How to Make Pecan Pie

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 20, 2021

Pecan pie is a scrumptious dessert that is especially delicious on Thanksgiving, Christmas and other winter days. Pecans are mixed with a sugar-based filling that contrasts perfectly with a buttery crust. Read on to learn how to make a pecan pie from scratch.

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)

Filling

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup (or use dark corn syrup, if you would like a stronger flavor)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecans, lightly toasted, chop most of them (hold back enough halves to press into the top of filling for appearance)
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 whole eggs (or 6 egg whites)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:
Making the Crust

1
Sift the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, sugar, and salt until the ingredients are completely incorporated.
2
Cut in the butter. Place the cubes of butter in the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dough until it resembles cornmeal, with a few pea-sized pieces of butter mixed in.

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3
Mix in the egg. Lightly beat the egg in a separate bowl. Pour it into the crust mixture and use a spoon to fold it in until it is just incorporated. Don't overmix, or the dough will turn out too dense.
4
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Use your hands to shape it into a ball. Place the ball on a sheet of plastic wrap, and fold the edges over it.
5
Form a disc. Press down on the ball with the heels of your hands to flatten the dough into a disc.
6
Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
7
Roll out the crust. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, take it out of the plastic wrap, and place it on a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large circular shape that will fit over a 9-inch pie dish. Drape the crust over the dish and trim the edges. Use your fingers to crimp the dough over the edges of the dish to hold it in place.
- If you'd like, use a fork to make decorative notches around the rim of the pie crust.
- Take care not to tear a hole in the pie crust. If you accidentally tear one, use a little extra dough to patch it up.
8
Freeze the crust. Cover the crust with plastic wrap and place the pie plate in the freezer to firm up for at least 30 minutes.
9
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the pie crust with aluminum foil. Use pie weights or dried beans to fill the crust - this prevents it from bubbling up when it bakes.
10
Bake the crust in two steps, the first for 20 minutes by placing the pie plate in the oven and beginning to bake the crust.
11
Remove the crust from the oven and take off the weights and aluminum foil; place it back in the oven to bake for another 10 minutes, until the crust is golden. Remove it from the oven while you make the filling.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:
Making the Filling

1
Heat the ingredients. Place the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium high heat and bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring constantly. Let them boil for one minute so that the mixture begins to thicken.
2
Remove the filling from heat and stir in the nuts. Incorporate the pecans fully, then add the bourbon and vanilla and stir again. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes.
3
Add the eggs. Beat the eggs lightly in a separate bowl, then add them to the filling mixture. Whisk until the eggs are fully blended with the rest of the filling (if you tried leaving the eggs out, the filling would not firm up when cooled).

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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:
Finishing the Pie

1
Fill the pie. Place the pie crust on a baking sheet. Pour the filling into the crust. Use a spatula to spread it evenly.
2
Bake the pie. Place the pie in the oven (still heated to 350 degrees) and bake it until the filling edges are set, about 50 to 60 minutes (if you had not precooked the pecans, crust and filling then it could take longer). Check it frequently to make sure the crust doesn't burn.
- You can cover the edge area of the crust by making and laying a ring of aluminum foil on top of the edge of the crust to prevent it from burning while the filling cooks.
- Jiggle the pie to test if it's done. If the filling is still too runny, it needs more time. If it moves just a little, it's ready.
3
Serve the pie. Let it cool on the counter for about 10 minutes (to serve very warm) or an hour or two to serve cooled. Slice the pie and distribute it onto plates. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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Community Q&A

Question

What can I use instead of bourbon or alcohol?

Community Answer

You can substitute with corn syrup, molasses, 1tb extra sugar, or just skip the bourbon and continue the recipe. It is not crucial to the recipe.
Question

How long will it keep after baked?

Community Answer

Refrigerated, this should keep for about a week.
Question

What can I use to substitute the corn syrup?

Community Answer

You could use maple syrup instead.
Question

Why is my crust crumbling?

Community Answer

The dough is likely too dry. Add just a little cold water as you go to see if you can get it to be smoother to the touch.
Question

Sometimes my filling doesn't get solid. What can be done about this?

Community Answer

You can add more starch, eggs, or any thickening agent. You usually add eggs into pecan pie (like in this recipe), so eggs would be a good thickener to make the pecan pie solid.
Question

How do you prevent the pie from getting too dark?

Community Answer

You can cover the pie crust with foil to avoid it from darkening. However, note that the pie should look pretty dark brown by the time it is done. If you are still worried, try lowering the temperature of the oven or taking the pie out sooner.
Question

Can I make a pecan pie with the whites of eggs, only?

Community Answer

Yes, if you add extra brown sugar to make up for the lack of yolk.
Question

Can I freeze the pie after it's baked?

Community Answer

Yes; however, the flavor and texture are not guarantied to be the same.
Question

What is the longest amount of time I can store the dough in the refrigerator?

Qamar

Top Answerer

No more than a week. The longer the dough stays in the fridge, the more it loses its freshness. Most bakers recommend people to use pie dough within 72 hours, as it begins to harden over time.

Warnings

When finished baking, the pie will still appear to be a little juicy. Don't make the mistake of cooking it longer, it will set when it is cooled, as sugars will crystallize when they cool. Cooking too long will result in a rock hard pie when it cools.

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