Gimme Some Oven

Pecan Pie

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This is our family’s classic pecan pie recipe, inspired by my grandmother.

Best Pecan Pie Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

My Grandma Ebright was many things…

She was the faithful wife of a Kansas wheat farmer for sixty years, proud mother of five, and involved grandmother of thirteen.

She was a lover of singing, and insisted that anyone born or married in her family learn how to do so loudly, in four-part harmony, and with smiles, especially while caroling nursing homes together each Christmas.

She was a voracious reader, flying through nearly a book a day in her later years and then eagerly passing them along to her friends and family, although she prided herself on always reading the last page first.

She was a hard worker, graduating early and completing a degree so that she could teach in a 1-room rural schoolhouse, then picking up to help serve in WWII, then running a farm for decades while raising five kids on a shoestring budget, then later being a faithful caretaker for my grandpa with Alzheimer’s in the last years of his life.

She was a writer as well and officially published her first book in her eighties, although my favorite writings were the pages upon pages of handwritten letters that she faithfully mailed to each of her grandkids every few months.

She was sharp as a tack, and was a fierce believer in raising her family — especially the daughters and granddaughters — to appreciate and seek intelligence.

She was a matchmaker, and never passed up the opportunity to introduce herself to an attractive stranger in hopes that they might be the perfect match for one of her grandkids.

She was o-pin-ion-ated, for better and worse, and never resisted a moment to share her thoughts (even if whispering a little too loudly in church about a lady’s purple hair).

She was a firecracker. She was thoughtful. She was stubborn. She was giving. She was hilarious. She was creative. She was loyal. She was my grandma.

And she was an expert baker of pecan pie.

Update: If you are interested in a pecan pie recipe that is naturally sweetened with maple syrup (no corn syrup), here is my newest pecan pie recipe.

Best Pecan Pie Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Actually, of the many things she was, my grandma would be the first to tell you that she did not consider herself a cook. She would much rather be spending time with people than “couped up” in the kitchen. So she was a big fan of treating our extended family to the local Pizza Hut or a round of chocolate-dipped cones at Dairy Queen.

But when we did all gather together to eat at home, she knew how to rock a huge batch of chicken and noodles, salty and butter sweet corn, “chip chocolate” cookies, and some good ol’ fashioned homemade pecan pie.

Best Pecan Pie Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Her homemade pecan pies (pronounced peh-cahn, in Kansas) were classic — sweet, simple and overflowing with buttered pecans.

Best Pecan Pie Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

And they were always meant for sharing.

Best Pecan Pie Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

So it seemed only fitting that for my first week of really teaching myself how to bake pies, I begin with the first pie I ever knew — Grandma’s Pecan Pie.

I did brown the butter to give this version an extra nuttier, delicious flavor. And I’m pretty sure my grandma would have cracked up at me taking the extra time to line the top of the pecan pie with extra pecans. (Yes, I was the picky-eating granddaughter who used to always prefer playing with my food, rather than actually eating it.)

But I’m pretty sure she would have been proud, and even happier to know that this one was shared with a bunch of people I really love.

Best Pecan Pie Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

So Grandma, this one’s for you. Love you! :)

Grandma + Cousins

My grandma, cousins and me in 2009. Tiny lady. Big heart.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Pecan Pie

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 40 reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 12-16 slices 1x

Description

The best pecan pie recipe from my grandma. :)


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Heat oven. Heat oven to 400°F.
  2. Blind bake the pie crust. Chill the unbaked pie crust for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer.  Use parchment paper or aluminum foil to line the inside of the chilled crust, shaping it gently around the inner edges to form a mold of the crust. Fill the bottom of the crust with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pie pan from the oven, carefully lift out the foil/parchment and weights, and set them aside.  Decrease the oven heat to 350°F.
  3. Prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and cinnamon.  Add eggs and whisk until smooth.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the butter turns brown and fragrant. Slowly pour butter into the sugar mixture, and whisk to combine. Chop 2 cups of the pecans, then stir them into the butter and sugar mixture until combined.
  4. Assemble. Pour the entire filling into the prepared pie crust. Line the top of the filling with the remaining pecans (about 2 cups, more or less).
  5. Bake. Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 to 25 minutes of baking time, you are welcome to loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the whole pie if the crust or pecans seem to be browning too quickly.  The pie will be ready to go once the top has puffed up into a dome (which will sink to become flat again, once the pie has set and cooled).  Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it rest until it reaches room temperature.
  6. Serve. Slice and serve pie at room temperature (or you can refrigerate and chill the pie, if you prefer), garnished with a dollop of whipped cream if desired. Cover and store leftover pie at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.


