Southern pecan pie is one that is fully made from scratch with a sweet and delightful thick syrup filling topped off with pecans. To ensure you get the rich and buttery taste you want, this recipe helps you make that pie crust all on your own for a fully homemade pie everyone will clamor for.
What Goes Into Southern Pecan Pie?
The best pecan pie features a homemade pie crust. You’ll make this from some very simple ingredients including sugar, salt, butter, flour, and ice cold water. Allow it to refrigerate while you focus on the filling.
The filling takes light brown sugar, both dark and light corn syrup, crushed pecans, beaten eggs, melted butter, and a little salt. Before you pour it in, you’ll add quartered pecans on top of the pie crust, then pour in this syrup, and finish with more pecans on top. When it’s done baking, you’ll be left with a pie that could win a blue ribbon it’s so good.
The best pecan pie is well-worth every bit of extra effort you’ll make, ensuring a special occasion is all the more special indeed.
Common Questions
French settlers created pecan pie in New Orleans after the Native Americans found pecans. Pecans began turning up in many recipes, though in 1898, it is the first notation of pecan pie as we know it printed in a St. Louis church charity cookbook.
Yes, you must refrigerate pecan pie after it cools. You can keep it on your holiday table until everyone has stuffed themselves but do move it to the fridge within 2 hours since it contains eggs that can spoil.
You can definitely freeze pecan pie. Make it ahead up to 3 months in advance so you can serve it without breaking a sweat. You may even find that making a couple of these best pecan pies will be ideal ahead of holidays and events.
While the pecans themselves should offer a bit of crunch, the filling inside should never be hard. Following this recipe will ensure you get that gooey center you’re looking for. Be sure to keep the pie on a lower rack if your heating element is at the top to prevent it from becoming hard.
Chopnotch Tips
- Combine the filling ingredients and bake in this recipe. Unlike other pecan pie recipes, this one requires no stovetop time.
- Sure, you could use a premade crust, but the best pecan pie comes from making it all yourself. Besides, it’s easy and you’ll be amazed how much better the flavor is!
- Don’t use whole pecans. It’s easier when they are chopped and quartered for slicing and serving, not to mention chewing!
- The best pecan pie is a natural match for freshly whipped cream or ice cream. Even caramel or chocolate sauce toppings are a delight!
Make pecan pie the best way possible!
Recipe
Southern Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans, quartered
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup pecans, finely crushed
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup butter, chilled
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 tablespoons ice water
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
Instructions
To Make the Crust:
- Combine together 2 tablespoons of white sugar, 1 pinch salt, and 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour in a bowl. Start cutting the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle with water while stirring until dough is formed.
- Flatten dough ball on a floured flat surface with a rolling pin. Start rolling it into a circle (1 inch larger than your dish).
- Place the pie shell into a pie dish and refrigerate.
To Make Pie Filling:
- Combine together ¾ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup, ¾ cup light corn syrup, ½ cup finely crushed pecans, 3 beaten eggs, 3 tablespoons melted butter and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Take out the pie crust from the refrigerator and top with quartered pecans. Pour the mixture of syrup over pecans followed by remaining pecans on top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F until firm, for about 1 hour.
- Let it cool and serve!