Description
A classic pecan pie recipe featuring a flaky homemade pastry crust filled with a rich, gooey pecan custard, topped with toasted pecans for added texture and flavor. This pie is perfect for holidays or special occasions, offering a perfect balance of sweet, nutty, and buttery goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1¼ cups plain white flour (all purpose flour)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 115 g / 1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1cm (⅓”) cubes
- 2.5 – 3 tbsp ice cold water
Pie Filling
- 1 1/4 cups pecans, toasted and roughly chopped (for filling)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup / 200g brown sugar, packed
- 60 g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml light corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp bourbon (or rum or marsala, or other liquor of choice, or omit)
Topping
- 1 1/4 cups pecans, whole, for decorating top
Instructions
- Prepare Pie Crust: Place flour, salt, and sugar into a food processor and pulse twice. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse 5 times until the largest butter pieces are pea-sized. Slowly add 2.5 tbsp ice cold water while running the processor on low until the dough forms crumbly clumps. Add up to 1/2 tbsp more water if needed, but do not exceed 20 seconds of blending. Turn out the crumbs onto a work surface, and gently knead and pat into a 1.5 cm thick disc. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Toast Pecans for Filling: Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Spread 1 1/4 cups of pecans on a baking tray and toast for 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant. Remove and roughly chop. Set aside. The remaining pecans are reserved for the top decoration and do not need toasting.
- Roll Out Pie Crust: Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the chilled dough into a 25 cm (12″) circle, patching cracks as needed to encourage flakiness. Transfer the dough by rolling it onto the rolling pin and then unrolling onto a 22 cm (9″) pie tin. Press into the tin and trim edges leaving a 1 cm (0.3″) overhang. Fold edges under and crimp decoratively if desired.
- Blind Bake the Pie Crust: Cover the crust with two large sheets of baking paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice to keep it from shrinking. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and baking paper, then bake for an additional 5 minutes. Cool slightly before filling.
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Add the brown sugar, melted butter, corn syrup, vanilla extract, salt, and bourbon. Whisk thoroughly until combined. Gently fold in the toasted chopped pecans.
- Assemble and Decorate Pie: Pour the filling mixture into the pre-baked crust, leaving approximately 1 cm (2/5″) space at the top. Arrange the reserved whole pecans on the surface in your desired pattern.
- Bake the Pie: Bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Check the pie at 40 minutes; it should no longer jiggle significantly when gently shaken but the center should still feel slightly soft. If the crust or pecans brown too quickly, tent the pie with foil. The filling will puff and crack during baking but will settle as it cools.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the pie to cool completely for 2 to 4 hours to let the custard set fully. Slice and serve as is or with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
- Storage: Store the pie in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days for best freshness.
Notes
- Using cold butter and minimal mixing helps create a flaky crust.
- Light corn syrup can be substituted with golden syrup or maple syrup for different flavor profiles.
- Bourbon adds depth to the filling, but can be omitted for a non-alcoholic version or substituted with rum or marsala.
- Blind baking the crust prevents a soggy bottom when filled with the liquid filling.
- Allow the pie to cool completely to ensure the filling is set and slices cleanly.
- Top pecans can be arranged decoratively to enhance presentation.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pecan pie, homemade pecan pie, pecan pie recipe, nut pie, holiday dessert, flaky pie crust