Notes

Corn syrup alternative: If you would rather not use corn syrup, feel free to use my naturally-sweetened pecan pie recipe instead.

Best Pecan Pie Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Here are a few more favorite pie recipes!

Sweet Cherry Pie Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Sweet Cherry Pie

Peach Bourbon Pie Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Peach Bourbon Pie

French Silk Pie (Chocolate Pie) Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

French Silk Pie (Chocolate Pie)

Best Key Lime Pie Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Key Lime Pie

 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Share this Post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

203 comments on “Pecan Pie”

  1. Thank you for the Pecan Pie recipe. Made with lots of love as we gathered around our dinning room table for Thanksgiving. We had friends and family to share so many stories and good warm food with. Now as I’m a grandmother I hope to give my own recipes to my own family along with love of the singing, stories, and cooking with my loved ones.

  2. Hi,

    I love pecan pie and this is the second time making this pie cooking them both 60 min and I still can’t get it to set in the middle. I don’t understand why. It’s taste amazing but it’s the form I’m looking for. Any advice?

    Samantha

  3. This is one of the best pies I have made or tasted

  4. I made this pie for thanksgiving and so many people loved it actually everybody which is significant judging by the size of my family but everybody wanted me to make it for Christmas even people on my other side of the family who didn’t even have it but heard so much about it so now i’m making about 3 or 4 more of them. for thanksgiving we normally only make 2 pies apple and pumpkin and those are always ate as fast as they came out but this year they were second choice
    So thanks for the great recipe.

  5. Pecan pie has been a favorite of the family for generations… originating from the Texas family members. Pecan is pronouced the same
    way you do, not PEA – CAN !!!
    GREAT RECIPE that you are sharing.

  6. Hi, I loved your filling, it was a big success here at home. I put a little maple syrup in the light corn syrup, which adds aroma and made my own pie crust (flour, butter, sugar). Thanks!!

  7. Two pies in the oven right now!!! Can’t wait to taste them! My grandmother was also the one who made me love pecan pie. She always made them for Christmas dinner. This is our second Christmas without her. Unfortunately, when she passed and my family raided her house, the recipe was lost. So, I’m using your grandmothers recipe, but thinking of my grandmother.

    • The pies turned out fantastic!!! I doubled the recipe and it easily made three pies! I lower the temp to 325 and baked them for 60 minutes since there were three. I will be keeping and using the recipe again! Thank you!

  8. Amazing! The boyfriend wanted a specific brand of pie for his birthday and when I couldn’t find it I chose this recipe. He actually said he was glad I didn’t find it in the stores, because this pie kills it!

  9. Did you use a deep dish 9inch pie pan?

  10. I can’t get over how beautiful this pie is!  I love that you browned the butter.  Yum.

  11. This is THE MOST GORGEOUS Pecan Pie I have ever seen! Damn girl, you good!

  12. i am going to attempt to make grandmas pecan pie.

  13. Hi Ali!
    Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful pie. I have made it and am currently waiting for it to bake in the oven! It smells great and I can’t wait to share a photo of it with you when it’s done :)
    Not the healthiest of desserts but it’s something that’s definitely worth having once in a whole. Especially if it’s made from scratch and with love ;)
    Alice x

  14. This seriously the best pecan pie recipe I’ve ever had! I’ve been making pecan pie for years it’s my husband favorite pie usually he’s the only one who eats it. Well not anymore this recipe is awesome he will have to share now thank you so much for sharing your grandmothers recipe.

