Not only is this Pecan Pie recipe one of the easiest pies to make, it’s absolutely fantastic with its rich caramel pecan filling paired with a flakey, buttery crust. It’s one of our family’s all-time favorites!

My grandmother was an excellent pie maker and pecan pie will always remind me of her.  Don’t miss my other traditional pie recipes including Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, and Lemon meringue pie.

A slice of Pecan Pie on a plate with a fork, ready to enjoy!

I was tasked to make Pecan Pie each year for Thanksgiving from a very young age, because it was so easy to make that my mom could trust I wouldn’t mess it up! I never truly appreciated its magic until I was an adult, and my “taste buds matured”, as my mom would say! I’m telling you, this pecan pie recipe is the absolute BEST!

Pecan pie is an old-fashioned pie made with pecans folded into a batter made of butter, sugar and eggs, that bakes into a delicious caramel, nutty pie filling. Be sure to check out my Pecan Pie Bars recipe too!

What we LOVE about this Pecan Pie Recipe:

  • EASY: Of all my pie recipes , this one is the fastest, easiest, and most basic recipe there is.
  • Unbaked Pie Crust: Pecan pie is made with an unbaked pie crust, which is is just another reason it’s so easy to make. Please do yourself a favor and pair it with my easy homemade pie crust, that tastes SO much better than store-bought!
  • Basic Ingredients: You only need a few simple pantry ingredients: sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, vanilla, butter, eggs, pecans.

How to Make Pecan Pie:

Cream sugars, salt, corn syrup, and butter. Add eggs and beat well, then stir in the vanilla. 

Two images showing sugars and butters being creamed and then eggs and vanilla being added for Pecan Pie.

Add Pecans: Stir in the pecans (leave out a small handful to place on top later) until incorporated.

The batter for Pecan Pie with fresh pecans being stirred into it.

Pour the mixture into an unbaked 9 inch pie shell. Add a few of the reserved pecans on top of the pie in any empty spots, to make it look pretty. Use a small spoon to cover them with batter.

An unbaked homemade Pecan Pie ready to go in the oven.

Bake the pie at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to cook for 40 minutes. Check on it half way through cooking and tent a piece of aluminum foil over the crust if it’s getting too browned–I spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray and try and tent it so it doesn’t touch the pie filling, so that the filling doesn’t stick to the foil.

The best Pecan Pie fresh out of the oven.

How do I know when it’s finished baking?

You will know your pecan pie is done cooking when you can gently shake the pie dish and see that the center of the pie is not overly jiggly and the outer edges are set.  If the pie jiggles a lot when you gently shake the pan, continue cooking it until the center is a little more set. The cook time will vary and may take a bit longer than 60 minutes.

A fresh Pecan Pie with a slice lifted up from the pie.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Homemade Pecan Pie can be made 1-3 days in advance. Bake the pie, allow it to completely cool, then cover and store it in the refrigerator. I like to remove it from the fridge one hour before serving. You can also make the pecan pie filling (don’t add the nuts to the batter) and pie crust ahead of time and store them separately, then assemble the pie and bake on the day you want to serve it.

To Freeze: Allow baked Pecan Pie to cool completely, then cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before serving.

More Pie Recipes:

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Recipe

A slice of Pecan Pie on a plate with a fork, ready to enjoy!
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 50 minutes
Total 1 hour 5 minutes
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Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Prepare my perfect pie crust recipe and place pie dough in an 9 inch pie dish. Refrigerate while you prepare the pecan pie filling.
  • In a large bowl mix together sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, and softened (or melted) butter. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
  • Reserve a few pecans and stir the rest into the batter. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Add a few of the reserved pecans on top of the pie in any empty spots, to make it look pretty. Use a small spoon to cover them with batter.
  • Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temp to 350 degrees F and continue baking for about 40 minutes. Check the pie half way through cooking and tent a large piece of greased aluminum foil over the top of the pie. (I tent it high so it doesn't touch the pie filling).
  • You will know your pecan pie is done when you can shake it gently and it is not overly jiggly.  If it jiggles a lot when shaking, continue cooking until the center is more set, 5-10 more minutes.
  • Allow pie to cool completely for several hours before cutting and serving. Or refrigerate for 1-3 days, until ready to serve.

Notes

*This recipe is for a standard 9” pie dish.  If you have a larger pie dish then I would suggest 1 ½ the recipe!
Make Ahead Instructions: Homemade Pecan Pie can be made 1-3 days in advance. Bake the pie, allow it to completely cool, then cover and store it in the refrigerator. I like to remove it from the fridge one hour before serving. You can also make the pecan pie filling (don’t add the nuts to the batter) and pie crust ahead of time and store them separately, then assemble the pie and bake on the day you want to serve it.
Freezing Instructions: Allow baked Pecan Pie to cool completely, then cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before serving.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 3gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 230mgPotassium: 86mgFiber: 2gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 224IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg

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I originally shared this recipe November 2018. Updated November 2022.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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  1. 5 stars
    Not sure why people are rating this as one-two stars because it came out perfect for me. I’m guessing, as all recipes state, that baking times may vary depending on the condition of the oven. Made this for a food class and it had a perfect, caramelized brown top and the filling was great. The baking really brought out the nuttiness of the pecans but I used a store bought crust instead and that took away from the quality because it was really hard and chewy after setting and cooling in the fridge overnight. But overall, a great pie recipe, follow instructions exactly and let it set for enough time.

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