Best Ever Pecan Pie
Save RecipeHi Bold Bakers!
Heading into the holidays, Baking Season is in full swing! At the top of your dessert list will be my Best Ever Pecan Pie. After the success of my Best Ever Brownies and Best Ever Banana Bread, I’ve decided to celebrate my favorite time of year with the recipe for my very Best Ever Pecan Pie!
To be honest with you, pie itself is not my favorite thing to bake! That said, this Best Ever Pecan Pie is in a league of its own. With a flaky, buttery crust, toasted pecans, and a caramel custard-like center…get ready for a real treat. Whether you’re a chocoholic, cookie monster, cake lover or ice cream fiend, I bet you can always go for a big slice of warm homemade pecan pie. Add it to your list of favorites!
Lots of people I know have never made a Pecan Pie, most have bought it from the store, thinking it can not be improved upon. Well let this recipe for my Best Ever Pecan Pie be the proof that homemade makes all the difference and is totally worth it!
This really is as simple as making my Homemade Pie Crust then filling it with a mixture of whole toasted pecans, egg, brown sugar and maple syrup. No corn starch or unnatural ingredients needed. This Best Ever Pecan Pie packs so much flavor and comfort while being so simple to make.
Whether it’s for Thanksgiving, Christmas or a special dinner party, this recipe for Best Ever Pecan Pie will become one of your go-to recipes. If this is something you’ve never made before, I promise, you will never buy another from the store again.
And if you love Pecan Pie but don’t want to make a whole one you have to try my Microwave Mug Pecan Pie version!
- 1 recipe pie crust
- 6 egg yolks
- ½ cup (5oz/142g) golden syrup (or maple syrup)
- 2/3 cup (4 oz/115g) dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (3oz/90g) butter, melted
- ¼ cup (2floz/57ml) cream
- 2 cups (10oz/284g) pecans, chopped and toasted
- Preheat the oven to 350oF (180oC) then line a 9 inch pie tin with either a store bought crust or my best ever pie crust recipe, set aside.
Combine the egg yolks, syrup, brown sugar, butter and cream in a bowl. Add in the pecans and whisk until smooth.
Pour the pecan mix into your prepared pie shell.
Bake the pie for 30 minutes or until the center of the filling is a little wobbly in the middle and just set around the edges.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Cover and store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Meet Gemma
Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, and I’m passionate about sharing my years of experience to show you how to make game-changing baking recipes with over-the-top results! Join more than 1 Million other Bold Bakers in the community for new video recipes every week!
Have you made a recipe? Share photos on my website or across social media with the hashtag #boldbaker.
And don't miss my NEW Bold Baking recipes and tips. Sign up for my weekly email newsletter.
Can i replace pecan with walnuts, so it might turn out walnut pie? If not please show walnut pie recipe
Hi there,
Yes! I cannot see any reason not to try this. Walnuts are similar in texture to pecans, and take to baking nicely too. The flavor of course is totally different, though still mild. Try it! make a sample batch, it is worth a try!
I will add this idea to my list. Walnuts and frangipan go really nicely together, and pear works really well with that too, yummy!
Gemma 🙂
Actually was the Best Ever! My family (including my 87 yr old mother) said it was the best pie on Thanksgiving!
Thank you for the great recipes!
Well that has cheered me up! Thank you for letting me know, and for this kind review,
Gemma 🙂
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a smashing hit! I love the fact it has so much less sugar, I toasted the pecans like you instructed, that made all the difference. Thank you Gemma for always having the best recipes 🙂
Thrilled to hear that!! Make sure you save it so you have it for the future 🙂
Best,
Gemma.
We used this for thanksgiving and loved it!! We made a lot of pies to try and find favorites and this one was a hit! I thought it had a good balance of sweet to pecan. This is definitely going to become a go to pie recipe at our house.
Hi Jessica,
That is very good to hear, thank you for this very kind review,
Gemma 🙂
First time ever making pecan pie and it came out perfectly!! Our family’s new must have dessert! Thank you so much!
