Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Par-bake your prepared pie crust for seven minutes with pie weights, and an additional five minutes with the pie weights removed. Remove from the oven, and set aside.
Place the two cups of pecans on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
In a food processor, combine the dates, water, butter and maple syrup; blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl.
Add the condensed milk, cornstarch, vanilla and salt; stir until well combined.
Mix the toasted pecans into the filling, and pour the mixture into the crust until filled to about ¼-inch from the top of the crust. (Optional: add ½-cup chocolate chips or chunks.)
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until filling appears mostly set when you gently jiggle it. Check after 15 minutes. If your crust is getting too dark, cover the edges with a pie shield or some foil.
Cool on the counter for two to three hours.
Allow to sit at room temperature for at least an hour before serving. If it’s too cold, then it will be firm, but serving it at room temperature makes for the perfect texture.
ChefAlina.com