Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Take the refrigerated pastry crust and unroll it, fitting it carefully into a standard pie pan. Set the prepared crust aside while you make the filling.

Spoon the entire jar of hot fudge into a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the hot fudge for about 30 seconds, just until it's soft and easier to mix.

To the softened hot fudge (from Step 2), add the packed brown sugar, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk everything together until the mixture is smooth and well combined. I find that using room temperature eggs helps everything blend more evenly.

Fold the pecan halves and miniature chocolate chips gently into the chocolate mixture from Step 3, making sure they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Pour the chocolate-pecan filling (from Step 4) into the prepared pie crust (from Step 1). Smooth the top with a spatula if needed. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then, cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking for an additional 10–15 minutes, until the middle has set. I like to check the pie at the 10-minute mark to avoid over-baking.

Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing, so it sets up nicely. Once cooled, slice and serve with generous dollops of whipped cream. For an extra treat, I sometimes sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on each slice just before serving.