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 dessert recipe!
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more helpful success tips.
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.
One reader, Jenna, commented: “I’ve made this recipe more than a few times now and it’s so incredible. It has turned me, someone who does not like nuts, into someone who LOVES pecan pie. It’s honestly so amazing and it’s an easy to follow recipe. Thank you so much! ★★★★★“
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.
More Thanksgiving Pie Recipes
- Caramel Pear Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
- Apple Pie with Chai Spices
- Sweet Potato Pie (like the dessert version of Sweet Potato Casserole!)
- Apple Pie
- Butterscotch Pie
And make sure to check out my list of the 10 best tools for baking pies!
This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
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My Favorite Pecan Pie Recipe
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
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! No need to pre-bake the crust.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 unbaked Flaky Pie Crust (what I used) or All Butter Pie Crust*
- egg wash for pie crust: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream
Filling
- 2 and 1/2 cups (250g) shelled pecans (pecan halves)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) dark corn syrup*
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare my pie crust through step 5.
- After the pie dough chills, adjust oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 350°F (177°C).
- Roll out the chilled pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Remember, when rolling out the pie dough, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center and work your way out in all directions, rotating the dough with your hands as you go. Roll it out into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough in a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it’s smooth. For a beautiful edge, as shown in the video tutorial, fold the overhanging dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. Again, you can see me do this in the video above or in my separate how to crimp and flute pie crust tutorial. Brush the edges with egg wash. (To help guarantee a beautiful edge, I always chill the shaped dough in the pie dish for 10 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer before filling.)
- The filling: Very roughly chop the pecans—some whole, some coarsely chopped is fine. Spread pecans evenly inside pie crust. Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, melted butter, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl until combined. Pour over pecans.
- Bake the pie for 50–55 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. You can also tent a piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie if it is browning too quickly. Remove finished pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. The pie filling will settle as it cools.
- Slice and serve pie warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.
- Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for 1–2 days or in the refrigerator for 4–5 days.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: Pecan pie is a wonderful dessert to make ahead of time. You can get started by combining all the filling ingredients (except the pecans) one day ahead of time. Keep it covered tightly in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the pie. You can also make the pie dough 1–5 days in advance since it needs to chill. If you want to bake the pie 1 full day in advance, bake it as directed, allow it to completely cool, then cover tightly and keep at room temperature until ready to serve the next day.
- Freezing Instructions: 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.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Rolling Pin | 9-inch Pie Dish | Pastry Brush | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pie Crust Shield | Cooling Rack
- Pie Crust: Both linked pie crust recipes make 2 crusts. You only need 1 crust for this pie, so freeze the 2nd half for another use or another one-crust pie like pumpkin pie.
- Corn Syrup: You can use light corn syrup instead. I have no substitution suggestions yielding the same texture, moisture, and flavor. Corn syrup is a must in traditional pecan pie. For a variation without corn syrup, try my maple pecan pie.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi, if we’re using a frozen premade crust, is it still necessary to brush the edges with an egg wash? Thanks, looking forward to making this!
Hi Mikayla, you can certainly use store bought pie crust. Thaw and then use as directed in the recipe. Enjoy!
yikes thought I had it, any substitute for vanilla? could I do extra cinnamon or other spices? thank you, Bonnie
Hi Bonnie, we haven’t tried this recipe with a vanilla substitute. Let us know what you try!
At 65 years old, I just made my first pie ever, using your flaky pie crust and pecan pie recipes. I had to make the crust gluten free for my sister in law. Difficult, especially for my first pie! Came out very good though. I had light corn syrup so I mixed a little molasses with it. I also added a small handful of tiny chocolate morsels. I used Millet flour which is very course. It didn’t hold together well, making transfer of the rolled out dough into the pie dish quite challenging. I’m very happy with the results. Thank you for your recipe. Your video was very helpful as well!
I love this recipe and have made it for years. In my Alabama family using dark Karo is a must. The only change I make is adding a teaspoon or two of flour to the filling to keep it from being sometimes runny.
I just wanted to say thank you for answering comments today. I’m sure you’re busy while the rest of scramble to try this. Mine is in the oven as we speak. I just read to my 13 year old son and let him do the work. I hope everything on your table tomorrow turns out just how you like.
We’re happy to help, Katy! Hope the pie is a hit 🙂
You don’t state the baking temperature!
Hi Jan, see step 2: After the pie dough chills, adjust oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 350°F (177°C).
Oops! I completely missed that. Thank you so much!
The pie looks amazing but I see that the filling leaked through the bottom of the crust. Any tips to keep this from happening?
Hi Anjie! Make sure there are no pieces of fat too large in the dough. They can melt when the dough bakes, making holes for the filling to seep through.
Can you use molasses instead of corn syrup?
We’ve never tested that, Sarah Ashley. Let us know if you do!
Can you use light corn syrup. Vs dark? I am excited to make this recipe!
Hi Kristina, you can use light corn syrup instead of dark. Enjoy!
If I’m using a frozen pie crust do I need to let it thaw before I start adding the filling?
Hi Cole, You can use frozen dough with no other changes to the recipe. Thaw in the refrigerator prior to using and then following the instructions from this recipe.
The absolute best pie recipe, including the buttery crust recipe! I received so many compliments that it was the best pie my family ever had!
