Classic Southern Pecan Pie
This traditional southern pecan pie is a great addition to your holiday pie table, or to bake and make any day special! It has a rich, caramel flavored filling, with buttery pecans and a flaky pastry crust. I recommend a homemade all-butter crust, but you can use your favorite quality store-bought crust in a pinch (though the pie won't be quite as good).
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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!