Classic Pecan Pie

Served warm with a scoop of ice cream or a cloud of whipped cream, this rich, buttery pecan pie is the kind of dessert that makes a holiday table feel complete. The filling is soft and chewy, the pecans turn beautifully toasty in the oven, and the flaky crust gives every bite just the right amount of crunch.

Pecan pie has a way of making a simple dessert feel special. There’s something wonderfully comforting about a pastry filled with buttery pecans and a sweet, warmly spiced filling, especially when the pie is still slightly warm from the oven.

What makes this version especially appealing is the texture. The pecans on top become golden and crisp while the nuts beneath settle into the rich filling, creating a delicious contrast with the flaky crust. A little cinnamon, vanilla, and salt round everything out, giving the pie plenty of flavor beyond sweetness.

This is also a wonderfully straightforward pie to make. The crust doesn’t need to be pre-baked, and the filling comes together simply by whisking the ingredients together before pouring them over the pecans. Make one for a holiday gathering, or bake it ahead and keep it ready in the freezer for when a dessert craving strikes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There’s a lot to love about this classic pecan pie:

The texture is the star – crisp, toasted pecans meet a soft, chewy filling and flaky pastry.
The filling is easy – the ingredients are whisked together in one bowl before baking.
No blind-baking required – the unbaked crust goes directly into the oven with the filling.
Warm spices add depth – vanilla and cinnamon complement the brown sugar and pecans beautifully.
It’s great for making ahead – the finished pie can be refrigerated or frozen for later.

For the Pecan Pie

Pie Crust – use 1 unbaked crust for the base of the pie. You can use either a flaky pie crust or an all-butter pie crust.
Egg Wash – a mixture of 1 large egg and 1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream gives the crust a nicely browned finish.
Pecans – these are the star of the pie. Roughly chop them so you get a mix of larger pieces and smaller bits throughout the filling.
Eggs – these help bind the filling together and give it structure as it bakes.
Dark Corn Syrup – provides sweetness and helps create the thick, cohesive texture that pecan pie is known for.
Brown Sugar – adds sweetness and a deeper caramel-like flavor to the filling. Light or dark brown sugar can be used.
Pure Vanilla Extract – adds a warm, fragrant flavor that complements the pecans and brown sugar.
Unsalted Butter – melted butter adds richness and gives the filling its buttery flavor.
Salt – balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor of the pecans.
Ground Cinnamon – adds a subtle warm spice that works beautifully with the brown sugar and pecans.

For Serving

Whipped Cream – a light, creamy topping that pairs perfectly with the rich pie.
Ice Cream – serve a slice with your favorite ice cream for a classic warm-and-cold combination.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the crust

Start with the chilled pie dough and roll it gently on a lightly floured surface. Work from the center outward, turning the dough as you go, until you have a 12-inch circle.

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie dish, tuck it into place, shape the edges, and finish them with a fork or your fingers. Brush the edges with the egg wash, then chill the shaped crust for 10 minutes before filling.

Make the filling

While the oven preheats to 350°F (177°C), roughly chop the pecans, keeping some pieces larger than others.

Spread the pecans evenly across the crust. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, melted butter, salt, and cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the pecans.

Bake the pie

Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 50–55 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, use a pie crust shield to protect the edges from becoming too dark. If the entire pie is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil.

Once baked, transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool completely. The filling will continue to settle as the pie cools.

Slice and serve

Once the pie has cooled, slice it and serve it warm or at room temperature. Add whipped cream or ice cream if you like.

Expert Tips

Keep the pecans varied in size. A mixture of larger pieces and roughly chopped nuts gives the finished pie more texture.
Handle the dough gently. Rolling from the center outward helps create an even crust without overworking it.
Chill the shaped crust. That short chill before filling helps the crust hold its shape during baking.
Protect the edges. The crust can brown faster than the filling, so use a pie crust shield after the first 20 minutes if needed.
Don’t rush the cooling stage. The filling settles as the pie cools, so give it time before slicing.
Use room-temperature serving conditions. The pie is delicious warm, but letting it cool also makes the filling easier to slice cleanly.

Recipe Variations

Use light corn syrup: Light corn syrup can replace dark corn syrup if that’s what you have available.

Choose your brown sugar: Light and dark brown sugar both work. Dark brown sugar gives the filling a richer molasses note.

Try an all-butter crust: The recipe can be prepared with the listed all-butter pie crust option.

Make a maple version: If you prefer to bake without corn syrup, use a pecan pie recipe specifically formulated with maple syrup rather than making a direct substitution.

Storage & Reheating

Cover leftover pie and store it at room temperature for 1–2 days, or refrigerate it for 4–5 days.

For longer storage, let the completely baked pie cool, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and place it in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw frozen pie overnight in the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before serving.

If you want to enjoy a slice warm, gently warm it before serving rather than reheating the entire pie.

Serving Suggestions

This pie is especially good served warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The cool, creamy topping pairs beautifully with the warm, buttery filling and toasted pecans.

For a holiday meal, serve modest slices after dinner alongside coffee or tea. It also works beautifully as part of a dessert spread with other classic pies.

