This is THE pecan pie recipe for your Thanksgiving table; it has a handmade crust and a luscious pecan filling. It can be prepared a day or two in advance, or much longer if frozen.
To celebrate Thanksgiving, what is your go-to pie recipe? For me, it’s a toss-up between apple, pumpkin, and this pecan pie. I am so fond of all of these dishes that I always prepare one of each for our Thanksgiving dinner. But this Pecan Pie is always the first to go!
A brief history of Pecan Pie
Pecans are native to North America. It’s only natural that, along with traditional Thanksgiving fares like turkey, pumpkin, and cranberries, pecan pie would make an annual appearance at the holiday.
However, the actual pecan pie is a relatively modern creation. While the first published pecan pie recipe date back to the late 1800s, it wasn’t until the 1930s that corn syrup, a key component in the pie, became a household staple thanks to the marketing efforts of a company called Karo.
What Do You Need To Make This Pecan Pie Recipe?
Most pecan pie recipes I’ve come across call for two cups of sweetener—one cup of corn syrup and one cup of granulated or brown sugar. That’s a little too sweet for my taste. So I reduced the sugar in this pecan pie recipe by half a cup. Feel free to lessen or add more to your liking.
The nuts’ natural sweetness is highlighted by the addition of molasses, butter, and vanilla. Remember that nuts get rotten when stored for long periods, thus only use the freshest pecans in this pie.
What you need:
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Unbaked 9-inch pie crust
- Pecans
- Light corn syrup: Replace light corn syrup with dark if needed. There are also several alternatives to corn syrup, including maple syrup, honey, agave, and golden syrup. But to keep the filling at the desired thickness, a few tablespoons of flour should be added.
- Brown sugar
- Molasses (unsulphured): Honey or maple syrup are suitable stand-ins. Or you could simply skip it.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
To make this recipe gluten-free (you should use these ingredients instead):
Use gluten-free pie crust like Pillsbury™ Refrigerated Gluten Free Pie Crust and Pastry Crust.
Use only pure vanilla extract or the ones tested and labeled as gluten-free especially if you are extremely sensitive to gluten.
How To Make Pecan Pie Recipe?
Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F. Mix the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Use a wooden spoon to beat without a mixer.
Brown sugar:
Corn syrup:
Vanilla:
Butter:
Molasses:
And salt:
Step 2: Cover a frozen pie crust with chopped pecans.
Cover pecans with filling. (You can decorate the surface with the entire pecan halves you saved).
It should Look’s Like this:
Step 3: It takes about an hour and a half in a 350°F oven to bake this pie until the crust is golden. The center of the pie should be somewhat jiggly (like Jell-O) but the sides should be firm. As it cools, it will firm up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Serve Pecan Pie Recipe?
Pecan pies, once baked, should be allowed to cool to room temperature before serving. If you prefer warm pie, wait until it has cooled to room temperature and the filling has set, then heat it in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes. Pecan pie is often served at room temperature.
How to Keep Pecan Pie Recipe?
Pies with egg-based fillings, such as this pecan pie, must often be refrigerated. I frequently bake pecan pie the day before, tent it lightly with aluminum foil, and leave it on the counter. And I’ve never had a problem.
The leftover pie should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Pecan pie keeps well in the freezer. Bake it and set it aside to cool it entirely. Wrap the pie in a second layer of durable plastic wrap, pressing out any air, and freeze for up to a month.
Before serving, thaw the frozen pie in the refrigerator overnight before bringing it to room temperature. Warm it in the oven for 10-15 minutes before serving if desired.
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The Best Pecan Pie Recipe
- Author: Audrey
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Making the pie dough, rolling it out, placing it in the pie tin, trimming the corners, and finally placing it in the freezer is all it takes to prepare this recipe. Freezing the crust before adding it to the pie helps prevent it from sliding around while it bakes. There is no requirement for pre-baking the pie crust prior to the addition of the filling.
Ingredients
Scale
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, frozen for at least 30 minutes
2 c. (210 grams) pecans, coarsely chopped (save a few whole pecan halves to make a decoration on the surface of the pie, if desired)
1 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp molasses (unsulphured)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Prepare the oven. In the center, position the oven rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the brown sugar along with the corn syrup, molasses, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Mix well until smooth. You can do this by hand using a wooden spoon, there is no need for a mixer.
Over the bottom of a frozen pie shell, spread the chopped pecans. On top, pour the filling. If desired, you can decorate the surface with leftover whole pecan halves.
Place the filled pie shell in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Loosely tent the pie with aluminum foil after 30 minutes of baking and continue baking for additional 35 to 45 minutes until the filling is set and the center is still a little wiggly.
Once the pie is finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool fully.
Notes
Feel free to use honey or maple syrup instead of molasses. Or just omit them altogether.
For this recipe, you can use dark corn syrup in place of light.
Make homemade corn syrup using maple syrup, honey, agave, or golden syrup.
To maintain a thicker texture, you may add a few tbsp of flour to the filling.
How To Make it Gluten free
For a gluten-free alternative, use gluten-free pie crust such as Pillsbury™ Refrigerated Gluten Free Pie Crust and Pastry Crust.
If you are extremely sensitive to gluten, use only pure vanilla extract or the ones tested and labeled as gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 servings
- Calories: 459
- Sugar: 48.1 g
- Sodium: 218.2 mg
- Fat: 28.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 52.3 g
- Protein: 5.1 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
Keywords: The Best Pecan Pie Recipe
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Natasha
My name is Natasha and I am the owner of nodashofgluten.com, a blog dedicated to all kinds of recipes. On my website, you can find classic dishes, vegetarian delights, creative snacks, Gluten-free recipes, and desserts – all proving that cooking isn’t as hard as it seems! With easy-to-follow instructions and tips on how to make your meals even better, I strive to help everyone become master chefs in their own kitchen. Come join me at nodashofgluten.com for some delicious fun!
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