BAKE: How to Make a Classic Southern Pecan Pie
- Southern Pecan Pie Recipe Ingredients
- Kitchen Equipment Needed
- How to Make a Classic Southern Pecan Pie
- Storage & Serving Ideas
- Classic Southern Pecan Pie
It’s not a holiday around here without a freshly baked southern pecan pie. My mom made this pecan pie recipe every Thanksgiving and Christmas when we were growing up, and it’s a tradition I’m happy to continue… which is a good thing, as I think my partner might mutiny if this southern pecan pie recipe weren’t on the menu (it’s his favorite).
This rich, caramel syrupy pie with buttery pecans and a flaky crust is one of the highlights of our holiday meals. No matter how full you are, you’ll want to save a little bit of room for at least a sliver of this homemade pecan pie. There’s no need to limit these to just the holidays, but they’re so rich and delicious it might be dangerous to make them more often!
Southern Pecan Pie Recipe Ingredients
Pecans:
For the fanciest looking pie, use pecan halves, though you can also make a perfectly delicious pie with pecan pieces or even chopped pecans, which are usually a little less expensive.
Pie Crust:
Use your favorite pastry crust to line your pie pan. I prefer this homemade all-butter pie crust, though you can use your favorite flaky pastry recipe or even a store bought one to save time.
Cane Syrup, Dark Corn Syrup, Sorgum, or Treacle:
My mom always used dark corn syrup, or a blend of dark and light corn syrup in her pecan pies. I prefer to use a dark cane syrup like Alaga or Steens, or even dark English treacle or sorgum molasses instead of all or a portion of the corn syrup.
Alaga is already a blended syrup, so you can use it straight, but if you want a milder flavor and use the other options, a 50:50 blend of the cane and corn syrups is nice. Sorgum molasses has a nuttier flavor, but is also delicious in a pecan pie if you enjoy that (my dad and I really like it, but his dad couldn’t stand it, since it was all they had during a lot of his Ozark childhood, so for him, it tasted like poverty).
This adds a richer flavor and deeper caramel notes, which balance the sweetness of the filling. Some people use just light corn syrup, but I think that makes a rather insipid pie.
Eggs:
Use large, fresh eggs. These are not optional, and are what sets the pie filling.
Butter:
Use a good quality real butter, not margarine or butter-flavored shortening. If you use unsalted butter, increase the amount of salt in the filling. You want it very slightly softened, especially if you are mixing the filling by hand, so it’s easier to cream together with the other ingredients. If you are using a stand or handheld mixer, you can use cold butter cut into 1″ chunks or slightly softened butter.
Sugar:
You begin making the filling by creaming a small amount of granulated sugar with the butter.
Seasonings:
Most of the flavor in this pie comes from the above ingredients, but some real vanilla extract and a pinch of salt round out and amplify them. Sometimes I add up to a tablespoon of bourbon to the filling as well.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
Deep dish pie plate:
This is a generously filled pecan pie and should be baked in a 9″ deep dish pie pan. I prefer these glass Pyrex pie plates for most of my pies. You can also use a shallow standard pie plate, it’s just harder to transfer the pie to the oven without spilling any of the filling.
Mixing bowls:
You’ll need a medium mixing bowl or stand mixer to mix the pecan pie filling. It’s easy enough to mix this pie by hand, but if you have a mixer, making the filling is almost effortless.
How to Make a Classic Southern Pecan Pie
roll out pastry crust:
- Roll out your pastry crust and fit it into your pie plate. Flute or crimp the edge decoratively, or use the floured tines of a fork to press the edge of the crust down evenly along the rim of the pie plate.
- Use any pastry scraps to patch holes in the crust, or save them to bake off for decorations (or sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake them for a sweet snack).
- Place the prepared pie crust in the fridge or another cool place while you prepare the filling.
make the filling:
- In a medium mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt until they are pale yellow, fluffy, and evenly combined.
- Add the eggs, one a a time (cracking them into a small bowl, then into the mixer bowl). Scrape down the bowl between additions and keep beating until the eggs are well emulsified (the mixture will look shaggy and broken but comes together again).
- Drizzle in the syrup and vanilla, mixing again until the mixture is well combined.
- Fold in the pecans, mixing until they are well coated.
fill and top the pie:
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet or shallow sheet pan to contain any spills.
- Fill the prepared pie crust with the pecan syrup mixture, pouring it into the center of the crust and spreading it gently around. Use a flexible spatula to make sure you get all of the syrup into the pie. Don’t worry, the pecans will rise to the top as the filling bakes.
bake the pecan pie:
- Bake the pie on the baking sheet to catch any overflow of syrupy filling (this will save you a lot of cleanup, and make it easier to handle your pie in the oven safely).