If I were to convert this to a slab pie(I know you have a bar like recipe ), would I double the ingredients? And adjust baking time, of course.
Hi Kari, we’d use an 11×7 inch baking pan to make a slab pie. If you want to use a bigger pan to increase the ingredients, here’s everything you need to know to adjust the ingredients for the pan size. Hope it’s a hit!
I make this recipe every year, and I love it, but sometimes it still comes out runny even though it looks set. Any idea what causes this?
Hi Mollie, the slices will still be a bit gooey, which is the texture you’re going for. If it’s still super runny and won’t even slice, try chopping up the pecans a bit finer.
Could you use a deep dish pie crust as well? Thanks!
Hi Chip, yes, that should be fine. Enjoy!
Can I save some time & use a store bought crust? What should I change In the steps?
Absolutely! The baking instructions remain the same if using store-bought.
I love this recipe, very good. Homemade crust is a must. I do have an update for your notes for you. If you don’t have dark corn syrup you can substitute with 3/4 cup light corn syrup + 1/4 cup molasses.
Hi Sally! I can’t wait to try this for Thanksgiving. I do have a question: my aunt wants a pecan pie with chocolate chips. Would I be able to add chocolate chips to this recipe, or do you think I should leave them out?
Thank you so much for all you do! You’ve taught me so much about baking! 🙂
Here is this recipe with chocolate chips: Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie. Just sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the pecans before pouring on the filling. Hope it’s a hit!
I made this pecan pie for the first time and was told it wasn’t gooey enough Did I bake it too long Other then that they loved it
Hi Diane! Yes, it could have been over-baked. Glad it was a hit anyway!
I baked this pie yesterday and after letting it cool overnight I found the filling was still pretty runny when I cut into it. Do you have any suggestions to help with that? How do I know if it’s fully cooked when I take it out of the oven?
Hi Josh! You’re looking for just a little jiggle from the filling when it’s done. You don’t want it to look more liquid-y than that.
Pecan pie is my favorite! Thank you for sharing, I was wondering, do you use raw pecans for this?
Yes – hope you enjoy!
I make this pie every year for Thanks! It’s wonderful. This year I want to make it in advance and freeze it. I typically bake it in an OXO glass pie dish or a ceramic dish. Can these go in the freezer? What dish do you use that’s freezer safe?
Hi Allison! We’ve had no issues with our glass pie dishes.
Perfect! I loved this recipe, and it was a big hit with the family at Thanksgiving!
What size pie pan do you use with this favorite pecan pie recipe? Looking forward to making it.
Hi Sheryl, We use a 9-inch pie pan. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, I read you not about no substitutions for corn syrup. I Trish suggested: I use Golden Syrup anytime a recipe calls for corn syrup.
Have you tried it ? What’s your opinion ?
If you haven’t tried it, please due.
I really value your opinion.
Thank you
Hi Richard, we have not tested this pie with Lyle’s Golden Syrup, but I understand that it’s a good sub for corn syrup. We will add this to our list of things to test, and update the post when we do!
Tyvm, baking first pie right now this very minute!
You can also use Lyle’s Golden Syrup in place of corn syrup. Made from cane sugar. Also, toast the pecans for added depth of flavor!
Pecan pie is my favorite! Do you have suggestions for baking this pie at elevation? For reference, I live in Denver, Colorado. Thank you!
Hi MJ, We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html Let us know what you try!
Can I make this in a tart pan? Should I half the filling?
For a tart pan, it depends on the size and depth– there is too much filling for a typical 9-inch tart pan. You could halve the filling recipe, but we’re unsure of the bake time. (To halve 3 eggs, use 1 egg and 1 egg yolk.)
Have you ever made this as a slab so it could be cut into bars?
Hi Marci! We’d use an 11×7 inch baking pan to make a slab pie. Or you may love these brown butter pecan pie bars as well!
Hi, what are the quantities? eggs, butter, sugar… By the way thank you very much for the recipe.
Hi Justina, if you scroll about halfway down the post, you’ll see the full recipe with all of the quantities for each ingredient.
Hey, Sally!
How would I incorporate Bourbon into this recipe?
Thank you for your help!
Kind regards,
Abigail
Hi Abigail, you absolutely can add bourbon to this pecan pie recipe. We recommend reducing the corn syrup by 2 Tablespoons (so 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons) then add 2 Tablespoons of your favorite bourbon. Whisk it with the other filling ingredients. Hope it’s a hit!
I love your recipes. I have always made pecan pie using the recipe on the Karo syrup bottle. And every time the pie is cemented to the pan. I don’t detect boil over evidence or crust damage that would cause leaking. Any suggestions? I plan on making your recipe for Thanksgiving, and want to avoid chiselling my pie servings. Thanks much.
Hi Kathryn, it’s likely the filling seeps under the crust somewhere, and maybe you can’t detect where. This one is a little easier to remove from the dish. There’s no pre-baking the crust, so it’s nice and tender and easy to remove from the pie dish with the baked filling, especially after cooling completely.
Good morning,
My grandmother always put the pie ingredients (minus the eggs) into a saucepan to thicken it up before pouring into the pie crust. Will skipping that step make for a runny filling?
Thanks!
Hi Lori, this recipe doesn’t call for pre-cooking the filling, and you shouldn’t have a runny filling. Enjoy the pie!