sweetness found in traditional pecan pie. Don't get me wrong, I like pecan pie but find it entirely too sweet, particularly after a larger than normal holiday meal. Now that I don't consume much sugar, I find that kind of heavy sweetness even more overkill. So, I decided to create my own significantly less sweet version. 

As most of you that have made pecan pies from scratch before know, in addition to the cup or more corn syrup, they also contain additional brown or white sugar. It sort of gives me chills (literally) thinking about the amount of sugar in one little pie. Rather than use corn syrup for my "goo" in the pie, instead I made my sugar free Sweetened Condensed Milk. I make it with canned full fat coconut milk, but if you prefer to use regular heavy cream, you can do that too. I thickened my condensed milk with a few pinches of xanthum gum, added after it was done reducing and whisked it in well until it was the viscosity of regular canned sweetened condensed milk. I substituted 1 cup of this milk in place of the cup of corn syrup. To add a little flavor and deeper color, I whisked 1 teaspoon of organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses into the 1 cup of condensed milk. I used the miniscule amount of molasses more like a "flavor/extract" than a sugar. It adds less than 4 grams of sugar and carbohydrates to the entire pie which when divided into 8 servings equals less than 1/2 gram sugar and carbohydrate per serving. Of course, if you want to, it can be omitted entirely...it's your choice. 

I've tested this pie "barely warm", at room temperature, and chilled. My sons tried it last night and liked it. Personally, I prefer it lightly chilled (set out for about 30 minutes before eating). I've always chilled my regular pecan pies too...they slice nicer that way. I used Equal Exchange 70% cacao chocolate chips in this pie and it was a perfect combination with the pecans. I snapped a few photos below and included the recipe, too. Enjoy!

Rich & thick Sweetened Condensed Milk with a touch of blackstrap molasses

Buttery almond flour crust with a touch of cinnamon

  

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 cups blanched almond flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

3 tablespoons cold butter, diced

1 large egg

For the filling:

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup granular Swerve (or other granular sweetener)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup "sugar free" Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses, optional

2 cups pecan halves

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (70-85% cacao)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

Place all crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut butter and egg into flour with a pastry/dough blender until mixture resembles small pebbles and the flour is moistened and can be pressed together.  Press crust mixture into a 10-inch deep pie dish. Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, beat eggs and granular sweetener together; stir in vanilla and melted butter. Whisk Sweetened Condensed Milk together with molasses and stir into wet ingredients.

Mix in pecans and chocolate morsels and pour into pie crust. Bake on center rack in oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until done (pie shouldn't jiggle much when done). If pie begins to brown too quickly, cover edges with foil. Cool at least 2 hours on wire rack before serving. Serve dolloped with whipped cream, if desired.

*Note: If desired, molasses can be omitted. Also, if a sweeter pie is desired, increase sweetener up to 1 cup. For convenience, I've linked the Sweetened Condensed Milk recipe in the ingredients listed above and have also included it below.

    

Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk (Sugar Free/Low Carb)

Makes approximately 2-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk (I like Native Forest organic)

3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener (confectioners) or powdered erythritol

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stevia drops, optional (if additional sweetness is desired)

Directions:

Add coconut milk to a small heavy saucepan and stir in Swerve (or sweetener of choice), butter and vanilla.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  After milk comes to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium and simmer, stirring and whisking frequently for about 45 minutes until reduced by almost half. Taste for sweetness.  If additional sweetness is desired, add liquid stevia drops, additional Swerve, (or other sweetener of choice) until desired sweetness is achieved. Makes approximately 2-1/2 cups of sweetened condensed coconut milk.  Cool before using in recipes. Refrigerate any unused portion.

*Note: For a dairy free version, substitute coconut oil in place of butter. If additional thickening is desired, whisk in a pinch or two of xanthum gum (approximately 1/8 teaspoon or so); cook on low for an additional 5 minutes, whisking frequently until thickened. 

     

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