  15. My only question is I would like to can this and give it out for gifts…can that be done?

  16. I bake a lot of pies and was searching for a good pecan pie. I had never made any before I tried other recipes, tried to tweek them to fit my pie tins, 2 egg 3 egg recipes. One pie was too runny, one was too hard. I came across this recipe that had 4 eggs in it and thought “this will fit my pie crust good”. Also I loved the picture of the family and your grandma. It reminded me of my own mom whom I lost just 3 years ago. She was quite a baker also. Well, I am happy to say this pie turns out wonderful. I love all the details you give about baking the pecan pie. I have had many compliments and one man said “This is the best pecan pie I have ever tasted.” That made me feel good and wanted you to know also. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and story about Grandma. :-)

    • Hey Judith, thank you for sharing this with me. I’m so happy this pie worked out for you, and that this post made you happy! This made my day. : )

  17. I believe the best pecan pie is made with molasses and real maple syrup

  18. Hi, 
    I want to make mini individual pies using your recipe. Any changes to the baking time and prebaking of the crust I should be careful of? Looking forward to trying a Pecan Pie for the first time ever!
    Thanks,
    Chavi 

    • Hey Chavi! What a cute idea! The mini pies don’t need to be par-baked. Make sure you chill the pie dough (after making it, as well as after forming your mini pies, without the filling of course). 30 minutes in the fridge each time should be good. Then you can add the filling, and bake them at 350 for about 20 minutes (then rotate them, and bake for about 5-10 minutes more, until they are nicely brown the the filling is set – just ever so slightly jiggly). I hope this makes sense and is helpful! Enjoy!

  19. Heartwarming story & great recipe! Very similar to my Mom’s except she likes to sprinkle a few drops of bourbon on top at the end lol.

    • Thanks, Amy! And bourbon is ALWAYS a good idea. Especially in pie, and really especially in pecan pie. : D

  20. that is one of the prettiest pecan pies I’ve seen and I’ve seen a lot . My mom who is 75 has made them as long as I can remember and I’m 57. I’ve made a few but we’ve never put cinnamon in ours I’ll have to try it out. Thanks for sharing. 

    • Aww, thank you, Kathy! Pecan pies are one of our all-time favorites. We hope you enjoy the recipe!

  21. Just given 20 kilos  pecans. Im a typical bush country cook but iv never made a pecan pie. So here goes its just not fair when you love cooking and entertaining snd your a bit overweight! Maybe a lot overweight. Is there anything elsi I can do with these nut thanks from caniaba lismire nsw australia

    • Hi Glenda! Wow, that’s a lot of pecans! We love toasting pecans and adding them to oatmeal, salads, yogurt, etc. We also love putting them in homemade granola. You could also make some energy bites with them (check out some of our recipes)! We hope this helps – cheers!

  22. I think this is the prettiest pecan pie I’ve ever seen! Looks so yummy. One tip on crusts (loved your article )- if you use white vinegar instead of vodka, it serves the same purpose, and leaves no scent or taste . I’ve been doing this for years and it makes a very tasty and foolproof crust.
    Thank you!

    • Thank you Linda, what a nice compliment! Also, thanks for your tip! We hope you enjoy the pie!

  23. Thank you for sharing this story about your grandmother. It made me think of my own grandma that I love and miss very much. My grandma made an awesome pie crust and I was looking for a good Thanksgiving pie to make with her crust recipe. I’ll be using your recipe and think of your grandmother and mine when my family gathers to enjoy it! :)

    • Aww we’re glad to hear you enjoyed reading this post Deirdre. And we hope you and your family enjoy the recipe! We can’t believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

  24. Hi Ali, this pie looks amazing! Question (and apologies if this is already mentioned in the post or in the comments): Where (fridge? room temperature?) and for how long would you recommend keeping pie leftovers?
    Many thanks in advance!

    • Thanks Einav! And no worries at all, we usually just keep this pie at room temp (though you could certainly store it in the fridge). It never lasts long! :)

  25. This looks great! I’m excited to try it! I usually put a little bit of bourbon in my pecan pie filling. Do you think that would be a good addition here?

