I am hopelessly in love with this chocolate pecan tart.
Hopelessly — I mean it!
Remember how holidays felt magical when you were a child, and then as an adult you realize all the work that goes into making them special?
A few years ago I had an epiphany: I love the prep and planning that goes into the holiday itself. That lead-up—that cooking, baking and organizing—is where a lot of the joy lives for me.
Of course I enjoy the actual day with my family and the food we share, but making things ahead of time stretches the magic and makes the celebration feel even more thoughtful.
I’m talking about this tart because it’s an excellent make-ahead dessert. You can assemble it a day before (and honestly it’s fantastic two or three days later, too). Then hide it so you don’t eat the whole thing immediately.
It’s a game changer!
For years many of you have loved the salted chocolate pecan pie bars — rich, flavorful, and addictive. This tart delivers that same flavor profile, but in a pretty, elegant tart format.
A tart is sometimes the right choice: it looks nicer on the table and you don’t end up with a giant pan of bars tempting you every night.
The tart is where it’s at.
When I was a kid pecan pie didn’t appeal to me — I assumed it was just a lot of nuts. Later I learned it’s basically homemade candy: rich, gooey, and utterly irresistible.
But seriously — chocolate changes everything.
Once I added chocolate, our Thanksgiving tradition shifted from pumpkin to chocolate-pecan treats. It’s expected now because it’s that good.
P.S. Pop-culture moment: if you watched True Blood, you might remember Sookie eating an entire pecan pie in one scene. It’s hard to imagine, because pecan pie is so rich — but that’s how addictive it can be.
All joking aside, this tart is a dream: a tender shortbread crust, a fudgy chocolate-pecan filling and whole pecans on top for crunch. It bakes up beautifully and slices cleanly for serving.
Sliced and ready to wow your guests.
Chocolate Pecan Tart
Chocolate Fudge Pecan Tart
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Ingredients
Crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 ounces high-quality dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 ½ cups pecans, chopped
- 1 cup unsalted whole pecans, for topping
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch tart pan with nonstick spray.
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In a mixer bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, flour and salt on low to medium speed until coarse crumbs form and the mixture is slightly dough-like. Press the crust evenly into the bottom of the greased pan. Bake 20–25 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool 10–15 minutes.
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For the filling, whisk together the eggs, corn syrup and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the bourbon and vanilla. Fold in the chopped chocolate and chopped pecans with a spatula. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and arrange the whole pecans on top.
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Bake 30–40 minutes, until the center is set. Remove from the oven and cool before slicing. The tart keeps well in the refrigerator and can be made a day or two ahead.
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I appreciate you so much!
This truly is heaven on earth.