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    Home » Fall Favorite Recipes

    Pecan Pie

    Published: Nov 14, 2020 · by Elizabeth Waterson · This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

    Jump to Recipe
    pecan pie on a brown background with a cup of coffee, blue linen, bowl of brown sugar

    This easy, American classic, Pecan Pie is taken up a notch with brown butter and toasted pecans. Step-by-step photos teach you how to make this pie recipe! Easily made ahead of time, you are sure to love this on it's own or a la mode!

    pecan pie on a brown background with a cup of coffee, blue linen, bowl of brown sugar

    Last week I made three homemade pecan pie recipes, the last two were pretty much the same I just had to test it twice to make sure it was just right! We devoured all three. My sister always has this pie warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream where I much prefer a warmed slice with whipped cream.

    If you love pecan pie then you've gotta check out my recipe for pecan pie brownies, honestly they disappeared so fast, for good reason!!

    Let's get to the recipe.

    slice of pecan pie a la mode on a white plate with a scoop of ice cream on a light plate on a light brown surface
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • How to freeze
    • More pie recipes
    • Recipe Card
    • Recipe Ratings & Comments

    Ingredients

    For this gorgeous fall pie you will need:

    • Pie Crust. You can use store-bought or homemade. If you want to do a braided top as I did in the photos you will need two pie doughs.
    • Pecans. I think the key to great flavor is toasting the pecans, it makes a world of a difference!
    • Butter. Most recipes call for melted butter but for this pie recipe, we are going to brown the butter, this helps create a nutty, caramelized flavor that is perfect for pecan pie!
    • Large Eggs. In order for your eggs to properly combine with the rest of the ingredients, you need them at room temperature. To do this quickly just place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes. You'll also need one egg for an egg wash to give the pie crust that gorgeous golden sheen.
    • Pure Vanilla Extract. Vanilla compliments the warm flavors of pecan pie so use the real stuff!
    • Light Corn Syrup. I personally like using light but you could use dark corn syrup.
    • Dark Brown Sugar. The reason for using dark brown sugar is the higher molasses content in the sugar, it helps provide a deeper flavor profile. You could in a pinch use light brown sugar and just add an extra tablespoon of molasses.
    • Salt. Although, you might be tempted to skip this ingredient, salt provides balance to the pie as well as helps the other ingredients flavor profiles shine through.
    • Molasses. Just a little bit adds to the gorgeous flavor.
    three quarters of pecan pie in a glass dish on a light brown surface next to a cup of coffee, blue linen, bowl of sugar, and pecans

    Instructions

    To start we will toast the nuts, toasting the nuts is crucial to the best flavor!!

    Preheat your oven to 350F/180C and place the pecans on a baking sheet and shake to spread out, you want them in a single layer. Bake for the nuts for about ten minutes until just toasted. Set aside to cool and try not to snack on too many!

    pecans before and after toasting in a metal pan on a light brown surface

    While the pecans are baking brown the butter. In a medium-large pot over low-medium heat melt the butter and stir until the butter starts to produce golden brown flecks and you smell a nutty aroma. Check out this detailed post on how to make brown butter.

    brown butter in a white pot on a light brown surface

    Immediately take the pot off of the heat, the butter can turn from brown butter to burnt butter very quickly! Pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside. If you leave the butter in the pot the residual heat will keep cooking it.

    Roll the pie dough on a lightly floured surface and add to pie dish. I added a braided pie crust design if you want to do this you will need an additional pie crust dough. You could prick with the back of a fork, or flute it. Place the pie dough in the freezer for ten minutes to chill it.

    three pieces of pie dough braided together on a silpat lined baking sheet
    braided pie dough crust pieces placed on a pie dough on a light brown surface

    Adjust the oven temperature to 415F/213 while the pie crust is chilling. Crinkle up a pie sized piece of parchment paper then uncrinkle and place over pie dough and fill with pie weights or dried rice or beans, place back in the freezer until the oven comes to temperature. Keeping the pie dough chilled helps ensure it doesn't shrink much when baking. Once the oven reaches 415F par-bake the pie crust.

    parchment paper piece crunched up
    pie dough filled with dry rice on a light brown surface

    Bake for the pie crust for 15 minutes uncovered then carefully remove the pie weights and parchment then bake for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside while you prepare the filling and reduce the oven to 350F/180C.

