Southern Pecan Pie
This easy Southern pecan pie recipe is a classic dessert that anyone can make! A simple ooey gooey filling packed with pecans is baked into a pie crust for the perfect holiday dessert every time.
Pecan pie? Yes please!
This deliciously simple recipe is easy enough for a novice baker and sophisticated enough to impress your guests.
Look, there are a few things that are required at every Thanksgiving (and sometimes Christmas!) dinner. Southern cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, cranberry fluff, and pecan pie. Without these the holiday just doesn’t feel the same.
We’ve made a slab pie version, and I’ve adapted the filling to make our super popular pecan pie brownies but today I wanted to share the recipe that started it all.
This classic pecan pie recipe comes straight from my grandma’s recipe box and it is super easy to make and totally delicious every single time.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- Eggs – You’ll want to use large eggs for this.
- Sweeteners – We use both sugar and light corn syrup.
- Butter – When you are ready to make this, melt the butter.
- Vanilla extract – You can use imitation, but pure tastes a bit better.
- Chopped pecans – You can buy whole pecans and chop them yourself or buy pre-chopped pecans.
- Pecan halves – These are optional and added as a bit of decoration.
- Deep dish pie crust – You can use your favorite brand or make your own, just make sure it is not baked.
If you’re like my family you’re going to need more than one pie! Chocolate chess pie and sweet potato pie are also southern classics. We usually have one of each!
Instructions
Here’s how to make the pie.
Step 1 – Prep the oven.
Before preheating the oven, place the rack in the middle of the oven. Next, place a baking sheet in the oven and then preheat it to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 – Make the filling.
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs with a fork until thoroughly combined.
Once the eggs are ready, add the sugar and light corn syrup and stir together until well mixed.
Next, pour in the melted butter, vanilla extract, and chopped pecans into the mixture and keep mixing until everything is thoroughly combined.
Step 3 – Fill the pie and bake.
Gently press the pie crust into the tin. Next, carefully pour the filling into the pie crust using care not to tear the crust.
As an optional step, you can arrange pecan halves on top of the filling by gently pressing them into the top of the filling in concentric circles going into the middle. The arrangement can help make the pie prettier when complete.
When ready, place the pie onto the preheated baking sheet and the place the pie and sheet into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
Step 4 – Check the edges as it bakes.
After the first 20 minutes, check on the edge of the crust and, if you chose the pecan halves option, the top of the pie. If they seem to be browning too quickly, you can cover the outer crust with foil or a pie shield.
If you use the pecan halves option, you can cut a circle of foil and tent it over the center of the pie to keep the pecan halves from burning.
Step 5 – Remove from the oven and serve.
The pie is done when the center jiggles just slightly but the outer portion is set. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool completely.
Serve with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Making a Beautiful Pie
This is a simple pie recipe, but if you want to take it up a notch and really impress, use pecan halves on top of the pie to make a beautiful pattern.
To do this, mix the filling together as directed and pour into the pie crust. Next, gently press pecan halves into the top of the filling making concentric circles going into the middle.
Of course, you can make other patterns if you prefer! You can use it as a great way to be creative with your design.
When to Cover Your Pie
Pie centers and crust can cook at different rates.
If your pie crust or the pecans on top of the pie begin to brown too quickly, you can protect them by covering them with foil.
For the pie crust, you can use aluminum foil or a pie crust shield to cover just the outer crust.
If the top pecans are browning too quickly, you can cut a circle of foil to gently place on top of your pie. You can make it just to cover the pie filling if the crust isn’t browning too quickly. Or you can make it big enough to cover everything if it all needs to be protected.
These covers slow the browning down so you don’t end up with burnt crust (or pecans) before the pie has finished baking.
I don’t have to do it every time so it’s not required. Just keep an eye on everything and in the last 30 minutes or so check to see how dark everything is getting so you can if you need to cover things while the baking finishes.
How to Store It
Pecan pie must be refrigerated because of the eggs used to make the filling.
To store, let it cool completely and then cover with aluminum foil. You can then place it in the fridge to store until ready to use.
We recommend taking it out of the refrigerator around the time you sit down for dinner to give the pie a chance to warm up a bit before you’re ready for dessert.
If you like warm pecan pie, but you’re making it ahead of time, you can cut a slice and heat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.
Looking for More Easy Dessert Recipes?
- Lemon Chess Pie
- Banana Fluffernutter Pie
- Sock It to Me Cake
- Apple Spice Cake
- Coconut Sheet Cake
- The Best Coconut Cake You’ll Ever Make
- Caramel Apple Cupcakes
- Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
- Hummingbird Cake
- More Dessert Recipes…
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Southern Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Light corn syrup
- ¼ cup Butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Chopped pecans
- 1 cup Pecan halves, optional
- 1 Deep dish pie crust, unbaked
Instructions
- Adjust your oven rack so it is in the middle. Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. See note 1.
- In a medium bowl add the eggs and use a fork to beat thoroughly until they are fully combined.
- Add the sugar, and light corn syrup to the eggs and stir together until well mixed.
- Pour in the melted butter, vanilla extract, and chopped pecans into the mixture and keep mixing until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Gently pour the filling into the pie crust.
- Optional: If you want to make this pie a little prettier you can arrange pecan halves on top of the filling by gently pressing the pecan halves into the top of the filling in concentric circles going into the middle.
- Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet.
- Place the pie in the oven (still on the baking sheet) and bake 50-60 minutes. After the first 20 minutes check on the edge crust and, if you chose the pecan halves option, the top of the pie. If they seem to be browning too quickly you can cover the outer crust with foil or a pie shield and cut a circle of foil out to lightly tent over the center of the pie to keep the pecan halves from burning (this option is used only if you have the pecan halves on top).
- You will know it is done when there is just a slight jiggle in the center but the outer portion of the pie is set. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool.
- Serve with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Notes
- I suggest placing the pie crust on a baking sheet. This makes it easier to take in and out of the oven and if it happens to bubble over the filling won’t get all over the inside of your oven.
Nutrition