Hi Dina,
Wow! That is so good to hear, thank you so much for this very kind review of this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
I just made this pie, I followed the written recipe. Then watched your video. In the video you add salt and vanilla. These two ingredients are not listed in the written recipe, so were not added to my pie. Will it make a difference in taste?
Hi Rochelle,
Your pie will be perfect, I think I saw the photo! looked great to me 😉
You are right, it is not in the written recipe, it is optional. I tend to add salt and vanilla to all of my baking. It is rarely essential. I take your point though I should have made a note to say optional. I will add this right now to this recipe. Thank you for bringing this to my attention,
Gemma 🙂
Gemma 🙂
Is the brown sugar packed or just scoop it?
Hi Kathy,
I tend to scoop, loosely mound the cups, and do all of them the same way. That is how you get it balanced.
I hope you like this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
Being from the south, we always had pecan pies on the holiday table. I plan on trying your pecan pie recipe this week for thanksgiving. It’s very similar to the one my grandmother used when we were growing up. She used kayro syrup, which I hate using now, so I am excited to see how it turns out using maple syrup! One thing I have always done and will do with this recipe too is brown the butter. If done correctly, not burning, it gives a wonderful nutty flavor! Thanks so much!!
Hi Crystal,
great, I am happy to hear this. Brown butter is a new idea in baking generally, used widely in savory foods in France for instance and a great idea in cookies, and in this recipe. Thank you for your kind words,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! Thanjs for sharing your amazing recipes.. I always look forward to trying them out. Just one question, can I use walnuts instead of pecans in this recipe?
Thanks
Nupur
Yes, you can. Enjoy!
Hi Gemma!! Planning on making this for this season. Wondering how long should I bake them if I used a mini tart pan (2’36 inch)…
Hi there,
The issue here is that there are two things which need to be baked at the same time, the pastry and the filling. The filling is a type of custard if you will, and it needs to be baked until it is set, but not firm. I am a bit worried about the pastry baking in a short time without being blind baked. You can do that of course, but this is a skill when using a small tart tin. You bake the pastry, weighed down with baking beans/rice but you allow the pastry to drape over the pans and trim it when it is par baked. Then fill and go. I would say 20 minutes will finish the filling.
I am thinking my way through this, the full pie will be easier for you, and stress free!
Gemma 🙂
Dear Gemma I love everythingyou bake and create!!!I have so many recipes of yours and I also bake a lot and coolk I’m praying to one day own my bakery/restaurant and I everythingi do I’m learning from you,you are the greatest!!
Hi Kathy,
I hope you realize your ambition, you will too if you stay focused and believe you can! That is what matters.
Thank you for your kind words, and for being in touch,
Gemma 🙂
Gemma,
Sweet lady, I have a huge favor to ask! This will most likely be my Father’s last Thanksgiving with us and I would love to give him a pecan pie- it’s always been his favorite. He is very restricted on his eating now due to Parkinson’s Disease. He can only have nuts that have been almost been ground to dust. Do you have any recommendations on how to create a pecan pie that will still set up and be tasty for my Father?
Any of your wonderful thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Happy Holidays to you and your family, Gemma!
Paige Como
Hi Paige,
how sad for you and your family. I am sorry to hear that your Dad is so unwell.
There are some suggestions online for this, replacing the pecans with toasted rolled oats, and this makes a kind of sense to me. There is another suggestion to use crisp pretzels, bash them up in a plastic bag or in a processor. Google this, read through a few of these ideas to find one you like.
Thank you for being here with us,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Could I use homemade golden syrup — sugar and water cook until thicken just like syrup texture? I remember that I once read one of your recipes called for a type of syrup, and you put a several links to purchase these products — Steen’s Pure Cane Syrup, Lyle’s Golden Syrup. I have been searching for the particular recipe but to no avail. Do you know which recipe is it?
Thank you for always taking your time to answer my questions.
Hi Paige,
I am not too sure about this as I generally do not link to products.
