Complete your fall recipe lineup with this delicious, flavorful Simple Pecan Pie Recipe. Made with brown sugar, butter, pecans, and even bourbon (optional), this pie is sure to wow guests and serve as a highlight of the season!
A delicious and simple pecan pie recipe
There are a handful of foods and ingredients that consistently find their way into fall recipes, like apples, pumpkin, and cinnamon. But do you know which ingredient is an autumn staple, yet often left out out the lineup? Pecans!
But, no longer. Because after you try this simple pecan pie recipe, it's going to be the first thing you make each fall!
This delicious pie is the best pecan pie recipe I've tried. Between the perfect not-too-crispy homemade pie crust and the flavor of the sweet-yet-savory filling, this is one of the best desserts you'll ever try. It's perfect as a Thanksgiving dish, but it's also so delicious that I encourage you to try it at any time, just because!
Ingredients in this simple pecan pie recipe
This classic pecan pie recipe comes with two ingredient sets: those for the crust, and those for the filling. Below is everything you'll need:
Crust
- Flour: This pie crust begins with 1.5 cups of all purpose flour.
- Salt: Then, ½ teaspoon of salt is added for flavor.
- Sugar: The crust should have a dash of sweetness to it. Use 2 teaspoon of white sugar.
- Butter: Then, add 6 tablespoon of cold cubed butter. Be sure to use salted!
- Water: Finish off the crust with 4-5 tablespoon of ice cold water. This is going to help it become a dough.
Pie
- Pecans: 3 cups pecans are the star of the show. You can use whole pecans or pecan halves, but chopped are preferred.
- Eggs: Next, add 3 eggs. The eggs will help all of the ingredients come together.
- Butter: Add flavor and thicken up the pie filling with 4 tablespoon of melted butter.
- Brown sugar: Then, sweeten things up with 1 cup of brown sugar!
- Corn syrup: Like the eggs, corn syrup helps the pie filling take shape. Use ¾ cup of dark corn syrup.
- Vanilla extract: Next up is the vanilla. Use 1 tsp.
- Salt: ½ teaspoon salt adds extra flavor to the pie. Be sure to include this — you'd be shocked at the difference it makes!
- Cinnamon: Add a dash (½ tsp) of cinnamon for extra autumnal flavors.
- Optional: Last but not least, optionally finish off the pie with 2 tablespoon of bourbon.
Kitchen tools used to make the best simple pecan pie recipe
To make this easy pecan pie recipe, you will need around 9 kitchen tools and dishes in addition to various measuring cup sizes.
- Knife
- Food processor
- Spatula
- Large mixing bowl
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Pie pan
- Whisk
- Aluminum foil
To measure out ingredients, you will need ½ tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, ½ cup, ¾ cup, and 1 cup sized measuring cups.
How to make the best simple pecan pie recipe
Are you ready to make the best pecan pie you've ever had? You can expect this pie to require about 30-35 minutes of prep time and 30-40 minutes of cook time. Be sure to set aside time for letting the dough chill as well.
First, in a food processor, add ¾ cup flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse 2-3 times. Add the cubed butter and let the processor run for about 20-30 seconds until a crumbly dough forms. Add the rest of the flour and pulse 4-5 times until it becomes fine crumbles.
Next, add the dough to a large bowl and sprinkle 2 tablespoon of ice water on top. Using a spatula, press into the dough and work the dough by pressing the crumbles together around the bowl, adding more water as needed until you're able to pinch the dough and it holds together. Form the pie dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Then, let it chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
When ready to make the pie, let the dough rest for about 5 minutes at room temperature. Lay out a piece of parchment paper and dust with flour. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12 inch circle or until it fits into the pie dish with enough for the sides. Add flour when needed to prevent sticking.
Next, carefully transfer the pie crust to a greased pie dish by flipping the parchment over the dish and carefully peeling it off. Gently press the dough into the dish and crimp any extra dough on the sides.
Add the pecans to the bottom of the unbaked pie.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and bourbon. Stir until well combined. Pour over the pecan mixture.
Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F and then reduce the heat to 350°F for 30-40 minutes. If it shakes a lot, add more cooking time in 10 minute increments. You can always cover the pie with aluminum foil if it's browning too much.
For extra delicious flavor, enjoy a slice of this pie alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Storing leftovers
Allow the pie to cool for several hours before cutting. Store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for longer.
Recipe Tips
What is pecan pie filling made of?
Pecan pie fillings vary by recipe, but this one includes pecans, eggs, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and optionally, bourbon!
Why does pecan pie need corn syrup?
There's nothing worse than a runny pecan pie filling, so the corn syrup works to prevent that! Along with the eggs, it helps hold all of the ingredients together and works to create the perfect pie texture.
Is dark or light corn syrup better for pecan pie?
In this recipe, dark corn syrup is preferred. With dark corn syrup, you'll wind up with a richer, stronger, better flavor.
What to do if pecan pie is too watery?
If you find that your pie is too runny, try letting it bake for a little bit longer. To prevent burning the top, cover the pie in foil before returning it to the oven.
If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!
Pecans are an autumn staple. Below are some more favorite recipes that include the sweet yet savory nut! The cranberry pecan chicken salad is a must try.
- Pecan Pie Brownies
- Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
- Honey Pecan Bacon Baked Brie
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
Recipe by Erin Antoniak and Photos by Bake and Bacon
Simple Pecan Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- In a food processor, add ¾ cup flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse 2-3 times. Add in cubed butter and let processor run about 20-30 second until crumbly dough forms. Add in rest of flour and pulse 4-5 times until fine crumbles.
- Add dough to a large bowl and sprinkle 2 tablespoon ice water on top. Using a spatula, press into dough and work the dough by pressing the crumbles together around the bowl, adding more water as needed until able to pinch dough and it holds together. Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or for 3 days.
- When ready to make pie, let dough rest for 5 minutes at room temperature. Lay out a piece of parchment paper and dust with flour. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough out into 12 inch circle or until fits into pie dish with enough for the sides. Add flour when needed to prevent sticking.
- Carefully transfer pie crust to a greased pie dish by flipping parchment over dish and carefully peeling off. Gently press dough into dish and crimp any extra dough on the sides.
- Add pecans to bottom of unbaked pie.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add in melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and bourbon. Whisk until well combined. Pour over pecan mixture.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425 and then reduce heat to 350 for 30-40 minutes. If it shakes a lot, add in more cooking time at 10 minute increments. You can always cover with foil if browning too much.
- Allow pie to cool for several hours before cutting into. Store at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerator for longer.
Ginger Fortunato says
This was delicious! I used a store-bought crust but did everything else the same and it was probably my favorite pecan pie!
Erin says
Hi Ginger, so happy you loved it! 🙂
Jennifer Gottesman says
Hey Erin! I'm making your pecan pie recipe for Thanksgiving and wondering if the recipe is meant for a regular pie dish or a deep dish? Thanks!
Erin says
Hi Jennifer, just a regular one. Let me know how your pie comes out!!