It’s easier than you think to make a pecan pie in the Instant Pot!
Instant Pot pecan pie will transform your holiday dinner preparations, thanks to the ease of this recipe!
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I know, it seems too good to be true that you can make desserts in your Instant Pot.
Some desserts don’t work well with the moist environment of a pressure cooker, but others cook to perfection under pressure!
I’ve made countless Instant Pot cake recipes, plus Instant Pot pumpkin cheesecake, Instant Pot cranberry pie, Instant Pot pecan pie cheesecake bites, and now this Instant Pot pecan pie!
It’s so good, it’s definitely going on my list of Instant Pot Thanksgiving recipes!
Making an Instant Pot Pecan Pie with Chocolate Chips
I have to admit, I was never a big fan of pecan pie as a kid. I grew to tolerate it as an adult, but once I tried Derby Pie, my tune changed.
Derby Pie is basically a pecan pie with chocolate chips in it, and if you ask me, pecans and chocolate practically beg to be paired together.
So for this Instant Pot pecan pie recipe, I most definitely added chocolate chips–it makes it an extra decadent treat. But if you want to skip the chocolate chips, you can just add extra pecans!
I use a graham cracker crust, because a traditional pastry crust won’t fare well in a moist environment.
And I have to say, I may never use a pastry crust for pecan pie again, because the graham cracker crust is so good!
How to Make Pecan Pie in Your Pressure Cooker
You may be wondering, “Why would I want to make a pie in my Instant Pot?”
Well, for starters, pecan pie is a holiday staple in many homes. But I know first-hand how stressful it can be to try to get everything baked and cooked leading up to a holiday dinner.
Why not use the Instant Pot to free up your oven for something else? It makes it a lot easier to juggle the preparation of many dishes when you can “set it and forget it.”
Also, a lot of people may not have an oven–such as people who live in RVs or efficiency apartments but still want a taste of nostalgia for the holidays.
Plus, it’s just so easy!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
- Butter
- Light corn syrup
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Pecans
- Semisweet chocolate chips
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Make and bake the crust. First, you’ll make a graham cracker crust and press it into a pan that fits in your Instant Pot. Then, bake it for about 10 minutes.
While you technically can get away without baking the crust first, I do think it holds together better and has the best texture when baked before adding the filling.
But if you don’t have access to an oven, don’t sweat it.
Prepare the filling. Next, you’ll mix together the corn syrup, white and brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, pecans, and chocolate chips to make the filling.
Pour it into the prepared crust.
Pressure cook. Last, you’ll prepare the pan by tightly covering the top with a paper towel and aluminum foil.
This will help prevent any condensation from collecting on the top of your pie.
Then it’s ready to cook–pour water into the Instant Pot and use a foil sling to lower the pan onto the trivet.
Cool. The pie will be much easier to slice when it’s cooled, because the filling will thicken as it cools. If you cut it while it’s still warm, it will be pretty gooey. So give it plenty of time to cool!
Recommended Equipment:
- 7-inch Cheesecake Pan
- Instant Pot (I have the DUO60, which I love) or other electric pressure cooker
Instant Pot Pecan Pie (with Chocolate Chips)
This decadent pecan pie with chocolate chips "bakes" in your Instant Pot, freeing up your oven for other holiday dishes!
Ingredients
- For the Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- 6 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
- For the Filling:
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. If using a springform pan, cover the outside bottom of the pain with aluminum foil to prevent leakage.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl, stirring until all crumbs are moistened.
- Press crumb mixture into prepared cheesecake pan that fits in your Instant Pot (I use this 7-inch pan for my 6-quart Instant Pot).
- Bake filling in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden-brown, then allow to cool completely.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine corn syrup, white and brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, and pecans. Mix until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips last.
- Pour filling into cooled pie crust. Tightly cover the top of the pan with a paper towel and aluminum foil, making sure the edges of the paper towel are contained within the foil.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the insert pot of your Instant Pot and set the trivet in place. Use a foil sling to lower the pan onto the trivet. Close the lid and set the vent to the sealed position.
- Select a cook time of 35 minutes at high pressure. When the cook time is complete, allow a natural release of pressure.
- Once the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid and use the foil sling to lift the pan out.
- Remove the foil and paper towel covering from the pan. Allow pie to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- If you prefer to not use chocolate chips, increase the pecans to a total of 1 1/3 cups.
- If you don't want to bake the crust in the oven first, you *technically* don't have to. However, I think it helps it hold together better, so I recommend baking it first if possible.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 418Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 117mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 2gSugar: 39gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
Need another pecan dessert idea? This pecan upside down cake is a dream come true, and it’s super easy, thanks to a cake mix!
Or, try my southern pecan bread, which is an Alabama classic!
For a decadent treat, this Bisquick pecan pie cobbler is a gooey and delightful option.
Hi there. Looks delicious! How might you adjust the time for a 3 qt mini instant pot?
Hi Stephanie! I haven’t tried this in the 3-quart Instant Pot, but in general I suggest keeping the cook time the same. The only difference here is that you’d probably need a 6-inch pan to fit in your cooker, whereas I used a 7-inch pan. In that case, your filling will be a little bit deeper than mine. Because of that, I’d say you could try adding on a couple more minutes of cook time, just to be on the safe side. Let me know how it works out! 🙂
Tastes great! Mine didn’t set quite right. I’m at 5000 feet altitude, does that make a difference? I also only had a 6 inch pan and I made the whole recipe and forgot to hold some back. Would that make the cook time longer?
Hi Amanda! I’m sorry to hear that–it sounds like it needed more cooking time. Using a 6-inch pan could definitely affect it, since that makes the filling deeper. I would recommend trying a longer cook time if you’re using the smaller pan. The high altitude also means you’d need a longer cook time. I believe the general rule of thumb is for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet elevation you are, you need to increase cook time by 5%–so you’d need to increase the cook time by 15% to account for your elevation (this article might be a good resource for you: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/high-altitude-pressure-cooking-adustments/). I hope that helps! 🙂