Golden syrup is an invert sugar, and so too is a simple syrup like you describe. A dark corn syrup is a good alternative for golden syrup.
There are recipes to make golden syrup, and you can look for one online, it is relatively easy to do. It involves taking the sugar syrup to a caramel, dissolving this in water add more sugar and simmer to thicken. Look it up,
Gemma 🙂
What can I use as egg replacement?
Hi Smirti,
This is a type of custard. It really relies on the egg yolks for richness and to set the pie up. You could use cornstarch/cornflour, or arrowroot, though I have not tried it, and I am not sure how it would work for you. There are few liquid ingredients in this recipe so 2 teaspoons of cornstarch should be sufficient, though I am really not too sure about it!
Sorry, let me know if you try it, it would be an experiment,
Gemma 🙂
Could I use only maple syrup or honey instead of sugar? Also will it change too much if I don’t use cream?
Hi, it’s best if you use the sugar written in the recipe.
But if you are looking for a low sugar pecan pie we will have one coming really soon in time for the holidays. Also a pumpkin pie 🙂
Stay tuned,
Gemma.
I have wasted so much money on pecan pie. It is too runny or baked too long and taffy. Is there a more precise way other than jiggling the middle. Maybe temperature for the middle?
Hi,
I’m really sorry to hear that. Do you bake it for longer then I suggested? Once baked fully it will be set in the middle. Did you add in all the eggs?
Gemma.
Gemma,
I tried to reply in a similar comment but it wouldn’t link on my phone so sorry for the similar post.
I prepared as directed and there was quite a bit of liquid still in the pie (it didn’t set).
The crust was awesome and the gooey heated liquid made everything taste great, it just wasn’t the set custard I was expecting g and I’d like to remedy.
I did see the comment about pulsing the pecan pieces so I will do that, but does cooking for longer cause the pie to set or does all the syrupy/buttery liquid mean something else was going on?
Thanks.
Hi Steve,
I’m sorry to hear that. It wasn’t my experience. Blending the nuts will make for a more emulsified, set custard for sure. Also, it sounds like it could doing with a longer cook time. I’ll leave you to be the best judge of how long.
I’ll make a note on the recipe incase it happens to anyone else.
Best,
Gemma.
What type of cream are you using
Hi Katherine,
The cream which I use for most of my recipes is fresh dairy cream. This needs to be at least 35% fat content to whip well. This is from cows milk. It is a liquid product found in the chill cabinet in your store. It will spoil in a few days, even when refrigerated. It has no additives, it is just natural cream, skimmed from milk.
for some recipes it is important that you use this cream. For the pecan pie that is not so important. When you replace an ingredient you always have to ask ‘what is the purpose of this ingredient in this recipe’ and the answer in this case is to make a sort of butterscotch/caramel flavor in the pie. For this recipe you can use any cream you have to hand, a UHT cream/light cream etc.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
I made this today with raw pecans instead of toasted ones and it worked out perfectly! I made it for my dad on Father’s Day (today) because it’s his favorite pie -I think- and everyone in my house loves it! (I’m only 13)
Good for you Emilia,
I am really happy you managed this recipe for your dad, well done.
Great to have so many young bold bakers here with us. That is the best time to start baking, every recipe is then a learning, the best type of learning, experience.
Thank you for being in touch,
Gemma 😉
Hi Emma pie looks amazing but what is golden syrup? Also when did you put the decoration pecans on top I would have thought they would sink if put on at the beginning of baking. Thanks
Hi Vince,
Golden syrup is an invert sugar, slightly caramelized, which is available readily in Europe, and in other places too. Made generally by a company named Tate and Lyle.
It is a thick liquid gold! Maple syrup is similar in texture and flavor, and a dark corn syrup is used for this pie too.
The nuts are light enough, so do not tend to sink in this recipe.
Thank you for being in touch,
Gemma 🙂
hi Gemma! i’m about to make this recipe. what cream did you use? is it a whipping cream or a cooking cream? i’m from the Philippines and we have a cream here called Nestle All Purpose Cream. i wonder if i can use this for this recipe?
