Derby Pie
intro
A rich, gooey Southern classic: buttery flaky crust filled with chocolate, toasted walnuts, and a hint of bourbon, famously served at Kentucky Derby spring celebrations.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep crust and preheat oven
Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Unroll the 225g refrigerated 9-inch all-butter pie crust, press it firmly into a 9-inch glass pie dish, crimp the edges decoratively, and prick the crust bottom 8-10 times with a fork to prevent air bubbles from puffing the crust during baking.
Toast and cool walnuts
Spread the 1 cup (100g) of roughly chopped walnuts in a single, even layer on a small rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 6-8 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden, then remove and set aside to cool completely for 10 minutes; warm walnuts will melt chocolate chips prematurely if added hot.
Whisk wet filling base
In a large mixing bowl, combine the 3 room-temperature large eggs (150g total), 1 cup (200g) firmly packed light brown sugar, ½ cup (113g) cooled melted unsalted butter, ¼ cup (85ml) light corn syrup, 2 tablespoons (30ml) Kentucky bourbon, 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) fine sea salt. Whisk steadily for 1 full minute until the mixture is completely smooth with no visible lumps of brown sugar.
Fold in chocolate and walnuts
Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons (16g) of all-purpose flour evenly over the wet filling base, whisk gently to fully incorporate with no dry flour lumps, then use a silicone rubber spatula to fold in the cooled toasted walnuts and 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips. Mix just until evenly distributed, as overmixing can create a tough, dense filling.
Fill and bake the pie
Pour the entire filling mixture into the prepared pie crust, spreading it into a flat, even layer with the spatula. Bake on the middle oven rack at 350°F (175°C) for 50-55 minutes; at the 25-minute mark, check the crust edges, and if they are deep golden brown, tent them loosely with strips of aluminum foil to prevent burning. The pie is done when the outer 3 inches of filling are fully set, and the center 2 inches jiggles slightly like firm Jell-O.
Cool fully before serving
Remove the baked pie from the oven and transfer it to a metal wire cooling rack. Let it rest at room temperature for a full 2 hours to allow the gooey filling to set completely; slicing early will cause the warm filling to ooze out of the crust. Serve slices plain, with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream if desired.
Tips
2.Resist the urge to overbake the pie: the slightly jiggly center will firm up as it cools, and overbaking leads to a dry, crumbly filling instead of the signature gooey, fudgy texture.
3.For a non-alcoholic version, swap the 2 tablespoons of bourbon for 2 tablespoons of unsweetened apple cider mixed with ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract and a tiny pinch of smoked paprika to mimic bourbon’s warm, oaky depth.
Made this for our annual Derby watch party this past weekend and everyone went back for seconds! The gooey chocolate and pecan combo is absolutely perfect, not too sweet at all. I was worried it’d be fussy since I’m not a big baker, but it was so easy to throw together even after a couple mint juleps 😂. 10/10 will be making this every year from now on.
OMG this pie is SO good. I swapped the regular chocolate chips for dark chocolate because that’s what I had in the pantry, and it came out chef’s kiss. The crust was flaky, the filling was perfectly gooey, my husband ate three slices in one sitting no joke.
Quick question—can I make this a day ahead for a potluck? I’m hosting book club at my house the night before our neighborhood potluck and don’t want to be stuck baking the morning of. Also, should I store it in the fridge or on the counter?
Tried this for the first time last night as a date night dessert and my girlfriend thought I was a professional baker, lmao. It was way easier than I thought it’d be, only took me 10 minutes to prep, and the whole apartment smelled like heaven while it baked. Total game changer for impressing people without putting in a ton of work.
Brought this to our church potluck on Sunday and the pan was empty before I even made it through the food line! Multiple people asked for the recipe, I already sent the link to half the ladies in my small group. The only change I made was adding a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top before baking, it cut the sweetness perfectly.
I followed the recipe exactly but my filling came out a little runnier than I expected? The flavor was amazing, don’t get me wrong, but it oozed everywhere when I cut into it after letting it cool for 30 minutes. Did I do something wrong?
Is there a way to adapt this for a gluten free crust? My granddaughter has celiac and I’d love to make this for her birthday party next month, it sounds right up her alley.
Wait, is this basically just a pecan pie with chocolate? I’ve never had Derby pie before, is it different enough that people will notice if I bring it to our tailgate instead of my usual pecan pie?
I upped the bourbon to 2 tablespoons instead of 1 and y’all. GAME CHANGER. It added that perfect warm, oaky flavor without being overpowering at all. Served it warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and my whole family was raving about it at Sunday dinner. Will be making this on repeat all fall.
Made this with my kids last night for a fun weeknight baking project and they had a blast helping measure the chocolate chips and stir the filling. It was easy enough that my 8 year old could do most of the steps with minimal supervision, and the end result was delicious. My kids loved it so much they asked for it for their next birthday treat.
Heads up for anyone with tree nut allergies—can I make this without the pecans? I have a severe pecan allergy but all the other ingredients sound amazing, I don’t want to miss out!
I’ve never baked a pie from scratch in my life and this turned out perfect on the first try! The instructions were so clear and easy to follow, I didn’t have to Google a single thing while I was making it. I can’t believe I actually pulled off a homemade pie, I feel so proud right now lol.
I’ve been making Derby pie for over 30 years and this recipe is spot on to the one my mom used to make for our Derby parties growing up. Perfect balance of chocolate, nuts, and that little hint of bourbon, no weird extra ingredients to overcomplicate it. Saved this to make for our family gathering next month.
Has anyone frozen this pie before? I do big monthly meal prep bakes and want to know if it freezes well so I can pull it out for last minute guests.
Brought this in for my office’s monthly birthday potluck and it was the first dessert gone. My coworkers were begging for the recipe before lunch even ended, one guy said it was better than the pie his grandma makes (don’t tell his grandma lol). Super easy to make, zero stress even on a weeknight.
Pro tip: serve this slightly warm with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream and a drizzle of hot fudge. It’s insane how good that combo is. I made this for my roommate’s birthday and he said it was the best dessert he’s ever had. 10/10 no notes.
I live at 7,000 feet and usually have to adjust bake times for recipes—any tips for high altitude baking for this pie? I don’t want it to sink or turn out runny!
I don’t keep alcohol in the house—can I leave the bourbon out entirely, or do I need to swap it for something? Will the flavor be off if I skip it?
Added this to our regular Sunday dinner rotation after making it last week. It’s easy enough to throw together after church, doesn’t require any fancy ingredients I don’t already keep in my pantry, and the whole family cleans their plates every time. Even my super picky 12 year old asks for seconds, which is basically a miracle.
Made mini versions of this in a muffin tin for my kid’s school bake sale and they sold out in 10 minutes! I cut the crust into circles, pressed them into muffin tins, poured the filling in, and baked them for 25 minutes instead of a full hour. Perfect handheld treats, I’ll definitely be doing that again for future sales.