Dark Chocolate Pie with Cocoa Nib and Bacon Praline
This Dark Chocolate Pie with Cocoa Nib and Bacon Praline is amazing, impressive dessert. It even has bacon fat in the crust!
Is it super noticeable that there are only a few pieces of this Dark Chocolate Pie left on this tray? I tried to hide that by taking the photos with all the remaining pie at the edge of one of the sides. But I think it is pretty obvious: we ate almost all of this pie before I could even take a picture of it. Yep, it was that good.
Ok, so the truth is that I served this at the supper club a few days ago. There were 16 pieces. I served 8. This afternoon there were 4 left. Now only 2 remain. Is that bad?
It is just so hard to imagine not devouring this pie. I mean, it's like chocolate mousse in pie form. Oh, and I have a little secret to share with you. Are you ready for it?
There's bacon fat in the pie crust. Yep, you heard me. Bacon. Fat. Mmm. The actual bacon flavor is really mild, barely noticeable but still there. What it does though is it turns the pie crust into the flakiest pie crust you've ever eaten. I've made this pie with regular pie crust too but I definitely prefer it with a little bacon fat in it. It just adds that little something extra.
And … are you ready for more? There's a little crunchy bacon in the praline (that's that crispy looking thing on top of the pie here.) If you're not a bacon fan (is there such a thing?), then you can always substitute shortening for the bacon fat in the pie crust and pecans for the crispy bacon in the praline.
This dark chocolate pie is great with or without the praline. If you are making it for company it is definitely a nice touch. Plus, it is really easy to make and adds a big wow factor.
If you make this Dark Chocolate Pie make sure to snap a pic and tag @theendlessmeal on Instagram so I can like and comment on your photos. I love seeing TEM recipes you create.
Dark Chocolate Pie
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Ingredients
Chocolate Filling
- 1 pie crust, homemade or store-bought
- Ā½ cup EACH: granulated sugar and brown sugar, packed
- Ā¼ cup EACH: cornstarch and unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Ā½ cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cocoa Nib Praline
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salted butter, room temperature
- Ā¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon cocoa nibs
- 1 tablespoon crispy cooked bacon, optional
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Pie
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork then line the bottom with parchment paper. Place pie weights or dry beans into the bottom of the pie and bake it for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights then bake the pie for another 10-15 minutes, until it is golden brown.1 pie crust
- While the pie crust bakes, make the filling. Add both the sugars, cornstarch, and cocoa powder to a medium-sized pot.Ā½ cup EACH: granulated sugar and brown sugar, Ā¼ cup EACH: cornstarch and unsweetened cocoa powder
- Whisk the milk and egg yolks in a bowl and then slowly pour them into the pot, whisking as you pour, until the mixture is smooth.2 Ā½ cups whole milk, 4 large egg yolks
- Turn the heat to medium and cook the filling, whisking frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and add the chocolate, butter, and vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts.4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, 2 tablespoons salted butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pour the filling into the pie crust and let it cool for 30 minutes on your counter. Move the pie to your fridge and let it cool completely.
- Serve the chocolate pie with whipped cream, and if using, the praline.
Cocoa Nib Praline
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake until mixture spreads and is deep golden brown, about 10 minutes Note: the mixture will flow together into 1 piece on the baking sheet.1 tablespoon light corn syrup, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salted butter, Ā¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon cocoa nibs, 1 tablespoon crispy cooked bacon
- Remove the praline from the oven and let it cool completely on the baking sheet. Break the praline into irregular pieces or shards. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store airtight in a single layer, or between layers of parchment paper, at room temperature.)
Wow. The bacon fat in the crust is such a delicious genius idea… not sure why this never occurred to me since bacon grease gets used for so many things in my kitchen!
Ooohh this looks so good!! You’ve gave me a serious chocolate craving right now š
This sound absolutely amazing. Bacon, chocolate, cocoa nibs, and praline…it’s heaven! I need to make this. Pinned!
Hi Rachel,
I’m such a sucker for the bacon/chocolate combination! It’s kind of a bit ridiculous š
Thank you for the pin!
I keep bacon fat that I get from a butcher in my freezer just for pie crusts. You might be from Canada but you could pass as a southern born chef!
Hey Jad,
That is such a great compliment!
I think of bacon fat as liquid gold. I’ll add a little of it into a lot of my cooking. Lately I’ve been adding just a tiny bit into salad dressings and getting rave reviews. You can’t taste it much but it just adds a layer of depth. So good š