Pecan Pie

A recipe for homemade Pecan Pie! This easy pie is packed with pecan pieces and paired with a buttery, flaky crust.

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Virtual Baby Shower for Lauren

My friend Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook is due with her second baby boy in a couple of weeks. We first met in college through our husbands (then boyfriends) and have been friends for a few years now, since before the blogs and the babies!

As newlyweds, we moved to the same area of Florida and spent many weekends/holidays together. During that time, our families grew.

During my first pregnancy, she put together a surprise shower for me! A couple of years later, a friend and I hosted a Winnie the Pooh themed shower for her first son. 

Unfortunately, we had to part ways shortly after her son was born, us to Northern Virginia and her family to Ohio.

Even though we are no longer nearby, she surprised me again with a Virtual Baby Shower on her blog (though Claire decided to surprise us all by being born a few weeks early and before the shower posted).

Now, her second baby boy is due at the beginning of November and since I can’t be there in person, I contacted some wonderful bloggers and we got together to throw her a virtual baby shower!

Lauren’s favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Since her baby is also due in November, I thought a collection of Thanksgiving/Autumn recipes would be perfect.

Congratulations Lauren!

Pecan Pie

With this being a post to celebrate Lauren, I decided to make a version of her Pecan Pie!

Pecan Pie is a Southern (United States) dish, but the exact point of origin has been the topic of debate. Some say Alabama created the first Pecan Pie, while others say it originated in Louisiana by the French who substituted pecans in their desserts.

The Karo Syrup company states it was created in the 1930s by a corporate sales executive’s wife. Written recipes did not appear until the mid 1900s. However it was made, the pie has now become well-established with the holiday season and is often seen alongside other pies and desserts during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

As far as pies go, this one is incredibly easy. A corn syrup base is combined with brown sugar, melted butter, flour, eggs, and vanilla. The mixture is poured over chopped pecans in an unbaked pie crust, topped with even more pecans for decoration, then baked just until barely set.

Allow to cool to room temperature (or chill) and pair with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

A Few Pie Tips

I made the pie with a homemade pie crust, but you can swap for your favorite or store-bought if desired.

To help create that light and flaky texture in the pie crust, use cold butter and chilled water. Take care not to overwork the dough. You want to mix everything just until soft and smooth.

I generally use a dough blender to cut in the diced butter. You can also use two forks or the tips of your fingers. Just try to work as quickly as possible to keep the butter from melting.

Refrigerating the dough will make it easier to handle and roll into a thin circle.

If the crust or the topped pecans get too dark while the center still hasn’t set, lightly top with foil or a pie shield to protect from the heat.

Allow the pecan pie to cool completely to room temperature before slicing.

For the topping, you can either make a circular pattern covering the pie like I did or an any other desired design.

If you don’t fully cover the top of the pie with pecan halves, add another ounce or two (28-57 grams) of chopped pecans to the filling.

Check out what everyone else made to celebrate:

• Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms by I am a Honey Bee
• Candied Walnuts by Love and Confections
• Carmelized Pear Upside Down Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Hasselback Sweet Potatoes by Curious Cuisiniere
• Oatmeal Maple Scones by Life on Food
• Party Pecan Pie by Food Lust People Love
• Pecan Pie by Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Quince-Chevre Crostata by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This recipe was originally posted in October 2015 and updated in November 2023.

Pecan Pie Recipe

Adapted from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Print Pin

5 from 4 votes

Pecan Pie

A recipe for homemade Pecan Pie! This easy pie is packed with pecan pieces and paired with a buttery, flaky crust.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword American, dessert, fall, pecan, pie, Thanksgiving, United States

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 1 Pie

Ingredients

Pie Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter chilled and diced
• 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) chilled water

Pecan Pie Filling:

• 1 cup (240 milliliters) light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed dark brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter melted
• 2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 ounces (170 grams) chopped pecans
• Halved pecans for garnish

Instructions

To make the pie crust:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
• Add the diced butter and blend in using two forks, your fingers, or a dough blender until combined with a crumbly texture and no pieces are larger than the size of a pea.
• Slowly add the cold water just until the dough comes together.
• Form the dough into a flattened disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
• Lightly grease a 9 inch (23 centimeter) pie dish with butter.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the refrigerated dough into an even, thin circle about 12 inches (30.5 centimeters) wide.
• Transfer to the prepared pie pan and decorate the edges as desired. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

To make the Pecan Pie:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
• In a large bowl, whisk together the corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, flour, salt, eggs, and vanilla extract until well-combined.
• Sprinkle the chopped pecan pieces evenly across the bottom of the prepared pie crust.
• Pour the whisked filling into the prepared pie crust over the pecans.
• Decorate the top as desired with halved pecans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the center has just set with still a little wobble when gently shaken, 45-60 minutes.
• Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving or refrigerate for up to 3 days and serve chilled.