Pecan Pie
A gooey, buttery pecan pie with brown sugar and a little bourbon or vanilla, in a flaky crust, piled with toasted pecans on top.
- Full Meals
- Oven
- No meat
- Dessert
- 105 min total
- Serves 8
Ingredients
Ingredients for servings
Enter a number of at least ½, in steps of ½.
Original recipe serves 8. Ingredient amounts adjust automatically. Cooking times and pan size may need adjusting separately.
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
- 4 tbsp ice water, about
Filling
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup dark corn syrup, or more light
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tbsp bourbon, optional
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Gear
- 9-inch pie plate
- Rolling pin
- Pie weights or dried beans
- Sheet pan
- Instant-read thermometer (helpful)
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Steps
Step 1: CRUST: Make the dough the same way as for pumpkin pie: whisk the flour, sugar and salt, cut in the cold butter, add ice water until it holds together, press into a disk and chill at least 1 hour.
Step 2: Roll to a 12-inch circle, fit into a 9-inch pie plate, trim, fold under and crimp. Freeze 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F, line with parchment and weights, and bake 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake 5 minutes more. Lower the oven to 325°F.
Step 3: Spread the pecans on a sheet pan and toast them in the oven 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant. Cool. Chop 1 cup roughly and leave the rest whole.
Step 4: FILLING: Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in both corn syrups, brown sugar, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla and salt until smooth.
Step 5: Scatter the chopped pecans in the crust. Pour in the filling. Arrange the whole pecan halves on top.
Step 6: Set the pie on a sheet pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the edges are puffed and the center jiggles only slightly. The center should read about 200°F on a thermometer. Cover the edges with foil if they brown too fast.
Step 7: Cool at least 4 hours so the filling sets before slicing.
Game plan
For a holiday dinner:
- 2 days before: Make the crust dough.
- Day before: Roll, freeze and blind-bake the crust. Toast the pecans. Fill and bake. Cool on the counter at least 4 hours, then cover.
- Holiday: Keep it at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge for longer. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Two-pie day: Bake the pumpkin pie first at 350°F, then lower the oven to 325°F for this one.
Swaps
- Corn syrup: Use all maple syrup for a maple pecan pie; reduce the brown sugar to 1/2 cup.
- Chocolate: Scatter 3/4 cup chocolate chips with the chopped pecans.
- No alcohol: Skip the bourbon and add 1 extra tsp vanilla.
Tips
- Toasting the pecans makes a huge difference. Raw pecans taste flat by comparison.
- Use a sheet pan under the pie. Pecan pie bubbles over sometimes, and burnt sugar on the oven floor smokes like crazy.
The story
HAM Cooking. Let’s fire it up.
Pecan pie is basically candy that put on a crust and showed up to Thanksgiving pretending to be dessert. I respect the hustle.
The filling is a sugar syrup thickened with eggs. That’s why it’s so sweet and gooey, and also why it needs to be baked low and slow. At a lower temperature, the eggs set gently all the way through before the top burns or the filling boils and separates. You’re looking for a slight jiggle in the middle when it comes out. As it cools, it firms up into that perfect sliceable goo.
Two little upgrades make this one stand out. Toasting the pecans first wakes up their oils and makes them taste nuttier and richer. And a pinch of salt keeps all that sweetness from getting cloying. A splash of bourbon adds some warmth too. It all bakes off. Mostly.
HAM out.
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