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If you love my Vegan Pecan Pie recipe, this is its richer, fun cousin. The base is the same filling, but toasted walnuts, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a splash of optional bourbon take it somewhere entirely different. Where the pecan pie is caramel and vanilla, this one is bittersweet and bold. It’s almost like pecan pie and a skillet chocolate chip cookie had a baby.

About the name

The original “Derby” Pie was created by the Kern family at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky in the 1950s. Their version uses walnuts, not pecans, and they trademarked “Derby-Pie” which is why recipes tend to work around the name. Walnuts are the traditional choice here, and their earthy, slightly bitter flavor works better with chocolate and bourbon than pecans do in my opinion.

🥧 Why You’ll Love This Pie

Built on a well tested base. It’s the same filling and method as my well loved pecan pie recipe, that’s a proven success and a crowd-pleaser.
No hard to find ingredients. No flax eggs, tofu, or agar needed.
Walnuts are the right choice here. They’re earthier and slightly bitter, and they balance the chocolate flavor better than pecans in my opinion.
Lower temp = better texture. I found baking at 325°F creates a silky filling that sets beautifully and evenly.
Gooey but sliceable. No runny filling, no soggy crust.
Bourbon is usually vegan. Traditional straight bourbon normally contains no animal products.
Distinct from pecan pie. This pie is genuinely a different eating experience due to the addition of chocolate and walnuts.

💡 Why My Recipe Works

The base is the same as my pecan pie using potato starch, almond butter, and a low 325°F bake. The chocolate chips melt into the filling as it bakes, creating fudgy pockets throughout. The bourbon rounds out the sweetness and adds depth but it’s optional.

The low oven temperature (325°F) allows the filling to bake evenly without bubbling over or burning the nuts, which can happen with high-heat bakes. The result is a golden, gooey, perfectly cohesive filling that slices cleanly and tastes incredible.

✅ Tips & Tricks for Perfect Pie

Let it cool completely before slicing. Cutting too soon can make the filling run and will be harder to slice.
Cut two slices first. This makes it easier to remove that stubborn first slice without damaging the crust.
For a firmer pie, bake for the full 65 minutes. For a gooier center, pull it out around 55 minutes.
To avoid over-browning of your crust edges, use crust protectors or thin strips of aluminum foil around the edges around halfway through baking.
Use creamy almond butter for the best texture. You could also use cashew or sunflower seed butter as well.
Toast the walnuts. Usually, 4 to 5 minutes in the oven while it preheats is all it takes.
I prefer to use semi-sweet chocolate chips. Dark can be too bitter but it’s a personal preference.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Straight bourbon is made from grain, water, yeast, charred oak and generally no animal products. Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, and Wild Turkey are all vegan-friendly but check any bottle at Barnivore.com to be sure. You can substitute some brewed coffee or espresso instead of the bourbon. You won’t really taste it, but it will enhance the chocolate flavor.

You can of course, but walnuts are the better choice here. Their bitterness plays off the chocolate and bourbon in a way pecans don’t. With pecans you’re essentially making a chocolate pecan pie, which is good but different.

I don’t recommend it. This recipe is developed and tested with potato starch only. It’s what makes the filling set correctly. I would not substitute cornstarch or any other thickener. If you substitute cornstarch, the filling may turn out runny because cornstarch is weaker in sugary or acidic mixtures and needs a higher temperature to fully activate.

Aldi’s Belmont brand, Kroger’s store brand, and Marie Callender’s frozen crusts are all generally vegan-friendly. Avoid refrigerated roll-out doughs as most contain butter or lard. Sweet Loren’s also makes a gluten-free option.

Start checking at 40 minutes and at 50 minutes the center should jiggle like soft gelatin. By 60-65 minutes you may see gentle bubbling across most of the surface. The center should still be slightly loose but it firms up as it cools. Err towards more doneness rather than less. Remember, every oven is different and I bake with convection heat so things bake faster.

If you can’t use almond butter, cashew butter or even sunflower seed butter works well. Avoid peanut butter or tahini because they have such strong pronounced flavors, you might really notice it. The flavor of this pie is pretty neutral with notes of caramel and vanilla where the taste of the walnuts shines through. Almond butter is more plain in flavor and is what I found works best. Walnut butter would be a great choice too but it can be expensive and harder to find for most.

