This is my favorite pecan pie recipe! It’s easy to make, with a sweet, buttery filling bursting with nutty pecans baked in a flaky crust. Serve this classic pie topped with fluffy whipped cream as the perfect ending to a holiday meal!
For more traditional pie recipes, check out my apple pie, coconut cream pie, and homemade pumpkin pie recipes, too.
Classic Pecan Pie Recipe
Pecan pie has become one of my favorite old-fashioned desserts. This classic pecan pie is a staple every year at Thanksgiving. It’s made with crunchy pecans baked in a filling of butter, sugar, and eggs inside a flaky homemade pie crust. I brown the butter first, upping the rich, nutty flavors even more.
This recipe inspired delicious spin-offs like my Kahlua pecan pie and this bourbon chocolate pecan pie. It’s destined to be a tradition in your house, too!
Why This Pecan Pie is The Best
- Super easy. Pecan pie is one of the quickest, easiest pie recipes. It’s ready for the oven in 15 minutes (or less). You don’t even need to par-bake the pie crust.
- The best pie filling. The buttery filling in this pecan pie is SO GOOD and needs only common pantry ingredients. It’s rich and caramelized thanks to browned butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup, packed with toasty pecans.
- A classic. You can’t go wrong with a classic pie recipe, and pecan pie is perfect for the holidays. It’s also just so darn easy that I’ll make it year-round!
Ingredient Notes
A flawless pecan pie comes down to a few key ingredients. I’ve included some notes here, and you’ll find the full list with amounts in the printable recipe card below the post.
- Pie Crust – Use your favorite homemade pie crust or a ready-made, refrigerated pie crust from the store.
- Butter – For the filling, I use salted butter, but unsalted butter also works, browned to bring out its nutty flavor before you start. If you haven’t made brown butter before, it’s a super simple process that you can do on the stovetop. See my full tutorial on how to brown butter for details.
- Brown Sugar – Light or regular brown sugar, packed. You can use granulated sugar if needed.
- Corn Syrup – I use dark corn syrup. You can use light corn syrup in place of dark, however, the pie filling won’t have quite as much depth of flavor and the color may turn out lighter.
- Pecans – You can use chopped pecans or pecan pieces, but the texture of the filling will be different if you use finer-cut pecans. I like to use halved pecans and crush them slightly with a rolling pin to get a variety of sizes. There is no need to toast the pecans beforehand as they’ll get plenty toasted while the pie bakes!
How to Make Pecan Pie
You’ll notice that I bake this pie at a high temperature first. This is my trick for the perfect pecan pie with a light, flaky crust! The high heat melts the fat in the pie dough, creating steam that leads to a flaky crust. Lowering the temperature afterward allows the rest of the pie to bake without burning.
Here are the steps, and be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Prepare the crust. Prepare your choice of pie crust recipe and press the crust into a 9” pie plate. Chill the pie crust in the fridge while you start on the filling. This is a crucial step for my pie crust.
- Brown the butter. Next, brown the butter in a saucepan on the stovetop until the milk solids begin to toast and smell nutty. Pour the browned butter out into a bowl so it can cool.
- Make the filling. Cream brown sugar into the browned butter. Then, add corn syrup and eggs, followed by flour and salt. Finally, fold in the chopped pecans.
- Bake. Transfer the filling to your prepared pie crust. Bake the pie on a baking sheet at 400ºF for 10 minutes. Afterward, lower the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake for another 45-50 minutes.
- Cool. Let the finished pie cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then move it to the fridge to chill. I recommend leaving the pie in the fridge for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Must Read Recipe Tips
- Chill the crust. For the best results, once the pie crust has been rolled and prepared in the pie plate, return the crust to the fridge to continue chilling. Since the crust recipe has an egg, this helps the soft crust hold up in the oven.
- How to tell when pecan pie is done: Bake until the top is golden brown and the pie filling still has a slight jiggle in the center.
- Boost the fall flavor. I like to add ½-1 teaspoon of maple extract to give this pie a distinct fall flavor profile.
- Use melted butter. If you’re short on time or don’t feel like taking the extra step to brown the butter for the pie filling, simply use melted butter instead. I find that browned butter makes for a slightly richer pie filling.
- Avoid burnt edges. If the pie crust browns faster than the filling bakes, cover the crust with a pie shield or aluminum foil. This way the crust won’t burn while the pie finishes baking.
