Chocolate Hazelnut Pecan Pie

Chocolate hazelnut pecan pie with Nutella that melts into a warm, velvety center. It’s gooey, rich, and settles into you like something meant to be savored.

The Soul of Chocolate Hazelnut Pecan Pie

I wasn’t born in Oregon; I arrived here like most people do, accidentally, intuitively, at the moment my life needed to change. California girl, agriculture degree, wine in my sights, hopes of soil under my nails. I came for the vineyard, the dirt, the work. And then the land got to me in the best possible way – first as a steward, then as someone entrusted with it, even if only for my chapter of the story.

Hazelnuts grow here like a quiet religion. Rows of trees holding steady in the fog, leaves rattling like coins, orchards replacing old fields one season at a time. You can smell the earth before you see it – damp, dark, volcanic soil that clings and claims. I’ve stood in those rows at dusk when the light turns copper, listened to farmers talk about blight and harvest cycles and family, and felt something shift in me I didn’t have a name for then, but feel now.

People assume I got into wine because I liked drinking it. Cute. I got into wine because I loved soil, the kind of thing no one ever asks about, even when they should have. Because winemaking starts in the dirt, not the cellar. Because the, unglamorous places are where real life lives.

Maybe that’s why this chocolate hazelnut pecan pie feels like winter here. Dark. Warm. Roasted. A little wild around the edges. Sweet in the way December is sweet – not naive, just deeply earned. It smells like the valley here after rain. It tastes like a warm kitchen on a cold night. It cuts like silk. It settles like truth.

It’s chocolate for mood, hazelnuts for the land, pecans for texture, and Nutella for the part of you that isn’t asking permission anymore.

Why I Love This Recipe

• It carries Oregon in its bones – not the deep postcard version, but the one under the fog.
• Nutella melts into the filling like a secret, not shouting, but smoldering.
• The pecans break the darkness with just enough crunch to remind you that texture is a love language.
• The filling bakes into a molten custard.
• And it looks like it took five hours but tastes like every choice was on purpose.

If you love a nut–forward holiday dessert with a molten center, my pumpkin praline pie with phyllo belongs in the same conversation.

Ingredients

Here’s what builds the soul of this chocolate hazelnut pecan pie, layer by layer, like something meant to be felt as much as tasted:

• Pie crust – Homemade or store-bought, sturdy enough to hold the whole thing steady. Use my fresh cherry pie crust if you want the homemade version.
• Nutella – The molten center that turns the pie into something you remember.
• Pecans – Whole, chopped, imperfect, the kind of texture that calms you down.
• Hazelnuts – Oregon’s signature, roasted and unmistakable.
• Light corn syrup – The thread that keeps the custard together when everything else softens.
• Brown sugar – Caramel sweetness. Make your own brown sugar if you’re out.
• Butter – The fat that makes it impossible to forget.
• Eggs – What turns the mixture into a silky set truth.
• Vanilla extract – Softens the edges.
• Cinnamon – Barely spoken, but felt.
• Sea salt – Keeps the chocolate from drifting into flat sweetness.
• Flaky sea salt – The final note, the one that reminds you dessert can have a pulse.

How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Pecan Pie

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (settle the crust)
  Use a store-bought roll-out crust or make homemade pie crust. Let the dough warm just enough so it doesn’t crack, then fit it into a 9-inch (23 cm) pie pan. Let it fall naturally into the corners. If you want the braided edge, cut three thin strips from a second crust, roll each into a rope, twist them together, and lay the braid around the rim. Press it gently so it holds. Any leftover dough can be turned into small cutouts like leaves or hearts and added wherever they make sense.
• Step Two (build the nut layer)
  Scatter the pecans and hazelnuts over the crust. Keep it casual with a mix of whole and chopped pieces. This is where the texture starts.
• Step Three (pull the filling together)
  Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, Nutella, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt until the mixture loosens and turns glossy. Nutella takes a little patience to blend, so keep going until it looks unified. Pour the filling over the nuts and let it settle into the gaps.
• Step Four (bake for the wobble)
  Slide the pie into a 350°F (175°C) oven. Watch the edges of the crust as they brown. If the braid or rim darkens early, cover the perimeter with foil or a pie shield. Let the filling bake until the edges are fully set and the center still moves with a slow, steady wobble.
• Step Five (let it finish becoming itself)
  Move the pie to a cooling rack and leave it alone until it is completely cool. The custard needs time to finish setting. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top while the surface is still slightly warm so it melts in just enough to stay put.
• Step Six (slice when ready)
  Once cool, cut clean slices and serve them plain or with a spoonful of whipped cream. The chocolate, hazelnuts, and pecans do the rest.

