This pecan pie features a rich and gooey pecan filling inside a buttery and flaky pastry crust.
Jump to RecipeTable of Contents
- Pecan Pie Ingredients
- Substitutions And Additions
- How To Make This Pecan Pie Recipe
- How To Serve
- Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Recipes You’ll Love
- JUMP TO RECIPE
Pecan pie is, without a doubt, the quintessential holiday dessert. Its rich flavor, gooey goodness, flaky pastry, and crunchy pecans combine to make a treat that is sure to please every palate in the room.
Pecan Pie Ingredients
You’ll need:
- 1 pre-made pie crust (try our homemade pie crust recipe)
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- ¾ cup of light Karo syrup
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon of maple extract
- ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups of pecan halves, chopped
Substitutions And Additions
MAPLE EXTRACT: If you can not find maple extract, don’t worry, your pecan pie will still be delicious without it.
However, I find that it adds that extra special touch to the flavor of your pecan pie and makes it stand out against your basic pecan pie recipe.
PIE CRUST: If you have a favorite homemade pie crust recipe feel free to use that for this traditional pecan pie.
We also have a delicious recipe for a flaky crust you can use as well. Check it out here.
I like to use a good quality pre-made crust as a time saver, especially during the holidays when you may be doing lots of other baking.
KARO SYRUP: You can opt for a lighter or darker syrup. We think the filling looks quite a bit lighter using the clear syrup versus the dark corn syrup that the recipe calls for.
How To Make This Pecan Pie Recipe
STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with baker’s spray and unroll 1 pre-made pie crust.
Fit the crust to the bottom and sides of your pie dish and crimp the edges of the crust. Set aside.
STEP TWO: In a small saucepan, melt butter, white sugar, and Karo syrup on medium-low heat for one to two minutes or until completely smooth. Turn off the heat.
STEP THREE: Add the vanilla extract, maple extract, salt, and all-purpose flour to the sugar mixture and mix well, making sure no flour lumps remain.
STEP FOUR: In a large bowl, whisk your eggs so that they are light and fluffy. While constantly whisking, slowly drizzle the sugar mixture into the eggs.
PRO TIP:
Make sure that you do not pour all the warm sugar mixture into the eggs at once because you will risk scrambling your eggs, and that will not make a smooth filling for your pecan pie.
STEP FIVE: Add your chopped pecans to your pie filling mixture and stir to incorporate.
PRO TIP:
I prefer to chop my pecans for the filling of this pie because it distributes the pecans much better, and when you are eating, you don’t get big chunks of nuts in your bite.
I also like to use some whole pecans to make a pretty design on the top of my pie for presentation on special occasions. Feel free to skip the whole ones on top if you wish.
All the chopped pecans will naturally rise to the top as it bakes, and you will still have a beautiful pie.
STEP SIX: Gently pour your pecan filling mixture into your prepared pie plate.
You will notice that your pecan pieces will rise to the top. Don’t worry, that is what is supposed to happen.
STEP SEVEN: Bake the pie for one hour. Check the pie at 30 minutes, and if the crust seems to be browning too much, you can loosely tent your pecan pie with a piece of aluminum foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
Your pie will be done when it has puffed up slightly and the center of the pie is just ever so slightly jiggly. It will firm up as it cools.
STEP EIGHT: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely on the counter to room temperature before slicing and serving.
PRO TIP:
I highly suggest allowing your pecan pie to chill for an hour or two in the refrigerator before slicing if you want as clean of a cut as possible for this pie.
You will notice that the filling doesn’t always allow for a “pretty” slice of pie if the pie is too warm when trying to slice it.
How To Serve
This classic pecan pie is best served at room temperature to allow the filling to set up and slice nicely.
I suggest serving this pecan pie with a squirt of whipped topping or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Serve the best pecan pie around during the holiday season for Thanksgiving dinner or other holiday gatherings alongside our apple pie and pumpkin pie.
There is nothing richer and more decadent than a good pecan pie dessert. Try our easy recipes for pecan pie bars and pecan pie cheesecake.
MORE PIE RECIPES
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
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Banana Pudding Pie
Storage
MAKE-AHEAD: You can make your delicious pecan pie ahead of time (up to one day) and store it loosely covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
Make sure that you allow it to cool down on the counter for a couple of hours before putting it into the refrigerator.
When you are ready to serve, you can serve it cold or let it sit out on the counter to come to room temperature.
ON THE COUNTER/IN THE FRIDGE: You can store this perfect dessert on the counter, covered, for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for up to four days.
IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze this old-fashioned pecan pie for up to a month in advance. Make sure you cover it well before freezing.
The only problem with this homemade pecan pie is that it’s so delicious, you won’t be able to stop at just one slice. With a buttery pie crust and sweet filling packed with lots of pecans and the best flavor around, this heavenly pie will be a sure winner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze pecan pie?
This perfect pecan pie can be frozen for up to a month in advance.
What is Karo syrup?
Karo syrup is a brand of corn syrup that does not contain any high-fructose corn syrup.
Can I make this pie ahead of time?
This pie is a great dessert to make ahead of time. Make it a day in advance and store it in the fridge to keep it fresh.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Eggnog Pie
- Banana Pudding Pie
- Arkansas Possum Pie
- Custard Pie
- Lemon Chiffon Cake
- Apple Slab Pie
- Lemon Custard Pie
- Pecan Pie Balls
- Best Chocolate Pie Recipe
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Pecan Pie
5 from 1 vote
This pecan pie features a rich and gooey pecan filling inside a buttery and flaky pastry crust.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 minute minute
Total Time 11 minutes minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 pre-made pie crust
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light Karo syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 cups pecans chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with baker’s spray and unroll 1 pre-made pie crust. Fit the crust to the bottom and sides of your pie dish and crimp the edges of your crust. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter, sugar, and Karo syrup on medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until completely smooth. Turn off the heat.
Add the vanilla extract, maple extract, salt and all-purpose flour to the sugar mixture and mix well, making sure no flour lumps remain.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk your eggs so that they are light and fluffy. While constantly whisking, slowly drizzle the sugar mixture into the eggs. Make sure that you do not pour all the warm sugar mixture into the eggs at once because you will risk scrambling your eggs, and that will not make a smooth filling for your pecan pie.
Add your chopped pecan to your filling mixture and stir to incorporate.
Gently pour your pecan filling mixture into your prepared pie plate. You will notice that your pecan pieces will rise to the top. Don’t worry that is what is supposed to happen.
Bake your pie for 1 hour. Check your pie at 30 minutes, and if the crust seems to be browning too much, you can loosely tent your pecan pie with aluminum foil for the remainder of the bake time. Your pie will be done when it has puffed up slightly, and the center is just ever so slightly jiggly. It will firm up as it cools.
Remove pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely on the counter to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Make sure that you do not pour all the warm sugar mixture into the eggs at once because you will risk scrambling your eggs, and that will not make a smooth filling for your pecan pie.
- I prefer to chop my pecan for the filling of this pie because it distributes the pecans much better, and when you are eating, you don’t get big chunks of nuts in your bite. I also like to use some whole pecans to make a pretty design on the top of my pie for presentation on special occasions. Feel free to skip the whole ones on top if you wish. All the chopped pecan will naturally rise to the top as it bakes, and you will still have a beautiful pie.
- I highly suggest allowing your pecan pie to chill for an hour or two in the refrigerator before slicing if you want as clean of a cut as possible for this pie. You will notice that the filling doesn’t always allow for a “pretty” slice of pie if the pie is too warm when trying to slice it.
Nutrition
Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 284mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 308IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg
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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!
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