- Make it gluten-free. I have a gluten-free pie crust recipe that you can use to make a gluten-free pecan pie instead. In this case, replace the flour in the filling with half the amount of cornstarch (for this recipe, substitute 2 tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch).
Easy Pecan Pie Toppings
Pecan pie is delicious all on its own, but I love serving my slices topped with homemade whipped cream or cinnamon maple whipped cream. Another option is a scoop of vanilla ice cream! For even more indulgence, enjoy this pie with a drizzle of caramel sauce or chocolate ganache.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pecan pie can turn out hard and dry if the oven temperature is too high, or if it’s baked for too long. In this recipe, I start the pie at a high temperature (400ºF) and then lower the temperature to 350ºF for the rest of the baking time.
Underbaking is the number one cause of a runny pie! The filling should still have a slight jiggle when it comes out of the oven, but it shouldn’t be wet or soupy.
You can enjoy pecan pie cold from the fridge, warmed up, or at room temperature. Personally, I find this pie tastes the best when it’s served at room temperature. See above for easy topping and serving ideas.
How to Store Homemade Pecan Pie
- Refrigerate. This pie will last for up to 5 days in the fridge. Store leftovers covered airtight.
- Freeze. You can freeze pecan pie for up to 2 months. Wrap the pie whole or in individual slices, first in plastic wrap and then in a layer of foil. Thaw the pie in the fridge and bring it back to room temperature for serving.
More Classic Pie Recipes
Pecan Pie
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chilling Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Pies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic pecan pie recipe is easy to make, with a buttery caramel filling bursting with nutty pecans baked inside a flaky homemade pie crust.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe of my easy pie crust, prepared
- 6 tablespoons (86g) salted butter, browned
- ¾ cup (168g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup (177ml) dark corn syrup
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (14g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups roughly chopped pecans, leaving some large pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Roll out the dough into a 11-12” circle. Gently place it into a standard depth 9” pie plate. Trim the excess edges and crimp. Place in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
- In a small metal pan, heat the butter over medium low heat and cook for 3-5 minutes, watching closely when the butter stops sputtering. Once the butter solids on the bottom of the pan start to turn brown and smell nutty, remove from the heat and swirl the pan to cool. Transfer the butter to a large bowl.
- Next, whisk in the brown sugar until well combined until it looks like wet sand. Whisk in the corn syrup, eggs, flour, salt and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in the pecans.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 400℉ for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350℉ and bake for another 45-50 minutes, until the pie jiggles just slightly in the center of the pie when moved and the top is golden brown. If the crust starts to become too brown in the oven, you can use a pie shield or aluminum foil to cover just the crust while the pie continues to bake.
- Chill on a wire rack for 2 hours, then refrigerate for another 2 hours. Slice and serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Ingredient Notes
- Pecans: You can use chopped pecans or pecan pieces, but the texture will be different if you use finer cut pecans. I like to use halved pecans and crush them slightly with a rolling pin to get a variety of sizes. There is no need to pre-toast the pecans as they will get plenty toasted while the pie bakes.
- Brown Butter: See my tutorial on how to brown butter for tips. If you do not want to take the extra step to brown the butter, you can just use melted butter. I think the browned butter makes for a slightly richer pie filling.
- Corn Syrup: You can use light corn syrup in place of dark corn syrup, but the flavor of the filling will have less depth and the filling may be slightly lighter in color.
- Make it gluten-free. I have a gluten-free pie crust recipe that you can use to make a gluten-free pecan pie instead. In this case, replace the flour in the filling with half the amount of cornstarch (for this recipe, substitute 2 tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch).
Recipe Tips
- Chill the crust. For the best results, once the pie crust has been rolled and prepared in the pie plate, return the crust to the fridge to continue chilling. Since the crust recipe has an egg, this helps the soft crust hold up in the oven.
- How to tell when pecan pie is done: Bake until the top is golden brown and the pie filling still has a slight jiggle in the center.
- Avoid burnt edges. If the pie crust browns faster than the filling bakes, cover the crust with a pie shield or aluminum foil. This way the crust won’t burn while the pie finishes baking.
Storage:
- To store: Store leftover pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze pecan pie for up to 3 months by wrapping the whole pie or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil after the pie has cooled completely. Thaw in the fridge overnight and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving thawed pie.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 660
- Sugar: 44.1 g
- Sodium: 421.9 mg
- Fat: 42.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 66.4 g
- Fiber: 3.3 g
- Protein: 8.5 g
- Cholesterol: 146.4 mg
