Race Day Pie was introduced to me by our neighbors in Austin who hold an annual Kentucky Derby party. They are from Louisville, Kentucky and have since moved back, so they know a thing for two about The Kentucky Derby. And making this pie is a tradition.
Different Versions of Race Day Pie
If you do a search you'll see there are many versions of the top secret recipe for the famously trademarked pie. Some versions incorporate one, two or all of the following: brown sugar, brown butter, corn syrup and cornstarch and some even use pecans instead of walnuts. This one's a basic recipe that calls for a fairly common ratio of 1 cup of walnuts, 1 cup of sugar (no brown), 2 eggs, ½ cup of melted butter and a little over a cup of chocolate chips.
Pretty Basic
It's hard to go wrong with the combination of sugar, butter, chocolate chips and eggs. It's basically an adult version of the old Toll House Pie. Still there are a few tricks I've learned from making it through the years.
Race Day Pie Tips
- Make the pie a day ahead so it will have plenty of time to set. You can chill the pie overnight, then bring it back to room temperature before serving. It should slice neatly.
- Use a shallow pie tin, preferably metal.
- If you use the shallow pie tin you shouldn't need to par-bake the crust.
- Allow the butter to cool before adding it to the pie. Also, toast the walnuts.
- If you like bourbon, chill the pie overnight, remove it from the refrigerator the next day and brush with a lot more bourbon.
Recipe
Kentucky Race Day Bourbon Chocolate Walnut Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 stick unsalted butter (114 grams)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (65 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons bourbon, plus more for brushing
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 9 inch unbaked pie crust, homemade or store bought
Instructions
- Before you get started you have to decide if you want to partially bake the crust. The store bought frozen or roll and bake crusts are pretty thin and shouldn't need to be partially baked unless you are doubling up the two crusts that come in a pack. Homemade crusts, which are usually thicker, might benefit from being partially baked.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lay the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool, then chop.
- While the walnuts are toasting, melt half of the stick of butter. Chop up remaining stick and stir it into the hot butter until completely melted. Let cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the lightly beaten eggs and stir well, then stir in the melted cooled butter, bourbon and vanilla.
- Spread toasted walnuts and chocolate chips across bottom of pie crust, then pour filling over the top and spread to the edges. Set pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until it appears set. Let it cool completely. Brush with more bourbon.
- Garnish with whipped topping or whipped cream before serving.
Stephanie says
Thank you for your descriptions and detail...I learn so much from your posts.
Carol says
Anna, I prebaked my crust to for about 8-10 minutes also. For some reason I was worried it would not get done with all of that gooey filling. I didn't line with foil though or use weight but it turned out perfectly.
Darlene says
I know what you mean about the traditional Toll House pie. I hadn't made one since I was a teenager, and I thought I had liked it way back then. When I baked one for my family last summer, it was too sweet for my sons (who typically love sweets), and I was surprised at how greasy it seemed. This looks like a great alternative!