I’ve been on a bit of a dessert kick recently, so I think it’s about time to share my go-to recipe for Pecan Pie! This delicious and indulgent dessert is nostalgia in a pie dish and it always reminds me of the holidays spent with family. The rich, nutty flavor and gooey filling make it the perfect way to end your Thanksgiving feast (no offense, pumpkin pie lovers!). Because I use a store-bought pie crust, it couldn’t be easier to make. Make this southern Pecan Pie recipe the day before for stress-free entertaining, or whip it up as a weekend treat this fall!
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If you read my blog posts often, you already know I was born in Georgia. Some of my favorite ingredients of all time hail from there, including these pecans! They’re harvested in the fall, which makes this the perfect time to incorporate them into your holiday baking. Pecan pie has been a fall and winter staple for so long now, and it boasts multiple textures in every bite: a flaky crust, crunchy pecans, and a custard-like creamy center made from butter, eggs, and corn syrup. There’s nothing quite like it! (Except for Canadian butter tarts, which I feel are a cousin to this pie, but I digress…)
If you aren’t convinced yet that pecans are deeply ingrained in our culture as Americans, you should know they were taken to the moon by our astronauts. Yes, they took pecans to the moon during the Apollo space missions! So, let me be truly dorky by assuring you that this budget-friendly, super-easy pecan pie recipe is also out of this world.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make the best pecan pie recipe ever:
- Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: Both sugars add sweetness and moisture to the filling, but brown sugar also has molasses, which helps give it a deeper flavor.
- Light Corn Syrup: This helps create the signature gooey filling and stops the sugar from crystallizing (no one wants a grainy pie!)
- Cinnamon: I love the warmth that cinnamon adds to this pie. It’s not overpowering, but just enough to make it more interesting.
- Salted Butter: Essential for both flavor and texture.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: Flavor enhancers! A little bit of vanilla extract goes a long way in making this pie taste extra delicious. And don’t forget a pinch of salt to balance out all the sweetness.
- Eggs: Helps the filling set and hold its shape.
- Pecan Halves: You’ll need 1 ½ cups of chopped pecans for this recipe.
- Pre-Made Pie Crust: Makes life easier without compromising flavor! You can also use our 3-ingredient pie crust if you prefer homemade.
Do I Have to Use Corn Syrup?
Whether you love it or hate it, there isn’t really anything that works as an equal substitute for corn syrup in this recipe. It’s a must-have ingredient for setting the pie filling and creating its gooey texture. Other liquid sweeteners, like maple syrup, are too runny to use as a 1:1 substitute and it’s also more expensive.
If you’re certain you want to try this recipe without the corn syrup, you could experiment by making a date paste. Blend pitted Medjool dates and water until smooth, adding more water as needed to thin it out until it matches the texture and thickness of corn syrup. The amount of dates needed would depend on their size, and it would also work out to be more expensive than buying corn syrup. It may also alter the flavor and texture of your finished pie. If you do try this, let me know how it turns out! I use a dates a lot in my vegan desserts, so I support your mission to give it a try. If you have dates leftover, whip up a batch of my granola bars!
How to Tell When Pecan Pie is Done
Your homemade pecan pie is done when the edges are set and golden brown, but the center still jiggles slightly when you move it. Take care not to overbake your pie; the filling might become too firm, crystalize, and lose its gooeyness.
Recipe Tips and Suggestions
- Spray your measuring cup lightly with cooking spray before measuring out the corn syrup. It’ll slide out much easier and won’t stick to the measuring cup as much!
- Let your pie cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving (if not longer!). The corn syrup and eggs work together to help set the filling as it cools. If you cut into the pie too soon, it’ll be runny and won’t hold its shape.
- While many recipes offer the alternative of using walnuts instead of pecans, that’s a no-go for old fashioned pecan pie! …But that said, I challenge you to a taste test the next time you have both walnuts and pecans on hand! Walnuts are crumblier and have a more bitter “tannic” taste than pecans, which are naturally sweeter and have a softer chew to them. I’m a nerd for ingredients, but you already know this!
- Serve your pie with a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or even a drizzle of caramel sauce for the ultimate indulgence.
Storage Instructions
Store your pie in the refrigerator within 2 hours of baking (as you should with any ‘egg-rich’ pie). It’ll be good for up to 3-4 days when wrapped in plastic wrap or foil. You can also freeze the whole pie or individual slices for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight and then serve as desired. This pie is delicious cold or slightly warmed in the oven or microwave.
Pecan Pie Recipe
Servings 8 slicesIngredients
- ½ cup sugar ($0.17)
- ½ cup brown sugar ($0.34)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon ($0.04)
- ½ tsp salt ($0.01)
- ½ cup light corn syrup ($0.56)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract ($0.87)
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted ($1.03)
- 3 eggs, beaten ($0.93)
- 1 ½ cups pecan halves ($4.32)
- 1 pre-made pie crust ($1.38)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Mix sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt together.
- In a separate bowl, add light corn syrup, vanilla extract, melted salted butter, and beaten eggs and mix until combined.
- Pour wet mixture into the dry sugar mixture and mix until consistent throughout.
- Fold in pecan halves.
- Roll out a pre-made pie crust in a 9" pie dish and gently pinch the edges to make it pretty!
- Pour wet mixture into pie crust.
- Tent the edges of the pie all the way around the pan with tinfoil so your crust does not burn. You will remove the tinfoil when you have about 15-20 minutes left of baking time.*
- Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees (keep the pie in the oven) and bake for an additional 30 minutes until the middle of the pie is still a little jiggly.
- Remove and let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Glass Pie Plate
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
how to make Pecan Pie – step by step photos
Preheat oven to 400F. Mix ½ cup sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, and ½ tsp salt together.
In a separate bowl, add ½ cup light corn syrup, 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, ¼ cup melted salted butter, and 3 beaten eggs and mix until combined.
Pour wet mixture into the dry sugar mixture and mix until consistent throughout.
Fold in 1 ½ cups pecan halves.
Roll out 1 pre-made pie crust in a 9″ pie dish and gently pinch the edges to make it pretty!
Pour wet mixture into pie crust.
Tent the edges of the pie all the way around the pan with tinfoil so your crust does not burn. You will remove the tinfoil when you have about 15-20 minutes left of baking time.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees (keep the pie in the oven) and bake for an additional 30 minutes until the middle of the pie is still a little jiggly. Remove and let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
This easy pecan pie recipe will be a hit at your next holiday gathering! It’s simple to make but always impresses with its rich buttery flavor.
Mine needed about double the baking time for the lower temp setting. Maybe I need an oven thermometer.
I hope to come back and give a star rating, once we’ve tried it on Thanksgiving.
Although this recipe is pretty close to the one I’ve always made from the Karo label, it has a couple of really good improvements–particularly the reduction of corn syrup. I’ve always reduced the sugar a bit since this pie is tooth achingly sweet anyway, so I made this one with 2/3 c of sugar as well as the 1/2 c corn syrup. I loved the addition of cinnamon. I’ve often used frozen pie crusts, thawing in the fridge for a day or so in order to hand crimp the crust so it looks homemade, but I think that the refrigerated crusts used here are better. I also put foil on the edges to keep the crust from burning. Although eggs have been very pricy, this week I bought large eggs at Aldi for slightly over $2 a dozen. I certainly use plenty this time of year! Great recipe, Jess. Thanks so much.