This classic southern pecan pie is packed with nuts and a sweet caramel like filling baked in a flaky buttery crust. It is a Thanksgiving classic and a delicious treat any day of the year.
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Why this recipe works
Thanksgiving is just about the only time I bake pies. During the winter I make a lot of chicken pot pie and occasionally I'll make a quiche. But I never really make dessert pies the rest of the year, outside of key lime pie for summer barbecues.
But when Thanksgiving comes around this classic homemade pecan pie is on my table every year. I've tried many different recipes over the years including chocolate bourbon pecan pie, no corn syrup pecan pie, and maple pecan pie, and those are all great too, but this pecan pie recipe is the one I always go back to.
It's got a sweet caramel like filling with a deep flavor from the brown sugar and dark corn syrup and the addition of honey gives it a little more depth. It's loaded up with fresh chopped pecans and baked in a flaky buttery crust.
How to make classic southern pecan pie
- Pecan pie is really simple to make. First line a pie dish with your crust and pour in your pecans. I like mine packed with nuts but if you like a little more of the gooey filling you can reduce the nuts by ½ to 1 cup.
- Then mix together all of the filling ingredients and pour into the dish over top of the pecans.
If you want a fancier presentation you can add whole pecans to the top and arrange in a concentric circle pattern.
How to bake pecan pie
Bake the pie with your oven rack placed in the lower third at 375°F for around 45 minutes. The filling will be puffed up around the edges but still have a slight jiggle in the middle.
Let the pie cool on a wire rack for a few hours until it comes to room temperature before serving.
Can you make pecan pie ahead?
Absolutely yes! for Thanksgiving I usually make my pecan pie the day before so that it has plenty of time to cool and doesn't take up valuable oven space on the big day. It keeps really well covered at room temperature for 1-2 days but if you plan on keeping it longer it's best to refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.
Tips for the best pecan pie
- Use dark corn syrup, brown sugar, and a touch of honey to get a rich and flavorful filling.
- Bake the pie in the lower third of your oven. This will help ensure the bottom of the crust cooks thoroughly and doesn't come out still raw. If you like a well done crust you can partially blind bake the pie before filling and cooking the rest of the way but I don't usually find that necessary.
- Be sure that your pecans on the top of the pie don't burn! If they begin to get too dark you can cover the pie with foil.
- Also make sure to keep an eye on your crust. If it begins to get too dark, cover the edges with foil or a pie shield.
📖 Recipe
Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup dark corn syrup
- 2 tbsp honey
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp melted butter, cooled
- 2 ½ cups rough chopped pecans, plus 1 cup whole pecans for topping if desired
- 1 premade pie crust
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower third of oven and preheat to 375°F.
- Roll pie crust out to a 12 inch diameter circle and place in 9 inch pie dish. Trim edges if needed so you have approximately 1 inch of overhang all the way around the dish. Fold overhang under then crimp edges
- In medium bowl whisk together all ingredients but the pecans until well mixed and frothy
- Pour pecans into the pie crust and spread evenly, then pour the filling mixture over the pecans.
- Place in the oven and bake for around 40-50 minutes until the filling is slightly puffed and almost set in the middle, but still slightly jiggly.
- Let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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