If you don’t want to use light corn syrup (remember, it’s not the same as high fructose corn syrup), you could use brown rice syrup or even a thicker vegan honey substitute. I don’t recommend agave or maple syrup as they’re too thin nor do I recommend molasses as I feel the flavor is too strong for a this pie but some other recipes say it’s fine. Corn syrup is traditional and lends the right sweetness and viscosity to the filling. Choose another sweetener at your own risk but I understand some people’s concern with corn syrup.

This pie lives somewhere between a vegan pecan pie and a warm chocolate chip skillet cookie. It’s gooey and caramel-rich like the former, and fudgy and indulgent like the latter. The toasted walnuts bring an earthiness that pecans don’t, the semi-sweet chocolate melts into dark, rich pockets throughout the filling, and the bourbon ties it all together with a warmth that lingers. It’s a dessert that’s familiar enough to feel comforting but different enough that people will want to know what’s in it. If you’ve made my pecan pie and loved it, this is the natural next step with the same proven base, but a completely different final destination.

Vegan Kentucky Chocolate Walnut Pie

Recipe by Kreg Sterns

5.0 from 3 votes

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

minutes

A delicious chocolate and walnut version of my popular vegan pecan pie!

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

1 prepared 9” vegan pie crust (store bought or homemade)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup light corn syrup (see notes)
1/4 cup melted vegan butter
1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk
3 tbsp potato starch (see FAQs)
2 tablespoons creamy almond butter (or another neutral tasting seed butter like sunflower)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons bourbon (see notes)
8 oz (roughly 1 1/2 cups) chopped walnut halves (toast in a dry pan or in the oven until just starting to color – optional step but highly recommended)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325°.
Toast the walnuts lightly (recommended) and set them aside to cool slightly. You can do this while heating the oven and pop them in there for about five minutes.
Combine all filling ingredients (except the nuts and chocolate chips) from the brown sugar to the bourbon (if using) in a food processor (easiest method) and blend completely for a minute scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once. You can also use a hand or stand mixer for this step but a food processor ensures it will all be blended well together with no lumps.
Place the pie crust (make sure it’s very cold and don’t leave it out while making the filling) on a parchment lined baking sheet and add most of the walnuts and chocolate chips to the bottom reserving some to sprinkle on top. Pour the filling over the nuts and chips and sprinkle the remaining chopped walnuts evenly on top.
Bake for 60-65 minutes depending on your oven as they all differ slightly. Watch closely checking every 5-10 minutes after about 40 minutes in the oven and cover the edges of the crust if browning too quickly but at around 50 minutes, the center will jiggle (like soft gelatin), the edges will be browning and the walnuts starting to color. At around the hour mark, slight bubbling may appear mostly across the entire surface with the exception of the center. You still want the center to jiggle a little so bake the full 65 minutes or even a few minutes longer if it seems too loose. You don’t want the center fully set but not a very loose jiggle either. It’s a fine line but err on the side of more doneness than less.
Cool completely, at least 2–3 hours then cover and refrigerate preferably overnight. The filling will continue to firm up as it cools.
How to store. At room temperature: Cover loosely and store up to 2 days.
Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 5 days. Serve at room temp for best flavor. Freezing: Cool the pie completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Reheating slices: Warm gently in the oven at 300°F for 10–15 minutes or in the microwave for 20–30 seconds.

Notes

Corn syrup is traditional and best (remember, it is not the same thing as high-fructose corn syrup) but you could substitute brown rice syrup or a thicker vegan honee. Agave and maple syrup are too thin in texture and I do not recommend them as substitutes.
If you don’t want to use bourbon, you could use 2 tablespoons cold coffee or espresso or just leave it out entirely. You could add two more tablespoons of plant milk but honestly, it’s such a small amount that if you do decide to leave it out, it really won’t make a difference.
If using a premade crust, look for one with no lard or butter. Usually frozen options are more vegan friendly than refrigerated rolled out doughs. Store brands like Aldi (what I used) and Kroger have frozen vegan friendly premade crusts and Marie Callendars frozen crusts are also vegan friendly and available at a lot of stores nationwide. Sweet Loren’s also makes a gluten free crust and Wholly Wholesome is usually available at Whole Foods.