This Best Pecan Pie recipe is hands down the easiest and best tasting pecan pie around! Ditch the corn syrup and use maple syrup instead to make an ultra-smooth, not too sweet filling in just 15 minutes. Then bake in your favorite crust with chopped pecans for a pie that slices beautifully for easy holiday serving. Hope you’re ready for rave reviews!
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Pecan Pie is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season! But pecan pies are often disappointing… they are so sweet that I can’t eat more than a few bites, plus the filling often has a slightly curdled texture that is definitely not my favorite. And, although whole pecans make a pie look beautiful, they cause major cracking when you slice… so you end up with a less-than-appealing pile of brown mush on your plate. 😬
🥇 Why this pie is great
The Best Pecan Pie recipe is the solution to ALL my woes. It’s a slightly modified take on America’s Test Kitchen recipe and they got it right!
- This recipe uses no corn syrup. Instead it uses maple syrup and brown sugar. They sweeten the filling just enough without it being overpowering.
- The pie is cooked at just the right temperature for a smooth texture - no curdled eggs here!
- It uses chopped pecans instead of whole pecans so you can have clean, pretty slices.
- And if all that wasn’t enough, this recipe is ridiculously easy to make. 😏
🍂 Ingredients
Pie crust: You can make a homemade pie crust, buy a refrigerated one, or use a frozen pre-formed crust.
Pecans: Start with whole pecans or pecan halves, then toast them to bring out all the flavor!
Maple syrup: No corn syrup! Maple syrup adds amazing flavor that perfectly compliments the pecans, but isn’t too sweet.
Light brown sugar: This adds depth of flavor to the syrup and gives the filling a super smooth texture.
Heavy cream: Cream evens out the sweetness of the filling and gives it a creamy consistency.
Molasses: Dark molasses is best because it has more flavor, but you can substitute light molasses if needed.
Salt: As with every sweet dessert, a little salt helps draw out the flavors and tame the sweetness.
Butter: I use salted butter, but unsalted works just fine.
Egg yolks: Add at the very end to finish the filling.
🔪 Instructions
- Preheat the oven. First, place an oven rack in the lowest position and place an empty sheet pan on the rack. Close the oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Prepare pie crust. Use a homemade or store-bought crust. Roll your dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle that is about ⅛-inch thick. Gently fold the pie crust in half, then in half again to form a rough triangle shape (think pizza slice). Pick up the folded dough and place the point in the center of the pie dish. Unfold the crust to cover the dish, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Gently press the dough into the pan, trim the overhang to about a ½-inch on all sides, and use the overhang to form a crimped edge if desired. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Toast the pecans. On the sheet pan in the oven, toast the pecans at 350° for 3-5 minutes, stirring once or twice throughout. Pecans should be fragrant, but not burned. Remove from the sheet pan and chop.
- Increase the temperature. Place the empty sheet pan back in the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
- Make the filling. In a medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, heavy cream, and molasses over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the butter and salt. Last, add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
- Assemble the pie. Remove the pie shell from the fridge and sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly on the bottom. Pour the filling over the pecans.
- Bake. Immediately place the pie on the sheet pan in the oven on the lowest rack. Close the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 325°F. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the filling is set and the center jiggles just slightly when shaken.
- Cool and serve. Remove pie from oven and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Before serving, bring pie to room temperature and top with whipped cream.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
The Best Pecan Pie serves 8 people at a minimum and more if you do small servings. If you need to make two pies, I prefer to make them one at a time. I prep my pie crusts and put them in the fridge. Then I make the filling for the first pie and bake it right away. Once it is out of the oven, I repeat the process for the second pie.
If you must, you can bake them at the same time. But make sure to rotate the racks they are on halfway through the baking. My most important tip: whichever way you bake them, make sure to wait to pour the pie filling into the crust until right before baking. Otherwise the crust will get soggy.
🙋 Questions and Answers
To check if your pecan pie is done, gently shake the pie pan. If the filling appears to be set on the edges but just barely jiggles in the center, then it is done. If it jiggles a lot in the center, it is not quite finished.
Pecan pie filling does not thicken very much as it is cooling, so it is important to make sure it is baked enough to begin with.
Yes, you can make the pie and refrigerate it for up to 2-3 days in advance. Make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap after the first 3 hours in the fridge. You can also freeze the pie ahead (see my freezing instructions below).
Yes, you can freeze pecan pie easily, but only after baking. Allow the pie to cool for 1 hour at room temperature and then refrigerate for 3 hours. Then wrap it carefully in plastic wrap and foil (or store in a large air-tight container) and freeze for up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw it overnight in the fridge and then bring to room temperature before slicing.
Store pecan pie in an air-tight container or wrap the pie plate in plastic wrap. The pie should be refrigerated and not left out longer than a few hours.
Pecan pie lasts for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. If you want it to last longer, freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months.
📖 Other great dessert recipes
- White Chocolate Sundae with Blondie Sauce - Top these easy white chocolate blondies with vanilla ice cream and maple sauce for a delicious fall dessert.
- Cake in a Cast Iron Skillet - The best Cast Iron Skillet Cake! Made with buttermilk for a moist cake and an addictive pecan praline topping.
- Chocolate Buttermilk Bundt Cake - This bundt cake is super moist, full of chocolate flavor, and finished with a luscious chocolate ganache.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Prep the ingredients before you start. In my opinion, taking 5 minutes at the beginning to have everything measured makes the rest of the process stress free.
- Dissolve the sugar all the way. Otherwise the filling will be grainy.
- Bake the pie as soon as you pour the filling into the crust. If it sits in the crust for even a few minutes you could end up with a soggy crust.
- Slice the pie with this knife. It is our favorite knife for cutting clean, straight lines in all kinds of desserts!
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📋 Recipe
The Best Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust store-bought or homemade
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon dark molasses
- 4 tablespoon butter cut into ½ inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 egg yolks lightly beaten
- 1½ cups pecans
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the lowest position and place an empty sheet pan on the rack. Close the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Prepare Pie Crust
- Roll your dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle that is about ⅛-inch thick.
- Gently fold the pie crust in half, then in half again to form a rough triangle shape (think pizza slice). Pick up the folded dough and place the point in the center of the pie dish. Unfold the crust to cover the dish, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides.
- Gently press the dough into the pan, trim the overhang to about a ½-inch on all sides, and use the overhang to form a crimped edge if desired. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Toast Pecans
- On the sheet pan in the oven, toast the pecans at 350° for 3-5 minutes, stirring once or twice throughout. Pecans should be fragrant, but not burned. Remove from the sheet pan and chop roughly.
- Place the empty sheet pan back in the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
Make Pecan Pie Filling
- In a medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, heavy cream, and molasses over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the butter and salt. Last, add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
Assemble and Bake
- Remove the pie shell from the fridge and sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly on the bottom. Pour the filling over the pecans.
- Immediately place the pie on the sheet pan in the oven on the lowest rack. Close the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 325°F. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the filling is set and the center jiggles just slightly when shaken.
- Remove pie from oven and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Before serving, bring pie to room temperature and top with whipped cream.
Notes
- Prep the ingredients before you start. In my opinion, taking 5 minutes at the beginning to have everything measured makes the rest of the process stress free.
- Dissolve the sugar all the way. Otherwise the filling will be grainy.
- Bake the pie as soon as you pour the filling into the crust. If it sits in the crust for even a few minutes you could end up with a soggy crust.
- Slice the pie with this knife. It is our favorite knife for cutting clean, straight lines in all kinds of desserts!
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Amber says
Oh. My. Goodness! This was amazing! My nephew said he will request it every year for his birthday.