Hi there,
I think this product will work for this recipe, but not for all of my recipes. This is a manufactured product, milk powder and milk fats, and it is good for lots of things.
The cream which I use for all of my recipes is fresh dairy cream from cow’s milk. This cream must be kept cold, it will spoil at room temperature. The cream which will whip up well will have a fat content of 35% – 49.4%. This is what is known as double/heavy cream. This is the only cream which will work in my ice cream recipes, and is the one which works best in my cheesecakes.
I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
I used kefir and it worked 🙂
Yay a recipe for Pecan Pie finally that doesn’t have corn syrup in it! It’s way too hard to find in Australia and there are so many US recipes I want to try with it in it!
That is good Katrina, let us know how it goes for you,
Gemma 🙂
Hello Gemma or anyone does it matter if I use corn syrup I didn’t get maple syrup , it was very expensive?
Please reply this is my first time making pies
Hi Shannon,
So you can use corn syrup but it would be best to use the dark colored one because that will have a more caramel flavor.
Hope this helps,
Gemma.
Hi Gemma! I made the recipe and it was so delicious!, thank you for sharing it with us! It is now one of my favourite desserts:)
Great to hear, thank you for this lovely review,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! I will be making this on the weekend for a dinner party. What type of cream should I use? Also, I live in Singapore where room temperature and humidity is probably higher. Is it still ok to let it sit out for a day or should it go in the fridge? What should I do if I want to serve it warm the next day?
Hi Carmen,
I always use dairy cream for all of my baking. I do not know what you have available in Singapore, but it is for decoration on this pie, so what you usually use should be good.
I would not leave any baked goods sitting open at room temperature. Cover, refrigerate, and bring back to room temperature, or return to a warm oven before serving. Most baked goods will love to be refreshed in a warm oven, really coming back to fresh baked, especially when taken from the fridge.
I hope this helps you, and that all goes really well with your baking,
Gemma 🙂
Awesome. Thanks Gemma! We have pretty much every time of cream available here so I chose a cream that was suitable for cooking and desserts. Looking forward to making the pie!
Hi Carmen,
great, get baking so,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma, the pie was a hit. I basically had to save a slice for my Husband as it was going so fast! I was wondering, is it meant to be crumbly? Mine didn’t slice very cleanly. But still tasted awesome. Is there a difference using a metal pie dish and a ceramic one? Mine was ceramic and the bottom pie wasn’t as golden brown.
Hi Carmen,
So I should have mentioned it in the video but you really want to chop the pecans fine (even pop them in the food processor) and it won’t be as crumble.
No difference at all in the dishes :).
Glad it tasted great,
Gemma.
Just made this today, came out great!
Great Monika, happy to hear this,
Gemma 🙂
HI!!!
I’m from Brazil! My family and I normally celebrate thanksgiving, this year we will celebrate this weekend because of some family business.
And for Christmas and thanksgiving what’s best than turkey and this amazing pie??? 😍😍😍
I just made it And it looks amazing!!!!!
Smells delicious and I will only try tomorrow!
Thanks for the recipe!!!!
Yea!
Happy Thanksgiving to you! It does not matter when you celebrate it, as long as you do.
Good to have you with us in Brazil,
Gemma 🙂
What if i only have thick brown honey should I microwave a little so it loosens up a little bit then use it because the brand of honey i have is Langnese
Yes Anas, microwave it to make it liquid then use 🙂
Gemma.
Can i use honey instead of syrup
Hi Anas,
Yes, if this suits your own taste. Choose a light liquid one, it should have a mild flavor, then it will be good!
Gemma 🙂
Mine turned out very gooey, even though it was in the oven for more than 30 min? I was wondering why ? Thank you!
Hi Anna,
This is a type of custard. did you change anything in the recipe?
Let me know, we will figure it out,
Gemma 🙂
I loved how the pie came out! In previous occasions where id make pecan pie, i would use corn syrup and the pie would always come out way too sweet. After using this recipe along with the pie crust recipe it was a huge hit! This is now my new go-to pecan pie recipe!!!
