Best Pecan Pie Recipe

This best pecan pie recipe is filled with nuts and has a caramel-like sweet and gooey filling. It is all baked in a flaky, buttery pie crust.

What is pecan pie?

Pecan pie is a classic dessert that is just as traditional as apple pie or pumpkin pie. This best pecan pie recipe is made up of pecans and a filling of eggs, butter and sugar. There are many variations of pecan pie, and this one uses corn syrup and some molasses.

What ingredients are needed?

• flour - I use all purpose flour for the pie dough.
• sugar - I like to sweeten the pie dough just a bit when making a sweet pie.
• salt - salt is used both in the pie dough and the filling.
• shortening/lard - I like using a lard for my pie doughs. Shortening works well too though.
• milk/water - I use a combination of milk and water to give moisture to the pie dough.
• pecans - make sure to buy whole pecans and roughly chop them yourself.
• eggs - This recipe uses 3 large eggs.
• corn syrup - There are other ingredients you can use in it's place, but corn syrup is arguably the best ingredient as it makes for a more stable filling.
• brown sugar - You can use either regular brown sugar or dark brown sugar.
• unsulfured molasses - A little bit of molasses helps amp the filling flavour.
• unsalted butter - You will melt the butter so no need to set it out for softening.
• vanilla extract - Use real vanilla extract for best flavour.

How to make pecan pie

Start the pie by making the pie crust first. My flaky pie crust recipe makes enough for a double crust pie, but you can freeze half of it for later use.

Once your pie crust is in the pie dish, set it in the freezer while you make the filling. This will help keep the pie crust from shrinking a lot during baking.

Set the pecans aside and whisk together the rest of the filling ingredients. When you are ready, take the pie crust out of the freezer. Place the pecans in the bottom of the pie dish and pour the filling overtop of them. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the top of the pie is golden.

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How to serve

Pecan pie needs to cool completely after being baked so that the filling sets, about 2 hours. Pecan pie is best served at room temperature. It can be warmed up, but the filling will be runny. Serve your pecan pie with a side of ice cream!

How to freeze

Pecan pie is a great pie to freeze. Bake the pie as directed, allow it to cool completely and then wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Place it in a freezer zip top bag or an air tight container, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To thaw a frozen pecan pie, transfer it to a fridge and let it completely thaw.

Tips and substitutions

• Make sure the pie cools completely after baking, about 2 hours! The filling will be too runny when it comes out of the oven and it needs this time to firm up.
• The pie crust makes enough for a double crust pie. You only need 1 crust for this pie so freeze the other for another use. You can also use a store bought pie crust.
• Use a pie shield partly through baking if you crust is getting too browned. Make your own by cutting a 9-inch circle with aluminum foil and then cutting a large hole out if it's center.
• You can use light or dark corn syrup. Corn syrup is the glue that holds the pecan pie together and is most traditional in a pecan pie. I have no other substitutions for this.
• If you want to add whisky to the pecan pie, reduce the corn syrup by 2 tablespoons and add in 2 tablespoons of your favourite whisky. Whisk it into the filling ingredients.
• To make a different nut pie, just replace the 2.5 cups of chopped pecans with 2.5 cups of another nut.