Kentucky Derby Pie

Kentucky is known for it's bourbon and horses, but it should be known for it's delicious Kentucky derby pie.  It's a delicious walnut pie, loaded with gooey chocolate and a splash of bourbon. Yum! Plus with my favorite gluten free pie crust recipe it is easily made gluten free. 

This is one of my favorite pie recipes.  It tastes a bit like a a warm chocolate chip cookie with walnuts.  It's perfect topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  It's a wonderful dessert for the your next Kentucky derby party.  I'm sure you will absolutely adore this pie.

If you're interested in other bourbon flavored recipes, give my maple bourbon pecan pie a try.

Why you'll love this Kentucky derby pie recipe

• EASE: This easy recipe only takes five minutes to mix and doesn't require an electric mixer.
• SIMPLE: It's made from common ingredients that can be found in any grocery store.
• ALLERGEN FRIENDLY: It's gluten free, dairy free and corn syrup free as written.

Where did derby pie come from?

Derby pie originated in Kentucky in 1950. This popular dessert was created by the Kern family who owned the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky.  The pie itself is not named after the Kentucky Derby horse race. Their family could not agree on a name for this delicious dessert, so they pulled names from a hat and "derby pie"was the winner.  

The inventors of derby pie eventually registered a trademark for the pie name and they are known to be the most litigious pie bakers in the land.  As a result, derby pie is known by many others names like: pegasus pie, Kentucky derby pie, Kentucky bourbon pie, chocolate chip walnut pie, and more. 

Since their recipe is very closely guarded, this is just my interpretation of the familiar Kentucky pie.  

Ingredient Notes

This delicious pie recipe uses just a few common ingredients that should be available in any grocery store.

• Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar - Using a combination of white and brown sugar adds that chocolate chip cookies flavor that we are all familiar with.  You can use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. 
• Gluten Free 1-to1- Flour Blend - I used Bob's Red Mill brand, but you can use your favorite flour blend.  I do not recommend using a single flour, like almond flour, as it won't turn out the same. 
• Eggs - The filling for this pie is reliant on eggs, like a pecan pie. Because of that, I don't recommend an egg substitute here.
• Vegan Butter - I use Country Crock Plant Butter for my recipes. Make sure to cool the melted butter so it doesn't cook the eggs and melt the chocolate chips when you mix it together.  If you're not dairy free, use regular unsalted butter in the same measure.
• Walnuts - Some versions of this nut pie call for pecans, but the original recipe is a walnut pie.
• Vanilla Extract - Adds a bit of extra flavor to the pie filling. 
• Kentucky Bourbon - This recipe calls for a little Kentucky bourbon.  Use your favorite brand.  I love Woodford Reserve.  If you don't want to use bourbon, you can add a little more vanilla or something like maple extract to add more flavor. 
• Allergen Free Chocolate Chips - I used Nestle brand of allergen free semi-sweet chocolate chips, but any brand will work here.
• Single Pie Crust - Use my gluten free pie crust recipe, a store-bought frozen crust or your own crust recipe.

See recipe card for full ingredient list with quantities.

How to Make a Kentucky Derby Pie

Making this pie is so simple and only takes about five minutes.

STEP 1: Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, gluten free flour, eggs, melted butter, walnuts, vanilla extract, bourbon and chocolate chips in a large bowl and fold together.

STEP 2: Pour the derby pie filling into a prepared pie crust.  Place your pie pan on a cookie sheet and bake according to the directions below.