Pecan pie is a classic Southern holiday dessert that is sweet, savory, and perfect for your Thanksgiving table! After just one bite, you'll be completely hooked! Plus, as an added bonus, you can easily prepare this pie ahead of time and store it for later!
Best Pecan Pie Recipe
Pecan pie is delicious, sweet, gooey, and completely addicting! Not to mention, it is one of the most popular holiday desserts!
This recipe is easy to make and even stores fantastically. This means that you can prepare it ahead of time to make your life even easier.
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If you are hosting the holidays this year, make sure to take a look at both my Thanksgiving and Christmas guides for tips and tricks!
🥘 Pecan Pie Ingredients
If you like, you can make your pie crust from scratch. However, if you want this recipe to be extra easy, you can always use a store-bought crust!
- Butter Pie Crust - 1 butter pie crust, unbaked. Alternatively, you can simply use a refrigerated store-bought pie crust.
- Brown Sugar - 1¾ cups of packed light brown sugar.
- Corn Syrup - ¼ cup of light corn syrup.
- Butter - ¼ cup of butter.
- Water - 1 tablespoon of cold water.
- Cornstarch - 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken the filling.
- Eggs - 3 large eggs.
- Salt - ¼ teaspoon of salt to balance out all of the sugar.
- Vanilla - 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Use pure vanilla for the best flavor.
- Pecans - 1¼ cups of chopped pecans.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Pecan Pie
Pecan pie is an easy dessert to prepare, just make sure that your filling comes to a full boil before removing it from the heat. To begin, you'll need a saucepan, a mixing bowl, and a 9-inch pie pan.
When done, you will have one 9-inch pecan pie.
- Preheat. To get started, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare dough. Roll out 1 pie crust and place it into a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.
- Heat mixture. In a saucepan over medium heat, add 1¾ cups of brown sugar, ¼ cup of corn syrup, ¼ cup of butter, 1 tablespoon of cold water, and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. Stir to combine.
- Boil. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil and then remove it from the heat.
- Beat eggs. In a mixing bowl, add your 3 eggs and beat them until they become frothy.
- Combine. Slowly and gradually beat the syrup mixture into the eggs. Then, stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and 1¼ cups of pecans. Pour into the pie crust.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C) in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the filling has set (it will still be a little jiggly, like jello).
- Cool. Remove from the oven and let the pie cool entirely before slicing and serving.
Pecan pie is a perfect holiday dessert. Serve it next to other holiday classics like pumpkin pie for a fantastic dessert lineup! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- My butter pie crust recipe yields 2 crusts, so you will only need to use half of the recipe.
- Alternatively, you can make this pie even simpler by using a store-bought crust.
- If your crust is browning too quickly but the pie is not done baking yet, you can loosely cover it with foil and then continue baking.
🥡 Storing
Keep your pecan pie loosely covered and in the fridge for a maximum of 3 days.
To freeze your pie, allow it to cool completely and then wrap your pecan pie in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for 2 months at most. Check out my guide to freezing pecan pie for more tips and information!
❓ Recipe FAQs
Since pecan pie has a filling that needs to be completely set, it is best enjoyed at room temperature or straight from the refrigerator.
If your pie is hard, you most likely overcooked it. Make sure to take it out of the oven when the edges are set but the inside still has a slight jiggle to it.
Yes, homemade pecan pie needs to be stored in the refrigerator. According to the USDA, pies that are egg-based need to be refrigerated. Store-bought pecan pies are not refrigerated because they contain preservatives that make them shelf-stable.
🥧 Delicious Pie Recipes
- Chocolate Pumpkin Pie - Combine chocolate and pumpkin for an extra rich and delicious pie!
- Granny Smith Apple Pie - Apple pie is a classic household favorite and this is the best recipe for it!
- Blueberry Pie - For a different variety of fruit pies, try out this blueberry pie!
- Pumpkin Pie without Evaporated Milk - Forget the evaporated milk in this delicious pumpkin pie recipe!
- Blackberry and Apple Pie - Combining apples and blackberries is a great way to take the flavor of your pie to the next level!
- Strawberry Cream Pie - This no-bake pie is incredibly easy to prepare and tastes delicious!
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📖 Recipe Card
Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1 butter pie crust (unbaked, or use a store-bought pie crust)
- 1¾ cups light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup pecans (chopped)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- To get started, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll out your pie crust and place it into a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add your brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, water, and cornstarch. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil and then remove it from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your 3 eggs and beat them until they become frothy.
- Slowly and gradually beat the syrup mixture into the eggs. Then, stir in the salt, vanilla, and chopped pecans. Pour into the pie crust.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the filling has set (it will still be a little jiggly, like jello).
- Remove from the oven and allow the pie to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- My butter pie crust recipe makes 2 crusts, so you will only need to use half of the recipe.
- Alternatively, you can make this pie even simpler by using a store-bought crust.
- If your crust is browning too quickly but the pie is not done baking yet, you can loosely cover it with foil and then continue baking.
- To store: Keep your pecan pie loosely covered and in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: Once completely cooled, wrap your pecan pie in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Check out my guide to freezing pecan pie for more tips and information!
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