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
can you use Karo light corn syrup with real vanilla?
Do I leave the vanilla out of the recipe if I use corn syrup with vanilla?
Hi Marilyn, I’m unsure exactly how much vanilla is in the corn syrup so I wouldn’t skip it entirely. You can try cutting the vanilla extract in half.
Do you need to poke the crust with a fork before putting the filling in? And did you put the egg wash just on the edge of the crust or over the whole crust?
Hi Lillian, No need to poke holes in the crust. We just brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash – you can watch Sally do this in the video above. Happy baking!
I love this pie but it fell a little after cooling. Is that normal? If not how can I avoid it? Fantastic recipe and the pies looks wonderful!
This recipe is so delicious!!! I love it! I do have a question. I made this pie two years ago, and then again tonight and had the same problem both times. It seems that the filling is leaking into the bottom of the pie, but my crust has no holes or visual cracks when I add the pecans then filling. Do you have advice about why this may be happening or how to avoid it? Thanks for the recipe! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Melissa! That can happen if you roll the pie dough too thin. See if you can keep the dough on the thicker side OR you can try par-baking the crust which will help it “set” before adding the liquid-y filling. Follow the partially blind baking instructions on my How to Blind Bake Pie Crust page.
My Sister is allergic to cinnamon. Could I substitute cinnamon with nutmeg or just omit?
Hi Angie, you can just leave out the cinnamon. No need to replace it with anything.
Super excited to try this, but I’m hoping to make a slightly smaller pie – around 7-8 inches. Do you have recommendations for adjustments to quantities and/or baking time?
Hi Caroline, I’m unsure of the best bake time, but you could halve the recipe for a smaller pie dish. To halve 3 eggs, use 1 egg, then crack a 2nd egg, beat it with a fork, measure it, then use half. Enjoy!
Am I supposed to cook the pie filling in sauce pan ? Or just mix all together ?
other recipes calls for cooking the filling first
Hi Brandy! I don’t cook the filling first, though you certainly can try it if you’d like. This recipe doesn’t really need that extra step.
My very favorite pecan pie recipe. Never fails!
I baked this yesterday and it was a hit with the family. I added walnuts as I did not have enough pecan, and it was just as delicious. Thank you for this recipe.
I have to laugh at some of the reviews. The pie filling is almost to the exact pecan recipe on the back of Karo Syrup bottles. The only real difference is, the brown sugar instead of white sugar and the tad of cinnamon. I’ve been making pecan pies for about 50 years. I generally purchase frozen pie shells. For a pecan pie, you do not need to pre-bake the pie crust. It’s also best to place your pies on a cookie sheet before entering them into the oven. By placing the pies on a cookie sheet, the bottom pie crust should not burn. In addition, the cookie sheet helps keep your oven clean in case of spills or run overs. Pecan pies in a frozen pie shell at 350 degrees usually cook to done in 50 minutes.
Can you make this pie 2 days prior to serving it?
Absolutely. Store in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Do you usr a cover for pie crust edges from the start of the baking time and leave it on throughout the entire cooking time for the pecan pie?
Usually after about 20 minutes of baking or when I notice the edges starting to brown– see step 5.
Hello Sally. Hope your cute family and handsome husband are all well. I have a small question. What happens when the pie is not setting? I have not made this recipe yet, but I want to. I suppose to make a pecan pie. I always come to your blog for something to make. But I have been reading comments. Please get back. Did they make a mistake somewhere? Btw. Your pumpkin pie I made about a month ago was the bomb!! Two nights ago I made your double crust chicken pot pie. My husband and I absolutely loved it!!!
Hi Bonnie! Thank you so much for the well wishes. If the pecan pie isn’t setting, it may not have been cooked long enough. It’s also best to let the pie cool completely before slicing. Pecan pie is supposed to be a little gooey, so expect a soft filling. Hope this helps!
Made this pie today and it was absolutely amazing!! Didn’t get time to take a picture, we all enjoyed it a lot! My husband had it with a scoop of salted Carmel ice cream! So divine
My favorite part was the flaky buttery crust
My first time making a pecan pie, and this was 100% perfect.
I added a little extra cinnamon and used a frozen prepared deep dish pie crust (no shame). Prep time was like 10 mins and recommended bake time was spot on…i didn’t even need the pie shield. I did have a small amount of liquid to discard that just wouldn’t fit into the crust over the pecans.
Thank you for this recipe, i will definitely use it again!
Can these be made into mini pies? I recently made your mini pumpkin pies and would love to try it with the pecan pie filling. Thanks!