YEA!
I am really happy to hear this Jessica, I am happy that this was a good one for your family,
Gemma 🙂
I made the crust and the pie for Thanksgiving dinner. Can’t wait to try. No vanilla was not in recipe. Will add next time because we know vanilla is always hood!😉
Vanilla is always good. I suppose it could be hood………
I noticed that the recipe says to serve warm and to store it at room temperature. but the video says to put it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. I personally prefer it cold so the fridge was my option, so I’m not sure which one you recommend. And if it is made the previous day and for some reason the person wants to heat up the whole pie the next day, are there recommendations for that?
You can serve it however you like. Putting it in the fridge is just for cooling it down more quickly. To warm it up, pop it back in the oven at 350F/180C for about 5 to ten minutes. 🙂
I made this last night, I still have no idea if it came out well because It’s for tonight’s (Thanksgiving) dinner. When I looked at it when it was done, I thought it looked a little off, but I didn’t realize why. When I woke up this morning It it me, I forgot to decorate it with the pecans on top. I also made it in a glass Pie pan because the metal ones were sold out (this was a last minute addition). I also had a question about the cream which you answered already. I already had whipping cream so I used that.
Hi,
So it it turn out ok??
Hope so,
Gemma.
Gemma… Can u emoji cake once ?? 😀
I appreciate your request but I don’t tend to make themed cakes. I hope you enjoy my other cake recipes. 🙂
Hi Gemma, can you please show us a video on how to make hot chocolate on a stick? It would be perfect for the holidays also as gifts to friends. Thank you for everything you have shared with us, i hope you know how much you are appreciated by us mum’s and their families 🙂
Hi Mila,
I’ll add your request to my list, I love that idea. I’m really glad you like recipes.
Best,
Gemma.
I saw that you put vanilla extract in the pie but the recipe doesn’t have it. Did you use a teaspoon? Thanks!
Hi Chelsy,
I always add vanilla, to almost everything! I will go back to the recipe and include it. Thank you for pointing this out. One teaspoon of vanilla will be a great addition, but it is not essential either, so do not worry about it,
Gemma 🙂
I have been following your videos for a while. I love the way you teach, Thank you. I will be having this for Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much Nancy, good to have you with us. happy Thanksgiving to you and yours,
Gemma 🙂
knowing me, i’ll forget to separate the eggs… (not a baker by nature, but if need be I do ok). So… what happens to your beautiful pie if I don’t use the yolks only?
Happy Thanksgiving!
PS this is my husband’s favorite pie which he buys from the store LOL
Hi Fran,
What I do is freeze my whites. Pop them into a ziplock back, write on the bag how many eggs it is and pop them into the freeze. When you are ready to use them let them defrost and use as normal. They work perfectly for meringue 🙂
Hi Gemma! Your recipes are amazing! What kind of cream did you use? Would it be whipping cream? I’m new to baking 😆
Hi Nicole,
So you can use any type of cream for this recipe. If you have whipping cream then use that but you can also use a plain cream.
Really glad you like my recipes.
Gemma.
Hi Nicole,
The cream which I use for all of my recipes is fresh dairy cream from cow’s milk. This cream must be kept cold, it will spoil at room temperature. The cream which will whip up well will have a fat content of 35% – 49.4%. This is what is known as double/heavy cream. This is the only cream which will work in my ice cream recipes, and is the one which works best in my cheesecakes. It is also the one I use for toppings, as here in the pecan pie.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma.
I’m a 14 years old girl from Lebanon and I love your recipes. Can you please make next some edible Christmas gifts like fudge,cookie,truffles… all in one video ? Pleaaaase. I’m super excited for Christmas and I’m pretty sure everyone is. Love you❤❤❤😍
And also in your chocolate fudge recipe, do I melt the chocolate and condensed milk, get it out, stir and put it again in the microwave or do I put the ingredients until just melted? And can I leave the salt and vanilla extract out ? Hope you reply soon❤
Hi Nicole,
I’m glad you like my recipes. Have you seen my Christmas page?? it’s a whole page dedicated to Christmas recipes including recipes fro edible gifts.
