Carolina Coffee & Crumbs 

Kentucky Derby Pie

If you ask us, every great Derby party needs three things: a strong mint julep, a fabulous hat and a decadent slice of Derby Pie. Thankfully, the team at Carolina Coffee & Crumbs has you covered on at least one of those fronts. This rich, gooey classic comes straight from the kitchen of owner Erika Waronsky, who also runs The Sandbar Beach Eats. Whether you serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or chilled with a side of bragging rights, this Southern staple is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups pecans, chopped

4 large eggs

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 9-inch unbaked deep-dish pie crust

Directions

[1] Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, melted butter, white sugar and vanilla until smooth. [2] Fold in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips until evenly combined, then pour the mixture into the pie crust. [3] Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the pie is set and golden brown. Serve warm or chilled — either way, it’s a photo-finish favorite.

Sugar, spice and legal advice

The original Derby Pie was born in 1954 at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky, thanks to the Kern family, who wanted a signature dessert for their menu. After tossing potential names in a hat (literally), “Derby Pie” was drawn — and the rest is sweet, nutty history. The name was trademarked in 1968 and is still tightly protected by Kern’s Kitchen, which closely guards the original recipe. That’s why you’ll often see delicious variations pop up under creative aliases like “Pegasus Pie.” Whatever you call it, one thing’s certain: this chocolate-pecan dream is a winner every time.