    In a large bowl whisk the filling together; eggs, vanilla, corn syrup, brown sugar, salt, molasses, and brown butter.

    wet ingredients for pecan pie in a glass bowl on a light brown surface with a navy blue linen

    Make sure to whisk until there is no trace of egg left behind.

    wet ingredients whisked together in a glass bowl with a whisk on a light brown surface with a navy blue linen

    I like to do a combination of pecan halves and chopped pecans. Reserve about 40 full pecan halves and roughly chop the rest of the pecans.

    pecans for peacn pie on a cutting board and sheet tray on a light brown surface

    Add the chopped pecans to the syrup mixture and mix to combine.

    pecans mixed into filling in a glass bowl on a light brown surface

    Pour the filling into the par-baked pie shell and arrange remaining pecans on top in whatever decorative design you want. Gently press the pecans into the filling to kind of get them wet, this helps them bake to a golden glow and not dry out.

    hand pressing pecan halves into filling on pecan pie on a light brown surface

    Crack an egg into a bowl and whisk together then use a pastry brush to brush all of the exposed pie crust to create a golden brown sheen when baked.

    egg wash brushed onto pie crust before baking

    Bake the pie for 30-45 minutes or until the center of the pie registers to 185F/ 85C, I use my Thermapen MK4 and if you gently press the top of the pie it should bounce back.

    pie shield on top of pecan pie before baking

    I personally like to bake my pies with a pie shield for the first 15-20 minutes to prevent the crust from over browning.

    Let the pie cool for at least two hours before slicing otherwise you will end up with a messy sloppy pie.

    sliced pecan pie with some slices missing in a glass pie dish on a light brown surface with a cup of brown sugar, bowl of pecans, and plates

    Serve pie slices with homemade whipped cream or ice cream. Leftovers can be stored in the pie dish covered in plastic wrap tightly or in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    up close of slice of pecan pie with vanilla ice cream

    How to freeze

    Pecan pie can definitely be frozen. Let the pie cool completely then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap twice, then in aluminum foil. The three layers help prevent freezer burn.

    Take the frozen pie out of the freezer and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight or bake unwrapped of the plastic wrap but recovered with foil at 300F/148C for 20ish minutes.

    More pie recipes

    My rhubarb custard pie is unlike any other pie and it's absolutely scrumptious!!

    This gorgeous blackberry pie can be made with frozen berries so you can enjoy it all year long!

    This Lemon Lime Atlantic Beach Pie looks to die for, I can't wait to try it!

    close up of a slice of half eaten pecan pie on a white plate with a fork

    ★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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    Recipe Card

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    pecan pie on a brown background with a cup of coffee, blue linen, bowl of brown sugar

    Pecan Pie

    ★★★★★

    5 from 3 reviews

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    This easy, American classic, Pecan Pie is taken up a notch with brown butter and toasted pecans. Step-by-step photos teach you how to make this pie recipe! Easily made ahead of time, you are sure to love this on it's own or a la mode! 

    • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    • Yield: 6-8 Slices 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1- 9-inch Pie Crust, store-bought or homemade
    • 10oz (2 ½ Cups) Pecans
    • 4oz (½ Cup) Butter
    • 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
    • 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
    • 8oz (1 Cup) Light Corn Syrup
    • 150 grams (¾ Cup) Dark Brown Sugar
    • 1 Teaspoon Salt
    • 1 ½ Teaspoons Molasses
    • Egg, for egg wash
    • Homemade Whipped Cream

