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Easy Pecan Pie

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  • Prep 15 min
  • Total 3 hr 30 min
  • Ingredients 7
  • Servings 8
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Pecan pie may be the quintessential American dessert. After all, the pecan nut is native to North America, where it’s beloved for its versatility. It can be eaten raw, roasted, salted or sweetened. And it’s the star of some of our favorite recipes, like coffee cake, pralines, and of course, pecan pie.

In this easy recipe, we’ll show you how to make decadent pecan pie by simply pouring the 6-ingredient filling into a premade frozen pie crust and baking. The result is a rich seasonal treat that’s about to become your new go-to dessert.

Updated Sep 29, 2023
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What is pecan pie?

Pecan pie is a delightful concoction of pecan nuts mixed with a rich, caramelly filling made from eggs, butter, corn syrup, and sugar.

The earliest pecan pie can be traced all the way back to the late 1800s, but it really peaked in the early 20th century when Karo™ syrup printed a pecan pie recipe on its bottles. Officially dubbed “sugar pie,” most pecan pie recipes now call for some sort of corn syrup or molasses, in addition to sugar.

This easy recipe follows the same classic formula, so it’s the perfect introduction to the famous dessert. Of course, once you’ve tried making it the traditional way, you can try a whole bunch of other twists like adding chocolate, bourbon and more!

Is pecan pie eaten warm or cold?

While some desserts are amazing eaten warm, the best pecan pie is the one that has been properly chilled — for at least 2 hours. You want the filling to set up like a pudding, and if you eat it too soon (tempting though it is!) the filling will run right off your fork.

Our advice is to serve it at room temperature, with a great big scoop of ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream. However you eat it, you can’t go wrong with homemade pecan pie — every bite is filled with crunchy-sweet fall flavors.

Ingredients

Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 375°F; place cookie sheet in oven to preheat.
  • 2
    In medium bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt and eggs with whisk until well blended; stir in pecans.
  • 3
    Pour into frozen crust.
  • 4
    Bake on preheated cookie sheet 35 to 45 minutes or until center is set.
  • 5
    After 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.
  • 6
    Cool 30 minutes; refrigerate at least 2 hours until chilled before serving.
  • 7
    Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

Tips from the Pillsbury Kitchens

  • tip 1
    For a pretty pie, arrange some of pecan halves on the top of the filling in a decorative pattern before it goes into the oven.
  • tip 2
    Brown sugar needs to be measured by packing or firmly pressing into a dry measuring cup. What you’re doing is pressing out any pockets of air that get trapped between the sticky grains of sugar.
  • tip 3
    Pecan pie is sweet, so if you’d like to garnish slices with whipped cream, there’s no need to sweeten it.
  • tip 4
    For a deeper caramel flavor, choose dark brown sugar and dark corn syrup for the filling.
  • tip 5
    One refrigerated Pillsbury™ Pie Crust may be substituted for the frozen Pillsbury™ Deep Dish Pie Crust in this recipe. Prepare refrigerated Pillsbury™ Pie Crust as directed on box for 1 crust pie. Prepare pecan pie filling and fill pie crust as directed in recipe. Do Not Place on cookie sheet. Bake 28 to 34 minutes or until center is set. If necessary, cover crust edges last 15 to 20 minutes to prevent over browning.
  • tip 6
    If you don’t have an electric mixer, a whisk works just as well. Just make sure all your ingredients are well-mixed before adding the pecans.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can you tell if a pecan pie is done?

When your pecan pie is done, the nuts will be slightly browned and the filling will be set. You’ll notice that the filling will puff up, and it may even be bubbling, but it will flatten out as it cools. Don’t let the pie overbake or the top will crack.

How do you make the bottom of the pie crispy?

It’s the filling that makes the bottom of the pie a little soggy sometimes. So, what you can do is coat the inside of the crust to create a barrier. With pecan pie, corn syrup works well, or you can brush on a slightly beaten egg white. When you pour in the filling, that coating will provide a seal between it and the crust—so the crust bakes up crisp and flaky.

Can you freeze a pecan pie?

Yes, you can bake and freeze your pecan pies! Bake your pies up to a couple weeks in advance, then freeze them using these steps:

1. Wrap the pie in lots of plastic wrap to protect it.

2. Store the pie flat—and don’t store anything on top of it.

3. Defrost the pie overnight in the fridge.

4. Allow the pie to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then heat for 10 minutes in a 350ºF oven.

Nutrition Information

530 Calories, 28g Total Fat, 5g Protein, 65g Total Carbohydrate, 36g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
530
Calories from Fat
250
Total Fat
28g
43%
Saturated Fat
9g
43%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
95mg
31%
Sodium
350mg
15%
Potassium
140mg
4%
Total Carbohydrate
65g
22%
Dietary Fiber
2g
7%
Sugars
36g
Protein
5g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
6%
6%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
6%
6%
Iron
8%
8%
Exchanges:
1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 3 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 5 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
4
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

  • Are you a pie baking novice? Don’t be intimidated. Making a great pie is easier than you think, and we have some tips to help you along the way.

    If you like this recipe, make sure to check out more like it:

    Chocolate-Pecan Pie: Turn up the flavors on a classic when chocolate and pecans get together.

    Mystery Pecan Pies: What makes this pecan pie special? Click to solve the mystery!

    Mini Pecan Pies: Make it a mini! It’s a fact: finger foods are just more fun. Case in point, these sweet little pecan pies.

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