My classic homemade pecan pie is traditional in the best possible way. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty—after one taste, you’ll know why it’s a favorite!
Pecan pie is the classic sugary dessert without which no Thanksgiving is complete. It’s as traditional as pumpkin pie and as wonderfully rich as apple pie. Growing up, my family’s Thanksgiving dessert table always included (and will always include) my late grandmother’s homemade recipe. It’s a true honor to share her recipe in memory of her, and I know her recipe will live on for many years to come.
What Makes This My Best Pecan Pie Recipe
This is my favorite pecan pie recipe and here’s why:
- Simple: There are only 8 ingredients in this remarkably simple filling.
- Flaky pie crust: We’re talking mega flaky, mega buttery, and mega delicious. This is the one and only pie crust recipe I use. It’s been passed down through generations and stands the test of time. Here’s my recipe for all-butter pie crust if you’d like to try that instead. Both pie crust recipes yield enough dough for two 9-inch pies. You can freeze the second half of the dough, or make another one-crust pie such as this chocolate chess pie, turkey pot pie, or pumpkin pie.
- No pre-baking needed: The buttery pie crust has a wonderfully flaky texture, but still stays perfectly intact as the pie bakes and cools. Some recipes require you to pre-bake the pie crust before pouring in the filling, but I don’t find that necessary in this recipe.
- Incredible texture: The pecans on top get all toasty while the nuts underneath have a melt-in-your-mouth chewy texture. The pecans’ flavor and texture, paired with the flaky pie crust, the filling’s vanilla, butter, and cinnamon… it all just makes this my favorite pecan pie recipe. If you love this, try my pecan pie cheesecake next. Talk about a texture lover’s dream!
- It’s make-ahead friendly! This pie freezes and thaws well, so you can make it up to 3 months before you serve it.
Grab These Ingredients
- Pecans: Can’t make pecan pie without them!
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients and hold the filling together.
- Corn Syrup: Sweetens, holds the filling together, and helps prevent crystallization while the pie bakes. I prefer dark corn syrup here for intensified flavor. See below if you’re interested in pie without corn syrup.
- Brown Sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar; dark has a little deeper flavor, with its higher molasses content.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: One of the key flavors.
- Butter: Melted butter makes for the best buttery flavor.
- Salt: A little salt balances the sweet, and is especially welcome in a pie made with nuts.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds an extra layer of flavor! I don’t see many pecan pies with cinnamon; so thank you, Grandma, for giving me the opportunity to present a slightly unique pecan pie on our Thanksgiving tables.
Since it’s made with few ingredients, it’s imperative to use high quality. I genuinely love Diamond of California pecans and if you have homemade vanilla extract, go ahead and use it here.
Here’s How to Make This Pecan Pie
As far as Thanksgiving pies go, this is one of the easiest. There’s no pre-baking the crust or pre-cooking the filling. Grandma truly knows what’s best! Here’s an overview of the process:
- Make the pie crust. As always, use my favorite homemade pie crust. This is the same crust you can use when making mini pecan pies too! It needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out, so I always make it the night before.
- Roll out the pie crust. You’re aiming for a pie dough circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish.
- Spread the pecans inside the pie crust.
- Whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over pecans.
- Bake. I like to place a pie crust shield on top of the pie edges to prevent them from browning too quickly. If you find the whole pie is browning too quickly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie.
- Slice and serve. The pie is delicious warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.
How to Make Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
FAQ: Can I make pecan pie without corn syrup? My answer was always: yes, but the filling won’t really set, and it won’t taste like pecan pie. So… no, you can’t. Until I tried maple pecan pie!
Corn syrup is the glue that holds this filling together. Thicker than other liquid sweeteners, corn syrup works with the eggs to help ensure your pecan pie filling will set. However, many bakers are looking for an unrefined substitution for the corn syrup. When creating my recipe for pecan pie without corn syrup, my goal was to find a solution to not only find a corn syrup substitute, but to guarantee the filling will still set and taste delicious.
Taking a note from my brown butter pecan pie bars, I reached for pure maple syrup. This is a thinner liquid than corn syrup, but has the most remarkable flavor, as you know. The bars recipe calls for tempering the eggs, but I wanted a no-fuss filling that skipped the extra steps. Enter the magical ingredient: 1 tiny Tablespoon of flour. Simple, delicious, and pure flavors give us a maple-infused, buttery, sweet, deliciously thick slice of pie. So, I know you’ll love my maple pecan pie variation too.
Success Tip: How to Freeze Pecan Pie
Pecan pie is a wonderful dessert to make ahead of time. Simply bake the pie as directed, allow it to cool completely, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Place in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before slicing and serving with a big dollop of whipped cream.
I made about 3 or 4 of these pies the past couple of weeks to freeze for the upcoming holidays—they freeze and thaw beautifully! No one ever realizes they aren’t freshly baked.