That Old-School Pecan Pie
“Tried and true classic pecan pie recipe; perfectly sweet gooey filling, crunchy candied pecans, and the best buttery homemade pie crust ever!”
I have wanted my very own pecan tree for so many years. My sisters and I are all obsessed with edible landscaping and we’ve been discussing all the yummy things we’re going to add to our yards. (Yep we are officially old!)
I had plans to put a pecan tree in my yard this winter. They take about 10 years to start producing nuts so I wanted to hurry and get the biggest one I could find in the ground.
As I was taking a walk through my front yard (I don’t usually hang out in my front yard that much) guess what I found hidden amongst the oak trees?
A FREAKIN PECAN TREE!!!
Y’all, I have been at this house for years and I’ve never noticed it before! It’s full of pecans ready to drop so I found it just in time to enjoy the harvest.
And if that wasn’t enough, right beside it was a persimmon tree (with lots of persimmons) and a blackberry and raspberry bush.
I guess the deer, squirrels, and birds have been secretly enjoying this little buffet all these years.
I bet you already know the first thing I’m making for Thanksgiving when those pecans are picked and dried right?
Yep, pecan pies!! One of my husband’s favorite desserts!
What is Pecan Pie?
Pecan pie is a Southern staple that starts with a basic pie crust. However, my pie crust recipe is anything but basic! *toot goes my horn*
The pie crust is topped with an ultra-sweet, rich, gooey pecan pie filling reminiscent of a caramel-butterscotch flavor and loaded with toasted pecans.
As the pie bakes the pecans float to the top creating a crunchy, candied pecan crust.
Eating pecan pie is a heavenly experience!
Best Pie Crust for Pecan Pie
In my opinion, a pie crust can make or break a pie. You can certainly use a store-bought frozen pie crust for this pecan pie recipe but boooooo. Make it from scratch for the ultimate pecan pie experience.
I use THIS pie crust recipe for ALL of my pies because it’s so perfectly flaky and tastes like a buttermilk biscuit. Roll it out thin and place it into a 9-inch pie plate.
People always comment on this pie crust. It really is that good! If you’ve never made homemade pie crust before, no worries it’s super easy and so worth it!
How to make the BEST pecan pie recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 chilled 9-inch pie crust shell, unbaked (Use this recipe)
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves (I use a mixture of chopped pecans and halves)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- cinnamon, generous pinch
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Spread pecans in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes or until toasted. Be careful not to burn them.
- Remove pecans from oven and let cool. They will become crunchier as they cool. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
- Add light corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla extract and stir with a rubber spatula until everything is combined and smooth.
- Add eggs to a separate bowl and whisk until uniform in color.
- Add the eggs to the mixture and stir until completely combined.
- Spread the toasted pecans on the bottom of the pie crust into an even layer.
- Gently pour on the filling.
- Let the pie sit for about 5-10 minutes until the pecans have floated to the top.
- Bake on the middle rack for 65-75 minutes (or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pie reads 200 F.) Tent loosely with aluminum foil at the 30-minute mark if the pie begins to get too dark. Be careful that the foil does not touch the filling or it may stick.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 2-3 hours or until the pie is at room temperature. (This is very important since the pie will be slightly jiggly in the center once removed from the oven and needs to cool in order to set. If the bottom of the pan is still warm the pie is not cooled enough.)
- When the pie has cooled completely, slice and serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers and bring the pie to room temperature before serving.
Tips For Making The BEST Pecan Pie Recipe
- Toast the pecan: Don’t skip this step! Toasting gives pecans a crunchier texture and deeper pecan flavor.
- Let it cool completely. Seriously, don’t cut this pie until it is 100% cooled off. If the bottom of the pan is still warm, it’s not cooled off. I usually make my pecan pies a day ahead so that they sit in the fridge for a firmer set.
- Feeling extra naughty? Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened heavy cream!
FAQs
- What can be used in place of corn syrup? I have never made pecan pie using anything but corn syrup so I can’t recommend a suitable replacement for sure. I’ve heard some people had luck with using maple syrup.
- Can I use walnuts instead of pecans? Sure, I don’t see why not!
- How do you store pecan pie? Store pecan pie covered in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Why didn’t my pecan pie set up? Pecan pie is meant to be a soft set pie. The filling is very gooey and rich and because it’s under a heavy candied pecan crust it won’t get very high. However, the filling should not be runny. If your filling is runny chances are you didn’t cook it long enough or give it a long enough time to set. I usually always make my pecan pie the day before. This gives it a chance to set completely in the fridge.
- Can I add chocolate to this pecan pie recipe? Yes, 2-4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder will give this pecan pie a lovely chocolate flavor. Here’s my recipe for chocolate pecan pie.
In the mood for more homemade pies?
Get the Recipe: Old-School Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie crust shell, unbaked (See notes for recipe)
- 1½ cups pecan halves (I use a mixture of chopped pecans and halves)
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- cinnamon, generous pinch
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Spread pecans in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes or until toasted. Be careful not to burn them.
- Remove pecans from oven and let cool. They will become crunchier as they cool. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
- Add light corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla extract and stir with a rubber spatula until everything is smooth.
- Add eggs to a separate bowl and whisk until uniform in color.
- Add the eggs to the mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Spread the toasted pecans on the bottom of the pie crust into an even layer.
- Gently pour on the filling.
- Let the pie sit for about 5-10 minutes until the pecans have floated to the top. (see note)
- Bake on the middle rack for 65-75 minutes (or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pie reads 200 F.) Tent loosely with aluminum foil at the 30-minute mark if the pie gets too dark. Be careful that the foil does not touch the filling, or it may stick.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 2-3 hours or until it is at room temperature. (This is important since the pie will be slightly jiggly in the center once removed from the oven and needs to cool to set. If the bottom of the pan is still warm, the pie is not cooled enough.)
- When the pie has cooled completely, slice and serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers and bring the pie to room temperature before serving.
Hi! I made this pie and it soo easy and quick. My pie came out too runny when I sliced it. I followed the directions exactly as it written
Is there any tricks to avoid a runny pie after I’ve baked it?
Can the pecan pie be left to sit out on the counter unrefrigerated?
Oops!! Next to the last sentence should say fade out.
This pie looks great. I could only watch the video if I kept moving the cursor over the picture. It would fade out for a few seconds and come back on. Every time I stopped moving the cursor it would fade to. Never had that to happen.