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Kentucky derby pie is a luxurious pie made from thick pie crust, filled with walnut and chocolate chips filling and topped with chocolate ganache. This pie is undoubtedly among the best pies you can ever taste.

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The best thing about this pie is that it is super easy to make. The ingredients are easily available, and you can happily make it ahead of time. Try this fantastic recipe, and I am sure you will instantly fall in love with it!

What is a Kentucky Derby Pie?

For those who aren’t interested in food history, let me tell you it is full of amazing facts. These facts tell you so much about how food has evolved through the ages. Now, you might have heard of Kentucky derby pie. I am pretty sure most of you would have tried it as well. This pie is amazingly delicious. It is rich, crunchy, and just perfect. But, before we move towards its recipe, let’s talk a little about where it came from and, above all, how it got the name?

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Well, just as the name indicates, a derby pie came into being in a restaurant in Prospect, Kentucky. It was actually a specialty pastry, and the mastermind behind it was Walter and Leandra Kern. Once they came up with the perfect recipe, the next major task was to name it. Because the family couldn’t agree on a single name, they wrote their preferences on a piece of paper, added them into a hat, and then picked out one of the pieces of paper. The piece of paper said derby, so this was how the pie got its name.

Ingredients breakdown

Making derby pie is super easy. Here is a detailed list of all the ingredients you will need:

Premade pie crust: If you want, you can make your pie crust from scratch. However, I prefer to use a premade pie crust. It is easy to buy and very convenient.
Sugar: Granulated white sugar is a great option. However, you can use organic cane sugar or coconut sugar as well.
Cream butter: Unsalted sweet cream butter is perfect. However, you can also use regular unsalted butter.
Eggs: Make sure the eggs are at room temperature.
Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extracts add so much flavor to the pie.
Flour: All-purpose flour is all you need for this pie.
Chocolate chips: I prefer using semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Chopped walnuts: Chopped walnuts add crunch to the pie.

For Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are perfect for this chocolate ganache recipe.
Heavy whipping cream: It makes the ganache shiny, smooth, and yummy.