This Lightened Up Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie has been a family favorite for many years now, we're thinking maybe 10 years at least. The original is what we made this year for Christmas, mostly because I don't have my 'skinny' pantry on hand with my usual bag-of-tricks. But, the usual way that I make it is just as delicious and lightened up by at least half the calories and sugar too!

This pie is great for almost any holiday, Thanksgiving through New Years and back again. I honestly haven't come across anyone that didn't like it yet and it's more often than not, a recipe with legs. That is to say that the recipe is often requested by friends and family after they enjoy it!

Since this is such a rich flavored pie, I usually like to cut it into smaller slices. A little bit can go a long way, especially if you use a traditional bourbon!

To cut down on the sugar, I swap in any natural sweetener that measures cup-for-cup like sugar. I also like to use a light butter in place of regular butter because it doesn't make any difference taste wise for this bourbon loaded beauty.

Any bourbon will work too! Just... keep in mind that the stronger the bourbon, the more potent it will be in the pie. This year I was able to use some of my Uncle's pecan flavored whiskey which was a lot more mild than my usual kick-in-the-pants of traditional Kentucky bourbon. It completely depends on what you like!

Step-by-Step Photos: