This old fashioned pecan pie is the best homemade pecan pie recipe. It’s a favorite southern recipe that’s been passed down for generations and stands the test of time. The buttery sugar and egg filling is held together by the addition of corn syrup while the pecans are proudly displayed throughout this dessert as the hero ingredient, providing that much-loved nutty flavor and crunch.
This recipe is straight out of our grandmother’s recipe box and has been served at our Thanksgiving and Christmas table for decades.
This is a traditional pecan pie with a gooey filling goes perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream after your next Thanksgiving meal. You’ll also love our homemade pumpkin pie.
Old Fashioned Pecan Pie
Homemade pecan pie might seem like a daunting task, but it’s an easy recipe that’s obtainable by the average home cook.
This simple sweet pie consists just a handful of ingredients and can be made with ease by anyone – even those who don’t feel confident baking.
This is our favorite recipe and we believe this is the best southern pecan pie brimming with buttery pecans.
Make your own pie crust from scratch or use a store-bought pie shell (or refrigerated pie dough) and serve your freshly baked pecan pie with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup dark corn syrup (Like Karo)
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 2 cups pecans, chopped (not too fine)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 9-inch deep dish unbaked pie shell
Instructions
You don’t need much prep time for this recipe, just gather your ingredients and combine, then bake.
- Preheat oven to 350
- In large mixing bowl combine butter, brown sugar, eggs, dark and light syrups, pecans, flour, vanilla and salt. Mix the corn syrup with the other ingredients until fully combined.
- Pour syrup mixture into prepared pie shell and bake 40 minutes.
- After 20 minutes tent the pie with aluminum foil so the crusts and pecans don’t burn.
- Remove from oven and let pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. The pie filling will settle as it cools.
- Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
What is Pecan Pie?
Pecan Pie is a classic Southern dessert made with a simple and delicious pie filling of sugar, eggs, butter, and corn syrup. The corn syrup is the secret to this sweet pie’s success as it holds the pie filling together while also providing a subtle sweet flavor.
It’s the best pecan pie recipe out there with its creamy center with tons of chopped pecans in a buttery crust.
Pecan pie is a great dessert to bake for anyone who doesn’t feel that confident baking. You can even get the kids involved when preparing this dessert pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Can I Make Pecan Pie Ahead of Time?
Absolutely! Here are some elements to this pie that you can make in advance:
The Filling
Assemble your pecan pie filling, leaving the pecans out so that the nuts don’t get soft in storage. You can store your filling in the refrigerator for a couple of days in an airtight container or in the mixing bowl used with a tight layer of plastic wrap.
When ready to assemble your pie, simply add in the pecans and spoon the filling onto your pie crust for baking.
The Pie Crust
You can either purchase a store-bought pie shell for convenience or you can make your own with your favorite homemade pie crust recipe.
If you intend to make your crust from scratch, consider making your dough and storing it for up to 5 days in advance in the refrigerator (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap) or longer in the freezer (about 3 months).
You could also bake your homemade crust the night before and store it at room temperature once cooled and tightly wrapped.
You might also want to consider using a pie crust shield to prevent the crusts from burning. Just keep an eye on the crust and cover the edges with foil if they start to brown too early.
The Baked Pecan Pie
If you’d prefer to eliminate as much baking time as possible, consider baking the entire pecan pie and then storing it in the refrigerator for a couple of days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Bring your pie to room temperature before serving or heat it up slowly on a low oven heat, covered with a piece of aluminum foil so that it doesn’t burn the top of the pie.
Can I Make Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup?
Unless you have a really good substitute for corn syrup, I don’t recommend replacing it with something thinner in consistency – your pie filling just won’t hold together and it will also change the taste of your pecan pie!
If you’re dead set on using an unrefined substitute, consider combining pure maple syrup with a tablespoon of flour. The flour helps to thicken the syrup which will prevent the filling from falling apart. Maple syrup also provides a rich and irresistible flavor so give it a try!
Tips for Making This Old Fashioned Pecan Pie
- If you are going to use a frozen pie crust (store-bought or made in advance), first add a baking sheet to the oven while it preheats, assemble the pie filling onto the frozen pie crust and add your pie to the preheated baking sheet to bake. This little trick helps to ensure that the pie crust bakes evenly.
- Generally, pecan pies will be fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 200°F in the center. Use a food thermometer or tap the center of the pie surface lightly to see if it springs back (this is an indication that it’s cooked through).
- The center jiggles a tiny bit when it’s done.
- The last thing you want is a pecan pie that over-browns on the surface or edges, which is why I recommend covering your pie (make a tent) with aluminum foil towards the end of the baking time. If it’s browning too quickly, move the pie to the lowest position in the oven.
- Leftover pecan pie can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure that any leftovers are completely cool before storing in an airtight container or in the pie dish, tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.
How Do I Decorate Pecan Pie?
We usually just pour the filling with the chopped pecans right in the pie crust, but you can also add additional pecans to the top before baking. Some people like to make concentric circles with the pecans to make a decorative pie topping.
If you add additional whole pecans or pecan halves to the top of the pie, keep a close eye on it in the oven so the pecans don’t burn.
Where Did Pecan Pie Originate?
“Southern Living,” talks about how pecan pie became the South’s signature dessert. It mentions that milk-custard-based pecan pies were popular in the late 1800s, but the pecan pie as we know it today became popular when Karo syrup began putting the recipe on its syrup bottles in the 1930s.
The first time I ate this pie I fell in love. I wasn’t a pecan pie fan before. But I knew I had to learn how to make it so I could have it again.
This easy pecan pie recipe is my husband’s all time favorite pie and we serve it after every Thanksgiving dinner. This is one of those great recipes we’re going to hand down to our kids. It’s a classic old-fashioned Southern pecan pie and it a simple recipe that everyone can make.
It’s the perfect pecan pie for your Thanksgiving dessert table. You’ll also want to have our homemade pumpkin pie on that table!
Want More Pie Recipes?
- Classic Pumpkin Pie
- Cool Whip Pumpkin Pie
- Apple Pie
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Creamy Lemon Pie
- Apple Crumble Pie
Best Pecan Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup dark corn syrup Like Karo
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 2 cups pecans chopped (not too fine)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 9- inch deep dish pie shell
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- In large bowl combine butter, brown sugar, eggs, dark and light syrups, pecans, flour, vanilla and salt.
- Pour pie mixture into prepared pie shell and bake 40 minutes.
- After 20 minutes tent the pie with aluminum foil so the crusts and pecans don’t burn.
- Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. The pie filling will settle as it cools.
- Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Don’t forget to share it with me on @thebalancingmom and follow on Tiktok @balancingmotherhood and Pinterest @thebalancingmom for more!
What's For Dinner?
Find a recipe for dinner tonight! Get our Top 10 Most Popular recipes ebook sent right to your email.
Leave a Review!