Derby pie is a chocolate chip walnut pie: a buttery brown sugar filling with semi-sweet chips and chopped walnuts, baked in a 9 inch crust at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes. It is mixed in one bowl with a whisk, cuts into 8 slices, and sets firmer than pecan pie, closer to a soft chocolate chip cookie.
The one thing to watch is the butter. Melt it, then let it cool until it is just warm before the eggs go in.
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- Pan: one 9 inch pie dish with an unbaked crust
- Filling: ½ cup butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon salt
- Mix-ins: ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- Optional: 1 tablespoon bourbon
- Bake: 350°F (175°C) for 45 to 50 minutes
- Time: 15 minutes prep, about 1 hour in total, plus cooling
- Serves: 8
What Goes Into a Kentucky Derby Pie
Start with a crust. A homemade all butter pie crust gives the flakiest edge, and store-bought is fine on a busy day. Either way it goes in raw. I flute the edge or press it with a fork.
Use semi-sweet chips, not milk chocolate. The filling already has 1¼ cups of sugar, and milk chocolate tips it into too sweet. Dark chips work, but they take over the walnut flavor.
The 2 tablespoons of flour matter more than they look. They are what lets the filling set into clean slices instead of running like a gooey pecan pie.
Derby Pie vs Pecan Pie: What Is the Difference?
Most pecan pie recipes are a corn syrup and egg custard that sets into a soft, glossy gel under a layer of pecans. Derby pie has no corn syrup. Melted butter, two sugars, eggs and a little flour bake into something denser, with chocolate chips and walnuts all the way through instead of only on top.
So a slice of pecan pie is jammy. A slice of Derby pie is fudgy and a bit chewy at the edges.
The name has a story too. Derby-Pie is a registered trademark of Kern’s Kitchen in Kentucky, which is why home recipes like this one say Kentucky Derby pie or chocolate walnut pie.
Walnuts or Pecans, and Is the Bourbon Needed?
Walnuts are the traditional nut, and the one the photos show. When I made it both ways, walnuts stayed distinct with a firmer bite, while pecans softened into the filling more. For a Derby pie recipe with pecans, swap in ¾ cup chopped pecans and change nothing else.
Toast the nuts for 6 to 8 minutes at 350°F and let them cool before they go in. Raw walnuts can taste a little bitter, and toasted ones stay crisp in the soft filling.
The bourbon is 1 tablespoon and it is optional. It adds a warm, oaky note without tasting boozy. To make it without bourbon, leave it out, or add an extra ½ teaspoon of vanilla. The texture does not change.
Mixing the Filling Without Scrambling the Eggs
Melt the butter, then wait. It should be warm, not hot: you can hold a finger in it comfortably. Whisk in the granulated and brown sugar first. The sugar cools the butter a little more and gives the eggs a thick, safe base to land in.
Add the eggs one at a time and whisk well after each. Then stir in the flour, vanilla, salt and bourbon if you are using it.
If the butter goes in too hot, two things happen. The eggs start to cook into tiny lumps, and the chocolate chips melt into gray streaks before the pie even reaches the oven.
Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts last. The batter will be thick, slightly grainy and shiny. That grainy look is the sugar, and it is normal.
Scrape it into the crust and spread it level with a spatula. A few extra chips or walnut pieces on top make it look finished.
How to Know When Derby Pie Is Done
Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes. The top should be set and lightly cracked, and the center should barely wobble when you nudge the pan. A toothpick in the middle should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Check the crust at 30 minutes. If the edge is already deep brown, lay a ring of foil over it for the last 15 to 20 minutes.
Do not wait for a clean toothpick. The filling keeps setting as it cools, and a pie baked until fully firm in the oven turns dry and crumbly.
Cool it on a rack for at least 2 hours before you slice it. Cut warm, the center is still loose and the slices slump.
Does Derby Pie Need to Be Refrigerated?
Not right away. Once cool, keep it covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, move it to the fridge for up to 4 days. Let cold slices sit out for 30 minutes before serving, or warm one in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds so the chocolate softens.
It also freezes well. Wrap the cooled pie or single slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge.
This pie is better the next day, so it is a good one to bake the day before a party. Wrapped slices travel well to potlucks.
Serving It on Derby Day
Serve slices at room temperature or slightly warm, with a spoonful of whipped cream or a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce. A dusting of powdered sugar works too.
For a full Kentucky Derby dessert table, it sits well next to a Kentucky butter cake and a Mississippi mud pie. If chocolate is the main event, a silky chocolate pie gives a smooth contrast to this chunky one.
Have walnuts left over? They go straight into chocolate chip walnut cookies, which taste a lot like this filling in cookie form.
Derby Pie Recipe
This Derby pie recipe makes a Kentucky Derby pie: a chocolate chip walnut pie with a buttery brown sugar filling, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped walnuts and an optional splash of bourbon, baked in a 9 inch crust. It is mixed in one bowl with a whisk, bakes at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes and cuts into 8 slices. With no corn syrup and 2 tablespoons of flour, Derby pie sets firmer than pecan pie, fudgy in the middle and chewy at the edges. Serve it for Kentucky Derby parties, Thanksgiving, potlucks, or with whipped cream or caramel sauce. Swap in pecans if you like, and keep it covered for 2 days at room temperature, 4 days in the fridge, or 2 months frozen.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional but recommended)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts (or pecans if preferred)
Instructions
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the unbaked pie crust in a 9-inch pie dish. Flute the edges or press them with a fork for a rustic look.
- MAKE THE FILLING: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the flour, bourbon (if using), vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined.
- ADD CHOCOLATE AND NUTS: Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. The mixture will be thick and slightly grainy in texture.
- FILL THE PIE SHELL: Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and spread it evenly with a spatula. Optionally, sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips or nuts on top.
- BAKE THE PIE: Place the pie in the oven and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is set, lightly cracked, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- COOL AND SERVE: Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Allow it to set fully before slicing. Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed.
Notes
Let the melted butter cool until just warm before adding the eggs; hot butter scrambles the eggs and melts the chocolate chips into streaks. Toast the walnuts for 6 to 8 minutes at 350°F and cool them before folding in. If the crust edge is deep brown at 30 minutes, cover it with a foil ring. Take the pie out when the center barely wobbles and a toothpick shows moist crumbs; it firms up as it cools. Cool at least 2 hours before slicing. To make it without bourbon, leave it out or add ½ teaspoon more vanilla. Pecans can replace the walnuts 1 for 1. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 329Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 51mgSodium 165mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 2gSugar 27gProtein 4g