    • Oh my goodness, we think you should definitely do that! It would be an AWESOME addition. :D

  26. So touching your story of your grandma. What a lucky girl you are to have had her in your  life and to think back on such great memories. So very sweet. I’m making  your pecan pie for Thanksgiving this year. Sounds delish.

    Thanks hon,
    Diana S

  27. Have you ever made the filling ahead of time and refrigerated it?? I’m wanting to make this plus my pumpkin pie for thanksgiving, and I like to do as much of the prep as I can ahead of time. I was thinking I’ let it come to room temp before filling the pie shell and baking. What do you think?

  28. What a wonderful story and tribute to your Grandmother! Sounds a lot like mine. Such a gift to everyone around her! I’m going to make this special recipe to share with my family during Thanksgiving next week. Can’t wait to try it. Happy Thanksgiving~ Thanks for sharing

  29. I usually make a rum cake & a Mexican chocolate cake (has kahlua, cayenne, & black pepper…seriously amazing) for Thanksgiving, but today my husband asked for a pecan pie. No idea why, just out of the blue. I’m GREAT at cakes but haven’t made a pie in at least 15 years. Got on Pinterest to see what I could find, and discovered yours. Can’t wait to try your recipe!

    • That Mexican chocolate cake sounds AMAZING Kristyn, very cool! We hope you and your husband enjoy this pie, thanks for checking out the recipe and blog! :)

  30. Hello Ali! I’m so happy that I found your recipe, and I love the story of your grandmother behind :) Anyhow, I tried the recipe and loved it so much that I shared it on my blog with credits to you of course. Have a look if you wish! I have done several recipes of yours already and they are always amazing. Keep on doing the amazing job, you are so inspiring for me! https://www.delscookingtwist.com/2015/11/22/best-american-pecan-pie/

    • Thanks for your sweet words Del, we’re happy you’re a fan of this pie and the blog! Thanks for the shoutout on your blog as well (it’s adorable and your photos are amazing)! :D

  31. I just printed this recipe! I promised my husband I would make him a pecan pie for Thanksgiving this year! I am shopping for ingredients after work today! I am so excited to try this!!!

    • That’s awesome Elizabeth, we hope you two enjoyed this and that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! :)

  32. I have to make this solely because your story made me cry. Heres to good food and wonderful people. <3

  33. Can I use raw pecans? Or do I need to roast raw pecans first?

    • You could use raw pecans if you prefer Laura, but we strongly suggest toasting them. They’ll just have so much more flavor, and they really make that classic pecan pie taste. We think it makes a huge difference! We hope you enjoy!

  34. I made this pie today forThanksgiving and it was Awesome!! I made mini pies with the left over filling and it tasted amazing!! Thanks for the recipe!

    • We’re so glad to hear that Brooklyn, thanks for sharing with us (and those mini pies sound adorable)! :)

  35. Do you have to partially bake store bought pie crusts?

  36. Hi Ali!

    I only have a 8.5 inch pieces pan. Is there a way to a adjust the filling or home made pie crust proportions to match?

    Thanks :)

    • Hi Alexis! Honestly, we think the 8.5 inch pan will still work fine – you shouldn’t need to adjust the filling or the crust. You may have a little bit of dough left over, but if that’s the case, there are lots of fun things to do with it: :)

  37. I don’t know what I like better, reading about your grandmother or that glorious pie!   As I read about your grandmother I felt like I was reading about mine.   Thank you!

  38. Thank you so much  for sharing this recipe! I made this yesterday and my family would not stop saying how delicious it was.

  39. I was SO excited about the our I put in the oven! I cooked it well over an hour because it never set! Even after the pie cooled it was still runny in the center! :( any thoughts on what could have gone wrong?!

  40. If you use a pre made pie crust do you still have to pre bake it like the recipe says at the beginning? 

  41. Hi, I’m trying to make this for New Years dinner. One question:  are the pecans on the top cooked first or just cooked with the pie to get that browned, toasted look?  I bought a bag of shelled whole pecans from the grocery store.  Also I bought dark corn sugar accidentally instead of light corn syrup. What will that hurt or change as far as look and taste are concerned? 

