Best American Pecan Pie

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Here's the BEST pecan pie recipe. This old-fashioned dessert features a sweet, gooey center, and crunchy pecans. Perfect for the holidays!

Author: Delphine Fortin
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Category: Cakes and Pies
Cuisine: American recipes

Here’s the BEST pecan pie recipe! This old-fashioned dessert is a classic for Thanksgiving or any holiday gathering. Easy to make, it features a flaky pie crust, a sweet, gooey center, and some crunchy pecans on top. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

Scale

For the pie crust:

1 ¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick (115g) unsalted butter, cold and diced
2 Tablespoons ice cold water
2 Tablespoons ice cold vodka (or water)*

For the filling:

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 cup (230 ml) pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 large eggs, beaten
1 stick (115g) butter, salted**
2 cups (200g) pecans, chopped (+ extra pecan halves for the top)

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Instructions

For the crust, pulse together flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add half of the diced butter and pulse in 2-second intervals, until incorporated, then add remaining butter and pulse again. Slowly pour water, vodka, and mix on low speed, until just combined (do not over mix). Pack the dough into a ball. Wrap in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface. Lightly dust with some flour and roll out the dough into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle. Transfer to a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish, pinching the edge of the crust to sculpt an upstanding ridge. Place the pie crust in the freezer for 10 minutes to re-chill the butter before continuing.
Preheat the oven at 400°F (200°C).
Remove crust from the freezer. Line the inside with parchment paper, then fill with some pie weights or dried beans. Pre-bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and carefully remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Decrease the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
For the filling, whisk together sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the butter turns brown and fragrant. Slowly pour butter into the mixture, and whisk to combine. Stir in chopped pecans, then pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.***
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the filling is almost set. Remove from the oven, line with the extra pecans then bake again until the filling is perfectly set. Cool on a rack for a couple of hours before slicing and serving. Enjoy with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Notes

* The use of vodka is optional in this recipe. If not using vodka, use a total of ¼ cup (60 ml) water for the crust.

** If using unsalted butter, use an additional ¼ teaspoon salt to the filling.

*** You can add 1 Tablespoon of all-purpose flour if you’re worried the filling is too runny when using maple syrup (instead of corn syrup in most recipes). It should do the trick.