Classic Pecan Pie

October 3, 2023

4.7

(139)

A classic pecan pie with a forkcrimped edge and glistening pecan halves in a ceramic pie dish with one slice cut out.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi

There’s a reason homemade pecan pie is such a beloved Thanksgiving dessert: It’s virtually impossible to make a bad one. Variations abound, including chocolate pecan pie bars, pecan-pumpkin pie, and versions made with maple syrup or rum and espresso. Still, this Southern-style pecan pie, a Gourmet classic with a buttery pie crust and gooey filling brought to life by a touch of orange zest, is our gold standard.

Notably, the pie crust recipe contains no sugar. That’s because pecan pie is undeniably sweet, and the unsweetened base—and dashes of salt in both the pie dough and the pecan pie filling—bring balance. Light corn syrup is a key ingredient here, giving the filling its signature texture. The flavorless sweetener also allows the nutty flavor of the pecans to shine, but if you prefer the robust taste of molasses-rich dark corn syrup, feel free to use it. (Or, opt for any of these corn syrup substitutes; may we recommend brown rice syrup for its toasty, butterscotch-like undertones?)

For the nuts, we prefer pecan halves over chopped pecans since the bigger pieces give the dessert a more satisfying crunch. Finally, you won’t need any garnish, but if a little whipped cream sneaks onto your plate, it won’t be unwelcome.

One thing we recommend more than anything else: Hide a slice before heading off to bed. Because while our best pecan pie recipe is a stunning way to end Thanksgiving dinner, it’s even better the following morning, alongside a strong cup of coffee.

Recipe information

Total Time
5 hours (includes cooling)
Yield
8 servings

Ingredients

1 disk pastry dough

6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) unsalted butter

1¼ cups (packed; 256 g) light brown sugar

¾ cup (234 g) light corn syrup

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ tsp. finely grated orange zest

¼ tsp. kosher salt

3 large eggs

2 cups pecan halves (½ pound)

Sweetened Whipped Cream or vanilla ice cream (for serving; optional)

Preparation

Step 1
Place rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 350° and place a baking sheet on the middle rack.
Step 2
Roll out 1 disk pastry dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim edge, leaving a ½-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and lightly press against rim of pie pan, then crimp decoratively. Lightly prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes (or freeze 10 minutes).
Step 3
Melt 6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) unsalted butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 1¼ cups (packed; 256 g) light brown sugar to melted butter, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in ¾ cup (234 g) light corn syrup, 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract, ½ tsp. finely grated orange zest, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt. Lightly beat 3 large eggs in a large bowl; whisk in corn syrup mixture.
Step 4
Put 2 cups pecan halves (½ pound) in unbaked pie shell and pour corn syrup mixture evenly over them. Bake on hot baking sheet until filling is set, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (if using).
Do Ahead: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead; store covered with aluminum foil at room temperature. Cooled pie can be well covered in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 months. Set frozen pie at room temperature for several hours to thaw.

Editor’s note: This classic pecan pie recipe was first printed in the November 2009 issue of ‘Gourmet’ as Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie. Head this way for more of our best Thanksgiving pies →

Cooks' Note

Pie can be baked 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving. Cooled pie can be frozen for up to three months. Set frozen pie at room temperature for several hours to thaw.

Editor’s note: This recipe was originally printed in the November 2009 issue of ‘Gourmet’ as Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie. Head this way for more of our best Thanksgiving recipes →

TagsGourmet Thanksgiving Pie Dessert Pecan Nut Southern American Baking Food Processor

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Reviews (139)

I made the recipe exactly as indicated and am very pleased with the results. IDK Why other reviews would add in cornstarch? Once it cooled it had a that nice pecan pie texture inside. i did reduce the amount of pecans to 1 C, just because 2 C was too much for my pie plate. I was worried that the pie crust wouldn't hold up and would burn, but it didn't. No need to wrap the edge with tin foil for me. Maybe my older oven cooks slower and with a newer oven I would have to adjust.
- Cynthia
- Vancouver, BC
- 10/8/2023
Question re: Add brown sugar, whisking until smooth What does whisk until smooth mean? Does it mean that it becomes more like a thick syrup and all granularity of sugar disappears? Also are pecans toasted before using in the pie? Thanks!
- Nicola Smith
- Kelowna, BC, Canada
- 3/18/2023
Easy. Delicious.
- Megan Mc
- Brooklyn NY
- 11/26/2022
I love the orange zest in this pie because it adds an interesting additional flavor that is lovely with pecans.
- Karen
- Salt Lake City
- 11/21/2022
Easy and FABULOUS! I get raves every time that I add it to a meal!!! Thank you Epicurious!!!
- Anonymous
- Lee's Summit, MO
- 12/19/2021
Really great flavor. But I did make the adjustments that other users recommended. I used about 1 1/2 cups more of pecans, added 1 Tbsp of cornstarch, and left out the orange zest. Instead of a maple syrup/Karo mix, I found some Louisiana cane syrup at the feed store lol. It had a more molasses-like flavor and I used that instead of maple syrup. I highly recommend this if you can find it. It gave the pie so much more depth and richness. And was way cheaper than maple syrup. I love this site, but get frustrated with the Whole Foods crowd trying to make everything so expensive and pretentious. I used toasted, generic-brand pecans and they were great. In my opinion, there is no need to get fancy with this pie. Next time I will blind bake the crust for a few minutes first though. It wasn’t soggy, but wasn’t sturdy enough. I made a foil cover for the outside crust and baked the pies for 40 minutes and then took it off and went for 10 more minutes without. It wasn’t enough time to get the edges firm and browned though. I think with a 10- minute blind bake, though, it would have been perfect. These pies were a big hit though. Great, rich flavor and full of pecans. Will definitely remake!
- Lucas
- Mammoth Spring, AR
- 11/28/2021
A really great recipe. Simple, delicious, hard to mess up. I've made it often.
- Chris
- Australia
- 11/17/2021