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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.
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! If you want a fun twist on this classic, try my Chocolate Pecan Pie recipe!
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.
Add Pecans: Stir in the pecans (leave out a small handful to place on top later) until incorporated.
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.
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.
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.
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:
- Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Chess Pie
- Cherry Pie
- Lemon Sour Cream Pie
- Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Pecan Topping
- Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake Pie
- Key Lime Pie
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Oreo Cheesecake Pie
- Lemon Chiffon Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Triple Berry Pie
Pecan Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Homemade pie crust, , unbaked (my recipe makes 2 crusts, so you can freeze the other crust)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup salted butter, , softened or melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, (can chop the pecans or leave whole)
Instructions
- Prepare my perfect pie crust recipe and place pie dough in a deep dish pie plate. Refrigerate while you prepare the pecan pie filling.
- In a large bowl cream 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 50 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, or longer if needed. Err on the side of cooking it longer rather than shorter to ensure that the middle has set.
- Allow pie to cool completely for several hours before cutting and serving. Or refrigerate for 1-3 days, until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe November 2018. Updated November 2022.
This recipe is AMAZING! This was my first time making a pie of any sort, and it came out amazingly. I did bump up the temp to 375 for 15-20 more minutes, and it was perfect! I’m going to be making this each holiday, and everyone loved it!
I have tried several pecan pie recipies and not one turned out right.
I decided to try this one and followed the directions to a “T”. It turned phenomenal!! My family raved about it and are begging me to make another one. lol
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. This is definitely a keeper for my family.
I made this pecan pie recipe for Thanksgiving today and it was a hit! My brother said it was the best he has ever had. Love this recipe!
Can you use a store bought “deep dish”pie crust? Do you recommend prebaking it? Thank you
Yes, a store-bought deep-dish crust works great. No need to prebake it for this pie. Enjoy!
Hi there!
I tried the sour cream lemon pie last year and it was such a hit! I brought it to my work also and everyone is asking for some more this year. Thank you for that recipe!
I was thinking about trying this pecan pie recipe, but I would like to sub maple syrup instead of corn syrup. Any suggestions on how to go about that?
You can swap maple syrup for the corn syrup. Use the same amount, but know the filling may be a little softer. Still delicious though!
Is this for a regular pie crust or a deep dish?
A deep dish pie pan
Why does the recipe call for a deep dish crust then? I just prepared mine and the filling does not fill a deep dish crust. I have an inch or so of extra space.
A deep dish crust gives a little extra room so the filling doesn’t spill over as it bakes and bubbles. It’s normal to have a bit of space at the top.
i understand it can go either way with homemade crust, like a possible soggy crust. Not sure i can risk that for Thanksgiving even if i’d like to try.
My FIL has diabetes and it was advised I use trivia in replace of the sugars. Is this ok?
I haven’t tested this recipe with Truvia, but it should work fine in place of the sugar. The filling may set a little differently, so keep an eye on the bake time.
The recipe seems great and I loved the instructions. I used a pre-made store crust dough and the filling looks like it leaked through. How can I prevent that in the future?
That can happen with some store-bought crusts. You can blind-bake it for a few minutes next time, or brush the crust with a little beaten egg before adding the filling. Both help seal it.
This sounds wonderful, but I want to be sure of the
pan size. Is this for 9 inch deep dish crust?
That is correct!
Hi!
I was looking to make mini tart desserts for Thanksgiving this year (pumpkin/apple/pecan) so everyone could nibble on whatever they wanted. I’ve never made a pecan pie (I was shocked it only contains sugar and pecans lol) but how can I adjust the temp/time? I’m thinking of using these pans (these are the dimensions)- upper base 3.15in/8cm, lower base 2.15in/5.5cm, height 0.8in/2cm.
Love that idea! Mini tarts are perfect for Thanksgiving. For those smaller pans, I’d bake at 350°F (instead of starting at 425°F) for about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them—you want the edges set and the centers just slightly jiggly.
This looks good, was wondering if I can substitute honey for corn syrup 1:1?
We haven’t tested it with honey but you could try a 1:1 swap, just know it might be thinner and not set up as firmly as the original. some people say adding a tablespoon or two of flour can help it thicken up. Let us know if you try it and how it turns out!
If I wanted to use Steen’s cane syrup in place of the light corn syrup, would I need to adjust the amount used and or any other ingredients?
We haven’t tried it with cane syrup but it should work! Steen’s is a bit thicker and has more molasses flavor than light corn syrup, so you can probably do a 1:1 swap. the pie might be a little darker and have a deeper flavor but that’s not necessarily a bad thing!