    • Hi Karen! We didn’t pre-toast the pecans, but you certainly could! Also, dark corn syrup will still work fine for this, some people even prefer it for pecan pie. :) We hope you enjoy!

  42. Hi there,
    thanks for sharing your grandma’s recipe. I had a bag of pecans left over and always wanted to try pecan pie (never ever had one before), so this seemed like the perfect opportunity! I made it this morning and have a follow-up question: what consistency is it supposed to have when it’s done? I baked the pie for 60 minutes and let it completely cool down for a couple of hours. When I cut into it, the center was liquid. Do you think I did something wrong or could it just be the different ingredients we have here in Germany? Or maybe a wrong ratio of filling and pecans? I remember when I poured everything in the pie crust and tried to decorate with the pecans like you did, they just sank in and vanished…
    On the plus side: it tastes great!! :-) I also followed your pie crust recipe and this was the first time I was able to roll it out and get it into the pie pan without completely falling apart and me wanting to throw it out of the window, so *yay* :-)
    Thanks again!
    – Jenny

    • Hi Jenny! The filling is supposed to be a thick syrup consistency, but not crazy thick. It sounds like maybe your pie needed to bake longer, and maybe even cool longer as well. Or perhaps it could be the type of corn syrup? We’re sorry it was so runny, but we’re glad you still enjoyed it — thanks for giving the recipe a try! :D

  43. I just made this last night. Best pecan pie I’ve ever had. It is going to be a repeat – many times!

    • Oh my goodness, what a generous compliment! We’re so happy you loved it! :)

  44. Hi I love the recipe. I’m trying to cook this pie now but it has been in for 60 mins and when I took it out the middle was like jello. Im nervous about over cooking. I put it back in for another 10 I hope it will be fine

    • That’s strange Gabrielle — it normally doesn’t take that long! There should still be some jiggle to the middle of the pie, but if it’s really jiggly and not set, but you’re worried about the crust burning, you can cover the sides of the crust with some foil and bake a little longer. We hope this helps and that the pie turns out well for you!

  45. Hi Ali! I’ve used this recipe many times and always get rave reviews so thank you! But this year, I am finally going to make my own pie crust. Since you say to partially pre-bake the crust according to packaging, what would you recommend doing with a home made crust? Thanks!!
    Jess

    • Awesome! I would recommend pre-baking a pie crust at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes, being sure to weight it down with some pie weights or dried beans. I have a tutorial for it here — https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/how-to-make-a-pie-crust-recipe/.

      Good luck! :) I love that pecan pie recipe so much!

  46. I forgot my pie and checked on it only first after 45 minutes and surprisingly enough the pecans had already turned black by then, not toooo black though, I actually think the pie is okay! It was also very sloshy still haha, but it’s set now after having rested a bit! Freezing it tomorrow and will serve it when we celebrate thanksgiving on Saturday!!:) love this recipe! Family is crazy about it!! Love!! Happy thanksgiving :)

    • Oh no, we’re sorry to hear the nuts burned and the pie was sloshy :( Was it sitting too close to the top of the oven perhaps? We’re glad you and your family still enjoyed it! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

  47. I have a question can I use a ready crust instead of making the one in this recipe? 

  48. If I were to make this a day ahead. Would I just make it then store it in the fridge? Do I need to heat it up again or anything?

    • Nope, just leave it out at room temp (we think it tastes best eaten that way as well), but you can definitely cover it with foil and heat it up in a 250 degree oven for 20-30 minutes if you’d prefer to have it warm. We hope you enjoy!

  49. I made this pie to bring to Thanksgiving dinner yesterday and it’s the first pie I’ve ever made since I’m just starting out cooking but it was so delicious and turned out exactly how I wanted it to. Best pecan pie I’ve ever had! 

    • That’s awesome, Brooke! We appreciate you giving the recipe a try, and we’re so happy it was a hit! :)

  50. I made your Grandma’s pecan pie for my company’s Labor Day Cook Out and everyone raved over it! I goofed up and didn’t take a picture but I will the next time, I promise! Thank you so much for sharing this, your Grandma is smiling from Heaven ❤