The Best Pecan Pie Recipe (2024)

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The Best Pecan Pie Recipe has a silky, sliceable brown sugar filling that isn’t too sweet. An easy pecan filling baked inside a flaky all butter pie crust for the perfect pecan pie!

Pecan pie was a staple at all family gatherings growing up because it is my dad’s favorite! Also if you haven’t stacked a pecan pie on top of a pumpkin pie with a mound of homemade whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream, then you have not lived. And that is my professional opinion.

I have a top secret method for cooking pecan pie that ensures a smooth, sliceable filling that is never runny! I happened upon this method by accident almost 15 years ago. This is how I make pecan pie and pecan pie bars in my pastry shop and at home. I have hundreds of customer reviews supporting the fact that this recipe makes the actual best pecan pie.

Why This is the Best Pecan Pie Recipe

• Rich molasses flavor. Dark brown sugar gives the pie that rich molasses flavor without needing to add too much sugar. Brown sugar complements the pecans and keeps the pie from tasting just sweet.
• Toasted, chopped pecans. It is one more step but using lightly toasted pecans will round out the flavor of your pie. The pie is baked at a lower temperature to produce the perfect filling, so the nuts won’t toast like they would at 350°F.
• Thick, soft filling that I can guarantee won’t be runny. I cook the pie filling over a pot of simmering water before adding it to the par-baked pie crust. This ensures a thick, sliceable pecan pie and decreases the bake time by half!
• Developed & refined by a professional pastry chef. This is the exact recipe that I use for my pastry shop, which means that it is perfect to the 100^th gram. I tested, refined and fine-tuned this recipe for perfection.

Professional Tips for Making Pecan Pie

• Partially bake the pie crust. I know a lot of recipes say you don’t have to but if you want to be guaranteed a flaky, crispy crust that stays that way after baking, you must par-bake the pie crust. This also frees you to bake the pie at the ideal temperature for the filling, which is 275°F. Read more about how to par-bake pie crust in this tutorial.
• Pre-cook the filling. This is my secret to a perfect filling. It’s hands-off, concentrates the flavors and cuts the bake time in half! You can also bake this pie 100% in the oven to the same effect but it will take longer.
• Whisk or immersion blend for the smoothest filling. I use a hand blender to ensure that all the ingredients are properly emulsified. You can also use a whisk, but be sure there are no stray streaks of eggs remaining.
• Let the pie cool completely before slicing. This is the worst part but the filling needs to cool completely to set.

Ingredients Needed

• Butter: I use unsalted butter in pies to ensure the perfect balance of flavors.
• Dark Brown Sugar: Using dark brown sugar adds sweetness along with a nice, rich molasses flavor.
• Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is less salty than table salt and a teaspoon weighs less than other finer ground varieties. It will keep your pie from tasting dull or flat and helps dampen the sweetness.
• Whole Egg: The egg in a baked custard like sweet potato pie or chocolate pie is integral to thickening the custard.
• Light Corn Syrup: The corn syrup is here to thicken the pie filling. You can substitute the light corn syrup with glucose, golden syrup, or omit it completely. If you omit the corn syrup, you run a greater risk of the pecan pie filling being runny.
• Vanilla Extract
• Pecans. I use toasted, chopped pecans. Toasting them heightens the nutty flavor and balances out the sweet filling. Chopping them (or buying them chopped) means you can slice the pie easier and the pecans are more evenly distributed.
• Pie Dough. You will either need a store-bought pie crust or enough dough to make a single crust pie. I love the flavors of this all butter pie crust or my vodka pie crust with this pie. The all butter crust balances the sweetness of the filling for the perfect bite. Plus the soft filling contrasts with the flaky pie crust on the bottom and the toasted pecans on the top. Perfection.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations & Substitutions

• Add chocolate or Bourbon: Add up to a ½ cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips to the filling for a chocolate pecan pie! You can also add 2 tablespoons of Bourbon whiskey the recipe as written for a bourbon pecan pie.
• Light corn syrup: You can substitute glucose syrup or golden syrup for the light corn syrup in pecan pie. You can also omit the corn syrup entirely but your filling will be looser. Some people add a few tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the filling as a thickener, but the problem is that pecan pie filling should not boil so you will absolutely taste the raw starch flavor and the real thickening power of the cornstarch will be lost.
• Try other nuts! Did you know that other nuts taste great in pie?! Try toasted walnuts, hazelnuts or macadamia nuts, or do a mix of your favorite! I do recommend chopping any and all other nuts for the best results.

How Serve Pecan Pie

Pecan pie can be served room temperature or slightly warm, but I prefer it at room temperature. When warmed the filling will soften slightly and be looser. Serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, a spoonful of vanilla crème anglaise, or chocolate fudge sauce for a fun twist.

How to Make Pecan Pie

Use these instructions to make the best pecan pie every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Par-Bake your pie crust:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F convection or 375°F conventional. If using homemade pie dough, roll out one portion of pie dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8^th inch thick. Chill 30 minutes flat on a baking sheet.

Step 2: Place chilled dough on top of a 9 inch pie dish or tin. Allow to warm up just enough to be workable. Lift up the edges and allow it to settle on the bottom. Gently press the sides to fit the dish allowing the edges to overhang the dish. Start on one side and roll the edges under towards the dish. Roll until you reach the dish then gently press it down on the dish to seal. Repeat with the rest of the crust.

Step 3: Flute the edges by pressing one knuckle on the outside and two knuckles around it from the inside of the crust. Chill for 10-30 minutes depending on how warm it got.

I always crumple my parchment paper into a tight ball and then unroll it before lining my pie crusts for par baking. This softens the paper and allows it to form to the shape of the crust without poking it or allowing huge gaps.

Step 4: Line the inside of the chilled crust with parchment. Fill with pie weights, beans or rice. I find beans work best. Bake crust 15-20 minutes and then remove the weights and parchment. I remove the parchment and weights when the crust has just begun to brown and doesn’t look raw anymore. If you remove it too soon, the crust will still slide down the sides of the dish particularly if you are using a ceramic dish.

I prepare my pecan pie filling while my crust is baking. The crust can also be par-baked 3 days in advance.

Make & bake the pie:

Step 5: In a medium, heat-proof bowl positioned over a simmering double boiler, melt the butter. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the sugar and salt until they are completely absorbed into the butter. It will look like an emulsified bread batter.

Step 6: Whisk in eggs, then the corn syrup and vanilla until smooth.

Step 7: Return the bowl to the double boiler and stir until a thermometer reads 130°F or the mixture is shiny and hot to the touch. Remove from the heat and stir in pecans.

Step 8: Pour pecan mixture into the partially baked crust. Bake until the filling looks set but yields like Jell-O when gently pressed with the back of the spoon or your fingers.

Step 9: Let pie cool complete on a wire rack before cutting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

Check out our other delicious, chef-developed pie recipes or see the the rest of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner menu!