The facile pyrolysis of a bipyridyl metal-organic framework, MOF-253, produces N-doped porous carbons (Cz-MOF-253), which exhibit excellent catalytic activity in the Knoevenagel condensation reaction and outperform other nitrogen-containing MOF-derived carbons. More importantly, by virtue of their high Lewis basicity and porous nature, Cz-MOF-253-supported Pd nanoparticles (Pd/Cz-MOF-253-800) show excellent performance in a one-pot sequential Knoevenagel condensation-hydrogenation reaction.