Here is the link https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/gemmas-holiday-baking-headquarters/
Check it out,
Gemma.
Hi Gemma! I can’t wait to make this! I would like to add a wee bit of Bourbon to this(maybe a little more! haha). About how much do you think I can add and should I reduce any of the other ingredients if I do? I love all your recipes and videos!
For sure add some Bourbon in there. I would say 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons). Just mix it into the rest of the filling ingredients.
Really glad you like my recipes. Thank you for being apart of the community.
Gemma.
Hi Gemma,
Looks amazing … cant wait to try. In India pecan is not something we use a lot. Can you suggest any other nuts? Also christmas is coming up i was wondering if you have any christmas cake – like fruit cake recipes. We are having family get together and wanna try one of your recipes.
Cheers,
Shenaz
Hi Shenez,
Chopped almonds or walnuts would be good. Walnuts are a bit more tender, but of course have a different flavor. When really fresh they will be wonderful.
Hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Hello Gemma what would you recommend to use to replace the eggs? Thank you.
Hi Shirley,
This is a custard, and relies on egg to a large extent.
I think you could set it up with cornflour/cornstarch, but I am not sure it will work, as I did not try it.
Really any recipe which relies heavily on any one ingredient is difficult to adjust, sorry!
Gemma 🙂
How can this recipe be used to make pecan pie bar cookies? When I make a lot of Christmas cookies I like to make a number of different kinds and find that making bar cookies give me a chance to make more cookies faster.
Hi Mary Ann,
The filling for this can be baked as a tray bake. You will need the pastry layer, otherwise it could not be picked up. The filling is really a custard type filling. It will slice well when cold so should be good,
Gemma 🙂
Absolutely decadent Pecan Pie ! Definitely will be making this over the Christmas season. Many thanks !
Thank you, it is good that you are with us,
Gemma 🙂
I’m a very bad baker, but your instruction gives me encouragement to keep trying! This is going to grace my table this Thanksgiving! Thank you!
Kelly, we do not believe you are a bad baker!
Practice makes perfect, and we learn as much from our failures, as successes. Carry on, all will be well,
Gemma 🙂
I love pecans and maple syrup and I’ve never made a pecan pie! This looks wonderfully rich and I will be making this next weekend. Can you tell me please when you would choose to blind bake a pie crust or not? I’ve always blind baked my pie crust for Bakewell tart and for French onion tart and would’ve thought to do same for this but I’m happy to see you don’t do so for this recipe. Why?
Hi Sally,
This is a good question!
Generally I blind bake a pastry case for things like quiche. The reason for this is that this light custard bakes at a lower temperature than the pastry. You bake the pastry at 180/190C and the filling at 160C. Pastry will not do well at this lower temperature.
I would not blind bake a case for Bakewell. The filling and the pastry tend to bake together for this, and marry, if you will.
French onion tart will also bake at the higher temperature, so both can be baked together. I hope I explained this properly for you,
Gemma 🙂
Really useful. Thanks so much.
Yes. That makes perfect sense. It never occurred to me to think about it like that. Thanks.
Hi Gemma,I love to try all your recipes as they all are just awesome!!
Why don’t you please show what exactly is the alternative for eggs in the video itself so it’ll motivate lot of people like me to try it immediately!
Thank you.
Hi there,
Haha! You are really trying to make me work harder!
For some recipes, and this is one of them, you really will not be able to replace the eggs so easily. this is a type of custard.
You may be able to thicken this filling with cornflour/cornstarch. About 1/2 cup should do it. I have not tried it, but think it may work for you. That is really the function of the eggs in this recipe, and of course it adds richness too. I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Looks Yummy and Amazing!!! Cannot wait to try this recipe this Holiday Season. Happy Holidays to you and your family!!!!
same to you. Enjoy the Holiday 🙂