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Place pecans on a baking sheet and shake to spread out, bake for ten minutes until just toasted. Set aside to cool.
    2. While pecans are baking brown the butter. In a large pot over low-medium heat melt the butter and stir until the butter starts to produce golden brown flecks and you smell a nutty aroma*. Immediately take the pot off of the heat, the butter can turn from brown butter to burnt butter very quickly! Pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside. 
    3. Adjust the oven temperature to 415F/213 and line the pie dish with the pie dough and design the crust to your preference. Crinkle up a pie sized piece of parchment paper then uncrinkle and place over pie dough and fill with pie weights or dried rice or beans. Bake for 15 minutes uncovered then carefully remove the pie weights and parchment then bake for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside while you prepare the filling. Adjust the oven to 350F/180C.
    4. In a large bowl whisk filling together eggs, vanilla, corn syrup, brown sugar, salt, molasses, and brown butter. Make sure to whisk until there is no trace of egg left behind. Reserve about 40 full pecan halves and roughly chop the rest of the pecans. Add the chopped pecans to the filling mixture and mix to combine.
    5. Pour filling into the par-baked crust and arrange remaining pecans on top. Gently press the pecans into the filling to kind of get them wet. Crack an egg into a bowl and whisk together then use a pastry brush to brush all of the exposed pie crust to create a golden brown sheen when baked. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center of the pie registers to 185F/ 85C, I use my Thermapen MK4 and if you gently press the top of the pie it should bounce back. I personally like to bake my pies with a pie shield for the first 15-20 minutes to prevent the crust from over browning. Let cool for at least two hours before slicing. Serve with homemade whipped cream or ice cream. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    Equipment

    two glass pie dishes

    Glass Pie Dish

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    pie shield

    Pie Shield

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    thermapen mk4

    Thermapen Mk4

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    silicone pastry brush

    Silicone Pastry Brush

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    pie weights

    Pie Weights

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    Notes

    Check out this post teaching you how to brown butter

    Freezing pecan pie. Let the pie cool completely then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap twice, then in aluminum foil. The three layers help prevent freezer burn.

    Reheating frozen pecan pie. Take the frozen pie out of the freezer and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight or bake unwrapped of the plastic wrap but recovered with foil at 300F/148C for 20ish minutes

    • Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
    • Prep Time: 20
    • Cook Time: 60
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: brown butter pecan pie, how to make pecan pie, easy pecan pie recipe

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @confessionsofabakingqueen on Instagram and hashtag it #cbqbakes

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    1. Rebecca says

      November 24, 2020 at 11:24 am

      Christ, this is the best Pecan Pie I have ever eaten... and I am a Pecan Pie Connoisseur so that is saying something. Will definitely be making again for thanksgiving.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        November 27, 2020 at 2:52 pm

        Thank you so much for coming back to rate and review the recipe Rebecca. I am glad to hear you enjoyed the pie, it's my sisters favorite!! Take care. XX Liz

        Reply
    2. Carol Anne says

      November 24, 2021 at 5:27 pm

      Tried this out earlier this week and it was so good we’re using this recipe for thanksgiving!! Thank you so much!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        November 29, 2021 at 8:46 pm

        Thank you so much, Carol Anne! Glad you enjoyed the pie! XX Liz

        Reply
    3. Steve says

      November 24, 2021 at 5:28 pm

      My oh my this is soooo good with a scoop of ice cream

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        November 29, 2021 at 8:45 pm

        Yes, ice cream is a great topping! Thanks Steve! XX Liz

        Reply

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    Waterson, Elizabeth Cropped Size Photo CAke copy 2

    Hiya! I am Elizabeth Waterson, welcome to my treat-filled site. After spending 15 years in the restaurant industry and growing up baking, I wanted to share my love of baking with you all. My step-by-step tutorials will help you learn how to bake at home. Confessions of a Baking Queen (CBQ) has been featured in CBS LA, HuffPost Taste, BuzzFeed, Taste of Home, and more! Here you will find loads of sweet recipes with a few savory ones for good measure. Feel free to message me with any questions! Happy Baking! 

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