Pecan Pie Recipe

This traditional Pecan Pie is sweet and delicious, totally made from scratch, including the pie crust! A classic and old-fashioned dessert that’s a must on every Thanksgiving table!

Pecan pie is our favorite and not just for Thanksgiving. I admit, I will have it a few times a year. It’s the sweetness, it’s the pecans and it’s the flaky crust that call to me. When all of those great things are combined together, you get one decadent dessert, if there ever was one.

This pie is an absolute bona fide all American classic, Southern baking at its finest, almost too delicious for words, but somehow here I am, writing about it to share with you all. My lovely readers.

But what makes a pecan pie really that great decadent morsel we’re all so fond of? It all starts with the flaky crust. As I always say, homemade is always better and when it comes to pie crust it certainly is true. You’re looking for a flaky, crumbly and buttery pie crust that will literally melt in your mouth. Of course, you can use store bought, but when you feel brave enough, go ahead and make your own. You’ll thank me!

Beyond all the flaky crust, the most important thing when it comes to this classic pie is the filling. Corn syrup is a must, lots of pecans, butter, a bit of vanilla, flour and a bit of brown sugar is what makes this filling so great.

What Is Blind Baking?

Blind baking basically means baking your pie crust before filling it and baking the entire pie. This is necessary when making a pie with a custardy filling like ours today as it prevents the crust from becoming soggy. Don’t forget to read the post on making the perfect pie crust and all about blind baking!

Ingredients

• Pie crust – follow my recipe here. We only need 1/2 of the recipe, feel free to make the full recipe and just freeze the other half of the crust. You can also use store bought pie crust.

Filling

• Pecans – We want both chopped up and halved pecans. The chopped up ones are going into the filling and our halved pecans are going to be artfully lined up on top.
• Sugar – Some packed brown sugar is all we need, that molasses flavor is going to add complexity and depth to our filling.
• Flour – Just a bit of all purpose to help keep our filling from getting too liquidy, it’ll bind the filling and help us achieve a custardy consistency.
• Eggs – We want whole eggs for richness and to help us bind our filling.
• Butter – Unsalted is best to control the sodium content of our pie.
• Vanilla – This is a bit of a secret weapon flavor enhancer.
• Corn syrup – This ingredient offers both sweetness and texture to our filling.
• Seasoning – A bit of salt is necessary to all baked goods, it’ll help balance out all the rich and sweet flavors we have going on.

Can I skip the corn syrup?

You sure can! Although I have to be honest, it won’t be quite the same without it. Just combine maple syrup with 1 tablespoon of flour and you’ve got a perfectly sweet and decadent substitute! Yum.

How to Make Pecan Pie

Crust

1. Prepare the crust: Make the pie crust according to this pie crust recipe. You can also use store bought pie crust.
2. Preheat oven: To 425 F degrees
3. Rest the dough: If using your own homemade pie crust, remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. This is required to soften the dough a bit, so that you can roll it out.
4. Assemble the crust: Roll out the disc using a rolling pin. If your dough is sticking to the surface or to the rolling pin add a bit more flour as necessary. Roll it until it’s about 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Place the pie dough lightly into a pie plate. I usually roll it on the rolling pin and unroll it over the pie plate. (see video) Crimp the edge and cut off excess dough.
5. Blind bake the pie: Place a piece of parchment paper over the pie shell and fill it with pie weights. If you don’t have pie weights, you can use dry beans. Place the pie shell into the oven and blind bake it for 15 minutes. Read more about blind baking here. Once done, remove the pie weights and the parchment paper from the pie shell.

Filling

1. Adjust oven temp: Reduce temperature to 350 F degrees.
2. Form the filling: Make the pie filling. To a large bowl add the brown sugar, salt and flour and combine. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla, corn syrup and whisk or mix with a mixer until everything is well incorporated. Stir in the 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. Pour the pie filling over the pie crust then arrange the rest of the pecans over the top of the pie filling.
3. Bake the pie: Place in the oven and bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, until it puffs up and when you jiggle it there’s no wiggle to it. Let the pie cool completely in order for the filling to set, before slicing into it.

Amp up the flavor

To bring out the flavor of the pecans even more, toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 F degrees or until you start to smell them. You can even brown the butter before incorporating it into your filling. I know I’m crazy, but aren’t we all a little?

Pie weights

These little weights prevent the pie crust from forming air bubbles and from puffing up. The crust will stay nestled nicely right against the pie plate and bake uniformly. You can buy ceramic or metal weights or just use plain old dried beans.

Leftover pie

Pecan pies are great because they can easily be made a day or two ahead. You can bake it, cool it, then wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.

Freezer

These can definitely be made ahead of time! Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and seal in an air tight container before popping in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before warming on the counter before slicing and serving!

More Incredible Pecan Recipes:

• Pecan Pie Cheesecake
• Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars
• Bourbon Pecan Pie
• Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies
• Cinnamon Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies
• Banana Nut Muffins

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Pecan Pie Recipe

4.63 from 16 votes

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 55 mins

Total: 1 hr 15 mins

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Serves: 8

Print Pin Rate

This traditional Pecan Pie is sweet and delicious, totally made from scratch, including the pie crust! A classic and old-fashioned dessert that's a must on every Thanksgiving table!

Equipment

• 9-inch Pie Plate
• Classic Wooden Rolling Pin
• Pie Weights
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• 1/2 recipe pie crust

Filling

• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp butter unsalted, softened
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup corn syrup light or dark
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped
• 1 1/2 cups pecans halves

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Make the pie crust according to this pie crust recipe. You can also use store bought pie crust.
• Preheat oven to 425 F degrees
• If using your own homemade pie crust, remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. This is required to soften the dough a bit, so that you can roll it out.
• Roll out the disc using a rolling pin. If your dough is sticking to the surface or to the rolling pin add a bit more flour as necessary. Roll it until it’s about 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Place the pie dough lightly into a pie plate. I usually roll it on the rolling pin and unroll it over the pie plate. (see video) Crimp the edge and cut off excess dough.
• Place a piece of parchment paper over the pie shell and fill it with pie weights. If you don’t have pie weights, you can use dry beans. Place the pie shell into the oven and blind bake it for 15 minutes. Read more about blind baking here. Once done, remove the pie weights and the parchment paper from the pie shell.
• Reduce temperature to 350 F degrees.
• Make the pie filling. To a large bowl add the brown sugar, salt and flour and combine. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla, corn syrup and whisk or mix with a mixer until everything is well incorporated. Stir in the 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.
• Pour the pie filling over the pie crust then arrange the rest of the pecans over the top of the pie filling.
• Place in the oven and bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, until it puffs up and when you jiggle it there’s no wiggle to it.
• Let the pie cool completely in order for the filling to set, before slicing into it. 

Video

Recipe Notes

1. To bring out the flavor of the pecans even more, toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 F degrees or until you start to smell them.
2. Check out the recipe to make this easy pie crust with video and step by step instructions here.
3. Pecan pies are great because they can easily be made a day or two ahead. You can bake it, cool it, then wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.
4. Make ahead: These can definitely be made ahead of time! Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and seal in an air tight container before popping in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before warming on the counter before slicing and serving!
5. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 594kcal (30%)Carbohydrates: 68g (23%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 35g (54%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Cholesterol: 104mg (35%)Sodium: 598mg (26%)Potassium: 192mg (5%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 52g (58%)Vitamin A: 395IU (8%)Vitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 64mg (6%)Iron: 1.9mg (11%)

Course:Dessert, Pie

Cuisine:American

Keyword:pecan pie, pecan pie recipe, thanksgiving recipes

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