Recipe Tips

A hazelnut pecan pie like this has its own weather system, here’s how to work with it, not against it.

• Toast the nuts until they smell like rain hitting warm earth – it deepens the flavor and gives the pie its grounded, roasted form.
• Warm the Nutella for a few seconds so it loosens and pulls into the custard the way melted chocolate wants to.
• Shield the crust early because this filling asks for patience, and the edges will brown long before the center finds its shape.
• Stop baking while the center still moves – a small wobble is the sign that the heart of the pie will stay soft instead of turning into something firmer than it should.
• Let it cool fully so the custard can finish what the oven started. The pie needs its own stillness before it becomes itself.
• Finish with flaky salt to sharpen the chocolate and bring out the warm sweetness of the hazelnuts – a small thing that changes everything.
• If you want a deeper dive into pecan texture and structure, my pecan pie bars live in the same gooey neighborhood.

Storage

Nutella leaves its mark on this pie the way the finger fog leaves its mark on the valley – settling, deepening, becoming something you feel before you see. Keep this pie stored with that same patience and reverence.

• Fridge (3–4 days): Cover it gently. The filling gets darker, deeper, and more honest with time.
• Freezer (up to 2 months): Freeze slices on a sheet pan first, then wrap tight.
• Thaw in the fridge so the custard keeps its silk without losing its shape.
• Reheat: Warm low and slow, 300ºF (150ºC) for about 10–12 minutes. Just enough heat to loosen the Nutella threads without melting the structure.
• Make-Ahead: Assemble the crust and nut layer ahead of time, wrap, chill, then fill and bake the day of.
• Leftovers: Cold slices taste like a winter secret kept too long. Warm ones taste like a confession.

FAQs

• Can I use a homemade crust instead of store-bought?
  Yes. Use the one that feels like home. This filling anchors itself better when it’s held by something with history.
• Do I have to use Nutella?
  For this pie, yes. Nothing else melts the way this does – slow, dark, certain – like it already knows where it belongs.
• Why is the center still wobbling?
  Because everything worth keeping wobbles before it sets. Let it cool. Let it find itself. Don’t hurry it.
• My edges are browning too fast. What should I do?
  Shield them. Protect what’s fragile before it burns. This pie responds to gentleness the same way people do.
• Can I use more nuts?
  You can. But every handful shifts the balance. Hazelnuts for earth, pecans for truth – too many and the whole thing yells when it’s only meant to murmur.
• Do I really need the corn syrup?
  Yes. It’s the part that holds the center steady. Without it, the whole thing collapses under its own sweetness.
• Can this be made gluten-free?
  Easily. Just use a crust you trust. Everything else already knows how to rise to the moment.
• Can I skip the flaky sea salt on top?
  You can, but you shouldn’t. It wakes the chocolate the way cold air wakes the valley – abruptly, honestly, beautifully.
• Why does my pie look darker than yours?
  Ovens carry moods. Some run hot, some hide their heat, some scorch what they love. Trust the wobble, not the color.
• Can I double the recipe?
  Make two pies. Some things weren’t meant to be crowded.

More Pecan Desserts Worth Your Time

Because some desserts hold their own gravity.

• Pecan Pie Cobbler – Gooey center, crisp edges, warmth.
• Mint Julep Brownies With Candied Pecans – Dark, cool, decisive.
• No-Bake Pecan Cream Pie Lush – Soft layers, comfort.
• Kahlua–Pecan–Brown Sugar Baked Brie – Warm, slow, generous.
• Pecan Cream Pie Lush – Creamy layers with something to say.
• Pecan Pie Dip – A spoon-first kind of truth.