- You may want to use a pie shield or a strip of aluminum foil around the outer crust rim so that it doesn’t burn before the pie is baked through. You can start with the edges covered and remove them for the last 10-20 minutes of baking, or cover them later if they are starting to brown too much- your preference!
- The pie is done when the center of the pie is set and the nuts and crust edges are golden brown. This will usually be 50 minutes, though you should start checking the pie earlier. If you overbake the pie, it is more prone to cracking, but an underbaked pie will still be runny (the eggs have to set).
- Let the pie cool for several hours for best results when slicing, so that the filling can solidify and the slices will hold together. You can also cool it completely and then gently rewarm the pie or individual slices before serving, or serve it at room temperature.
Storage & Serving Ideas
This southern pecan pie should cool first before serving, so that the filling can set up and make nice slices. You can bake it a day or even two before a holiday meal to take the stress off and have one less thing to juggle on the day of the big dinner!
You can serve it at room temperature or very slightly warmed. You can gently warm individual slices in the microwave before serving, or put the whole pie in the oven with very low heat for just a few minutes. It’s also fantastic cold for a farmer’s breakfast or snack!
You can leave the pie out in a cool place, well covered, for up to three days, unless the weather is very warm. It’s safer to refrigerate it if you have room, since there are no preservatives other than the pinch of salt, and nothing is sadder than spoiled pie! In summer, you definitely want to chill any leftovers that you want to keep for more than a day or two.
You can also freeze the whole pie or individual slices. Wrap well in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months (for best quality). Let the pie thaw slightly before warming it in the oven or microwave. Be careful of thermal shock if you froze it in a glass pan… it’s best to thaw in the fridge overnight and warm it the next day if you’re freezing a whole pie in glass, or at least a few hours on the counter top.
Serve your homemade pecan pie with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream or a simple dollop of whipped cream. Unless it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, then you should serve this with a slice of cranberry apple crumble pie and another thin slice of pumpkin pie, of course, and a side of mincemeat tartlets! Garnish with a nap (and/or a cup of steaming hot coffee).
Classic Southern Pecan Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Pecan Pie Filling
- ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
- ⅓ cup salted butter (increase salt to 1 tsp for unsalted butter)
- ½ tsp salt (increase to 1 tsp if using unsalted butter)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup Alaga cane syrup, dark corn syrup, or dark treacle
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup shelled pecans (halves or large pieces)
Instructions
roll out pastry crust:
- Roll out your pastry crust and fit it into your pie plate. Flute or crimp the edge decoratively, or use the floured tines of a fork to press the edge of the crust down evenly along the rim of the pie plate.
- Use any pastry scraps to patch holes in the crust, or save them to bake off for decorations (or sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake them for a sweet snack).
- Place the prepared pie crust in the fridge or another cool place while you prepare the filling.
make the pecan filling:
- In a medium mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt until they are pale yellow, fluffy, and evenly combined.
- Add the eggs, one a a time (cracking them into a small bowl, then into the mixer bowl). Scrape down the bowl between additions and keep beating until the eggs are well emulsified (the mixture will look shaggy and broken but comes together again).
- Drizzle in the syrup and vanilla, mixing again until the mixture is well combined.
- Fold in the pecans, mixing until they are well coated.
fill and top the pie:
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet or shallow sheet pan to contain any spills.
- Fill the prepared pie crust with the pecan syrup mixture, pouring it into the center of the crust and spreading it gently around. Use a flexible spatula to make sure you get all of the syrup into the pie. Don't worry, it will level out and the pecans will rise to the top as the filling bakes.
bake the pecan pie:
- Bake the pie on the baking sheet to catch any overflow of syrupy filling (this will save you a lot of cleanup, and make it easier to handle your pie in the oven safely).
- You may want to use a pie shield or a strip of aluminum foil around the outer crust rim so that it doesn’t burn before the pie is baked through. You can start with the edges covered and remove them for the last 10-20 minutes of baking, or cover them later if they are starting to brown too much- your preference!
- The pie is done when the center of the pie is mostly set and the nuts and crust edges are golden brown. This will usually be 50 minutes, though you should start checking the pie earlier. If you overbake the pie, it is more prone to cracking, but an underbaked pie will still be runny (the eggs have to set). There may still be a slight bit of movement but the center shouldn't jiggle or remain liquid- if so, it needs to bake longer.
- Let the pie cool for several hours for best results when slicing, so that the filling can solidify and the slices will hold together. You can also cool it completely and then gently rewarm the pie or individual slices before serving, or serve it at room temperature.