Hi Jessica! Here’s my recipe for mini pecan pies.
Hi can I use an already made 9 inch frozen pie crust? I’m making this later this week
Hi Brian, I don’t see why not. Enjoy!
today im making this pecan pie and im using the 9in frozen pie crust. do i still need to use the egg wash?
I made this pecan filling, and put it in the fridge overnight, only to find that the butter had resolidified and separated from the filling. Can I put the filling in the microwave to melt the butter again, or will that not work?
Thanks!
You can simply go ahead and bake the pie. The solidified butter melts in the oven.
Hey, would I be able to put a lattice/top crust on this pie?
Pecan pies are best without a top pie crust. The dough on top can easily submerge into the wet & liquidy pie filling.
Very tasty pie. I love that you don’t have to prebake the crust. However, I put the pie in the oven for the recommended 50 minutes and the entire inside of the pie was still very much a liquid. I think keeping mine in the oven a bit longer may help some. I used a pie tin by the way.
Hi sally,
My husbands been asking me for a walnut pie and I couldn’t find on your blog. Do you think I could replace the pecans in this one with walnuts?
Hi Shanza, Walnuts are absolutely phenomenal in this pie. Use a 1:1 ratio switch. I hope it’s a hit!
If I wanted to try and incorporate whiskey into the filling, how much would you recommend along with any modifications?
Hi Katie, you can add whiskey to this pecan pie recipe. I recommend reducing the corn syrup by 2 Tablespoons (so 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons) then add 2 Tablespoons your favorite whiskey. Whisk it with the other filling ingredients.
So if I had whiskey do 3/4 cup of corn syrup and add 2 tablespoons of liquor? I do not go back and add an additional 2 tablespoons of corn syrup too, right?
Hi Sally, I have made this recipe before in ceramic and glass pie pans and it turned out so well! Could I make it in a tart pan with a removable side/bottom? Thank you for your recipes and help.
Hi Catherine! I’m so glad that you enjoy this pie recipe. Thank you! For the 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 I’m unsure of the bake time. (To halve 3 eggs, use 1 egg and 1 egg yolk.)
Absolutely loved this recipe 🙂 I live in Ireland and it is very hard to find corn syrup so I made my own corn syrup substitute using a recipe I found online, I didn’t quite make enough (I was short about 15grams) but I just used what I had. The result was amazing and my whole family absolutely loved it. I used your all butter pastry recipe and it went really well with the pie even if I did over knead it :\ thank you for a great recipe, will definitely be making it again!
I am a baking novice and followed your pecan pie recipe with tremendous success. Not only was my family shocked that I actually made a pie but they loved it and it got rave reviews. Your instructions were easy to follow and your tutorial was amazing. I have now made 2 pecan pies, maple pecan pie and apple crumble pie. Thank you for starting me on my own baking addiction!
Great recipe! Honestly, the best one I’ve eaten.
Couple things: even better with maple syrup (instead of corn). And it took me 80 min at 375F to bake all the way through.
This is THE BEST PECAN PIE RECIPE EVER!! I followed all of the directions and made no changes. The pie has a very deep flavor without being overly sweet. I used the all butter crust with it and that came out golden brown and flakey. Thank you so much!
Actually, I wasn’t the one who made this, my brother did, but I chose it for him because I trust all of Sally’s recipes. My brother is very VERY beginner and he made this pie SOOO good we almost finished it all in one sitting. So I will be trying this again!!
Hi! Tried making the crust like what you said but they keep breaking as I roll them. I can’t even lift the dough up. Why is that?
Can we knead the dough with our hands or we have to only use the food processor or the butter cutter when mixing flour, butter n shortening?
Hi Anita, For all of best tips on pie crust be sure to read through my post Homemade Buttery Pie Crust and also watch the video in that post!
I have made this pie multiple times and every single time it came out incredible! This time I want to make a smaller pie for my Mom. I was planning on halving the recipe but then saw that it for 3 eggs. I was wondering if I should do 1, 2 or try to do 1 1/2 eggs. How many eggs do you think I should I use if I halved the recipe?
Hi Marcela! I’m glad you enjoy this pecan pie recipe! To halve 3 eggs, use 1 egg then crack a 2nd egg, whisk the yolk and white together, then measure and use half of the beaten egg.
A half-egg usually weighs 25 grams
I substituted the corn syrup with 1/4 cup black strap molasses and 3/4 cup agave and it was amazing. If your a molasses fan give it a shot.
Hey!!! Could you split this recipe in to mini 4” pies?
I can’t see why not! You may have a little more filling than you need. I’m unsure of the exact bake time.