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Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Chocolate Hazelnut Pecan Pie

A chocolate hazelnut pecan pie built on a molten Nutella center, roasted nuts, and a custard that sets into a dark, glossy wobble. Rich, grounded, and balanced with flaky sea salt - a holiday pie meant to linger.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, American (Southern)

Keyword: chocolate hazelnut pecan pie, chocolate nut pie, chocolate pecan pie, easy holiday dessert, hazelnut pecan pie, hazelnut pie, nutella pecan pie, Oregon hazelnut recipe, pecan pie variation, pie with Nutella, Thanksgiving chocolate pie

Servings: 8

Calories: 676kcal

Author: Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• 9-inch pie plate (23 cm) Gives the filling the right depth.
• mixing bowls One for the nuts, one for the filling.
• whisk Helps the Nutella loosen into custard.
• aluminum foil Protects the crust from over browning.
• cooling rack Makes sure the pie sets properly after baking.

Ingredients

Pie Crust:

• store-bought refrigerated pie crusts or 1 homemade pie crust

Nut Layer & Filling:

• 2 cups (200 g) pecan halves (whole and chopped) (dry roasted & unsalted)
• ½ cup (70 g) hazelnuts (whole and chopped)
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 1 cup (320 g) light corm syrup
• 1 cup (300 g) Nutella slightly warm
• ½ cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter melted
• 1½ tsps (7 ml) vanilla extract
• ½ tsp (3 g) ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp (3 g) sea salt
• sea salt flakes for topping

Instructions

• Set the oven to 350°F (175°C). If you’re using a store-bought crust, let it soften just enough to unfold without cracking. If you’re using my homemade crust from the Fresh Cherry Pie, roll out the bottom round and settle it into a 9-inch (23 cm) pie pan, letting the dough fall naturally into the corners. Use the second crust to braid three thin strips for the rim, or repurpose any leftover pieces to cut decorative shapes like leaves or hearts and press them along the edge.
  store-bought refrigerated pie crusts
• Scatter the pecans and hazelnuts over the unbaked crust.
  2 cups (200 g) pecan halves, ½ cup (70 g) hazelnuts
• In a large bowl whisk the eggs, corn syrup, Nutella, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt until the mixture loosens and turns glossy. Pour the filling over the nuts.
  3 large eggs, 1 cup (320 g) light corm syrup, 1 cup (300 g) Nutella, ½ cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, 1½ tsps (7 ml) vanilla extract, ½ tsp (3 g) ground cinnamon, ½ tsp (3 g) sea salt
• Bake until the edges are set and the center still has a slow wobble, covering the crust with foil or a pie shield if it browns too quickly.
• Cool the pie completely on a rack so the custard can finish setting. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top while it’s still slightly warm so it melts in just enough to stick.
  sea salt flakes

Notes

• Warm the Nutella slightly so it blends smoothly into the custard.
• Keep an eye on the braid or crust edge — it browns faster than the filling sets.
• The pie must cool completely or the slices won’t hold their shape.
• Toasting the nuts lightly before baking deepens the roasted flavor.
• Use a mix of whole and chopped nuts for better texture.
• For a decorative edge, braid three thin dough ropes or press small dough cut-outs along the rim, but this is completely optional. You really only need one pie crust for this recipe, two if you want a decorative edge. Your choice.

 

 

If you’re making this chocolate hazelnut pecan pie, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Chocolate Hazelnut Pecan Pie

Amount Per Serving (155 g)

Calories 676 Calories from Fat 351

% Daily Value*

Fat 39g60%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Polyunsaturated Fat 10g

Monounsaturated Fat 17g

Cholesterol 82mg27%

Sodium 209mg9%

Carbohydrates 75g25%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 58g64%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 310IU6%

Vitamin C 82mg99%

Calcium 82mg8%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you made this Chocolate Hazelnut Pecan Pie? I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

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