The best easy homemade pecan pie recipe – This traditional Southern recipe is homemade from scratch except for the crust which is premade and packaged. Classic simple recipe for Thanksgiving dinner like Grandma used to make. Original gooey no fail instructions.
There is nothing like a pecan pie with its crunchy nuts, gooey sweet filling, and flaky crust. This is the world’s best pecan pie recipe because it comes out perfectly every time!
I love pecan pie. I’m a real pecan pie aficionado, and I’ve never eaten one as tasty as this.
Many Novembers ago, I gained about fifteen pounds perfecting my very own pecan pie recipe. My gain is your gain because I’m going to share it with you, in the spirit of the coming holidays.
In the recipe below, I state that you should press the pre-made crust into the pie pan and proof. This means to stick it all over with a fork. Don’t do it so much that you make the crust into Swiss cheese, just enough that any air bubbles that form underneath will be able to escape without causing a big lump in your cooked crust.
Proofing is an important step any time you pre-bake a pie crust because the crust gets crispy in the pre-baking stage, and you don’t want the crispy crust to be raised up with a big air bubble underneath. Don’t skip it.
Also, this recipe works equally well in a deep dish pie plate or a normal shallow one. I’ve tried both, and I prefer the deep dish because there’s more gooey filling in each bite, but that’s just my personal preference. If you use a shallower plate, you may need to adjust your cooking time. A shallow pie will cook more quickly and may burn if you’re not careful.
Finally, keep an eye on the pecans and crust of your pie during baking. If you notice that they are starting to move past golden into deep brown, cover your pie with aluminum foil. Nobody likes burnt pecans or burnt crust on the edge of a pie.
If the crust is the only issue, use a ring of aluminum foil so that the pecans continue to brown while the crust is protected. Better yet, invest in a couple of pie shields before the holidays so that you’ll be prepared for that and don’t end up trying to make an aluminum foil ring while your pie crust is turning black.
The Worlds’ Best Pecan Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 packaged pie crust
- 3 eggs beaten
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup + 2 tablespoons
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups pecans quartered (I chop them with my Food Chopper into nice big pieces OR mash them a bit in the bag. I don’t spend the time to quarter each nut.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Press the pie crust into the pie plate and proof. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is just barely golden.
- Meanwhile, in a 2 quart bowl, mix together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and pecans.
- When crust comes out of the oven, pour syrup and pecan mixture into it.
- Bake pie in preheated oven about 1 hour, or until firm. Let cool at least 1 hour before serving (if you don’t, it will be very runny when you try to cut it).
Notes
Nutrition
A free cookbook? Yes, please!
Get 10 of my favorite Instant Pot recipes in my free cookbook, Instant Pot Made Easy! Click the button below to download. If for some reason, the button doesn’t work for you, leave a comment below, and I’ll email it to you.
© 2009 – 2020, Tara Ziegmont. All rights reserved.
Sharon @ UnfinishedMom says
Oh yes. Pecan pie is wonderful. Definitely a finer thing.
lizhoosierhomemade says
That looks like a great recipe! Thanks for sharing!
~Liz
Robyn's Online World says
Wow – for some reason I thought it would be a lot harder to make a pecan pie. This is one of my mom's favorite pies, maybe I will give it a shot.
Sherry says
Yum! I love pecan pie. I have a friend that used to have me make one just for her every holiday, but unfortunately she moved. 🙁
rachel says
pecan pie is a treasure but, only when done right! This recipe sounds great and I am one who believes that splenda should NEVER be used in baking.
Cole says
That looks great! I know someone who is going to beg me to make them this recipe. 🙂
[email protected] says
One of my holiday favorites is pecan pie. I think everyone should have a GREAT!!! pecan pie recipe.
THANKS!!! for sharing your recipe.
Geri
amyfinerthings says
I love the flavor of pecan pie, but I can only eat a tiny piece at a time. Perhaps because there are always other “must try” desserts on the table, too!
Jerri says
Your pie looks delicous!
Jerri says
Your pie looks delicous!
Confused says
In step 3, it says…Meanwhile, in a 2 quart bowl, mix together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and remaining pecans.
remaining pecans? in steps 2 and 1 there is no mention of using pecans , so how would i use remaining pecans when i haven’t used them in the first place?
Tara Ziegmont says
In the original recipe, I said to reserve a cup of pecans whole instead of chopping them all, so that you could arrange them on the top of the pie right before putting it into the oven. I have since changed my mind on that and now recommend just chopping them all. In that case, you would use the unreserved pecans in the filling.
I changed my mind on this because, in my experience, those pecans that sat on top more often than not ended up burning, and the ones coated in the filling mixture did not. So I changed it but forgot to change step 3. Just make that edit. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
James Kinlaw says
Your pecan pie recipe look delicious.
Should I lightly toast my pecans before adding them to the recipe? I really like the crunch!
How do I post my picture?
Thanks
James Kinlaw
[email protected]
Tara Ziegmont says
I don’t toast them, but you could if you wanted to. You can share a photo to my Facebook page.
Rose kitchen says
lovely and delicious pie
Teresa says
Can you make it and store it in the fridge then bake it a couple of days later or would it be better to store it cooked? I want to make as much before Thanksgiving to cook that day. I know this is probably a dumb question. Thank you
Tara Ziegmont says
Not a dumb question at all! I bake my pies on Tuesday and let them sit out on the counter until Thanksgiving. I wouldn’t store it unbaked because I think the crust would get soggy and weird, but it’s totally fine to bake it early. If you have the fridge space, it would probably be best to store it in the refrigerator, but mine is always too full so the pies sit out. Still taste fine and no one has ever gotten sick. Of course, they don’t last long enough to get moldy. LOL
Anna says
Hi, can you please specify if for the light brown sugar the measurement is cups??
Tara Ziegmont says
Yes, it is in cups. 3/4 cup
Linda says
Tried to get your Insta – Pot Cookbook, wouldn’t work for me. Oh and I can’t wait to make your pecan pie tomorrow.
Tara Ziegmont says
No trouble. I can send the cookbook by email. I hope you love the pie! It’s so good!
Sandra Lewis says
I am a southerner who LOVES good pecan pie. My recipe varies a little from yours. I use 1 cup REGULAR SUGAR, 1 cup LIGHT KARO, 1 tsp. REAL VANILLA, 1/2 stick BUTTER, 3 EGGS, and enough PECANS to lay whole next to each other on top. I cook the butter, sugar and Karo on the stovetop just until the sugar is dissolved, beat the eggs and vanilla, then pour them together and beat a minute. I pour this into my unbaked pie shell and “arrange” pecans individually on top, covering entire top with pecans. I bake it same as yours and watch for small cracks in the top because when it cracks, it’s ready.
I have never tried using brown sugar, but plan to try it