Recipe Notes

Make-Ahead Instructions

Pecan pie is a wonderful dessert to make ahead of time. You can get started by combining all the filling ingredients (except the pecans) one day ahead of time. Keep it covered tightly in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the pie. You can also make the pie dough 1–5 days in advance since it needs to chill. If you want to bake the pie 1 full day in advance, bake it as directed, allow it to completely cool, then cover tightly and keep at room temperature until ready to serve the next day.

Freezing Instructions

Bake the pie as directed, allow it to cool completely, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Place in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Pie Crust

Both linked pie crust recipes make 2 crusts. You only need 1 crust for this pie, so freeze the 2nd half for another use or another one-crust pie like pumpkin pie.

Corn Syrup

You can use light corn syrup instead. I have no substitution suggestions yielding the same texture, moisture, and flavor. Corn syrup is a must in traditional pecan pie. For a variation without corn syrup, try my maple pecan pie.

Ingredients

Crust

1 unbaked Flaky Pie Crust (what I used) or All Butter Pie Crust*
egg wash for pie crust: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream

Filling

2 and 1/2 cups (250g) shelled pecans (pecan halves)
3 large eggs
1 cup (240ml) dark corn syrup
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

The crust: Prepare my pie crust through step 5.
After the pie dough chills, adjust oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 350°F (177°C).
Roll out the chilled pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Remember, when rolling out the pie dough, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center and work your way out in all directions, rotating the dough with your hands as you go. Roll it out into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough in a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it’s smooth. For a beautiful edge, as shown in the video tutorial, fold the overhanging dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. Again, you can see me do this in the video above or in my separate how to crimp and flute pie crust tutorial. Brush the edges with egg wash. (To help guarantee a beautiful edge, I always chill the shaped dough in the pie dish for 10 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer before filling.)
The filling: Very roughly chop the pecans—some whole, some coarsely chopped is fine. Spread pecans evenly inside pie crust. Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, melted butter, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl until combined. Pour over pecans.
Bake the pie for 50–55 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. You can also tent a piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie if it is browning too quickly. Remove finished pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. The pie filling will settle as it cools.
Slice and serve pie warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.
Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for 1–2 days or in the refrigerator for 4–5 days.

Recipe FAQs

1. How do I know when pecan pie is done?

The pie should be lightly browned on top, and the center should still have a little movement when you gently check it. It will continue to set as it cools, so you don’t want to wait until the filling is completely firm in the oven.

2. Why is my pecan pie still runny?

This usually means the pie needs a little more time in the oven, or it hasn’t had enough time to cool and set. Make sure your oven is fully preheated and bake within the recipe’s 50–55 minute range. Most importantly, let the pie cool completely before slicing, since the filling will settle as it cools.

3. How can I keep the crust from browning too quickly?

You don’t need to cover the entire pie from the beginning. After the first 20 minutes of baking, check the edges and add a pie crust shield if they’re getting too brown. If the whole pie is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.

4. Can I make this pecan pie ahead of time?

Yes, this is a great pie to make ahead. You can prepare the filling ingredients ahead of time, make the pie dough in advance, or bake the entire pie a day before serving. Once baked and completely cooled, the pie can also be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 3 months.

5. Does pecan pie need to be refrigerated?

For the best storage, keep leftover pecan pie covered in the refrigerator. It will keep for 4–5 days according to the recipe card. If you’re freezing it, let the pie cool completely first, wrap it tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let it come to room temperature before serving.

Classic Pecan Pie

A traditional pecan pie with a buttery crust, toasted pecans, and a rich brown-sugar filling. The combination of vanilla, cinnamon, butter, and a touch of salt keeps the filling balanced rather than one-dimensionally sweet.

Print Pin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: classic pecan pie, homemade pecan pie

Prep Time: 2 30

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 3 20

Servings:

Ingredients

Crust

1 unbaked Flaky Pie Crust (what I used) or All Butter Pie Crust*
1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream

Filling

2 1/2 cup (250g) shelled pecans (pecan halves)
3 large eggs
1 cup (240ml) dark corn syrup
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

The crust: Prepare my pie crust through step 5.
After the pie dough chills, adjust oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 350°F (177°C).
Roll out the chilled pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Remember, when rolling out the pie dough, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center and work your way out in all directions, rotating the dough with your hands as you go. Roll it out into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough in a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it’s smooth. For a beautiful edge, as shown in the video tutorial, fold the overhanging dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. Again, you can see me do this in the video above or in my separate how to crimp and flute pie crust tutorial. Brush the edges with egg wash. (To help guarantee a beautiful edge, I always chill the shaped dough in the pie dish for 10 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer before filling.)
The filling: Very roughly chop the pecans—some whole, some coarsely chopped is fine. Spread pecans evenly inside pie crust. Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, melted butter, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl until combined. Pour over pecans.
Bake the pie for 50–55 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. You can also tent a piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie if it is browning too quickly. Remove finished pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. The pie filling will settle as it cools.
Slice and serve pie warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.
Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for 1–2 days or in the refrigerator for 4–5 days.

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Hi, I’m Charlotte!

Welcome to Cookie and Spoon—my little corner of the internet where I share simple, feel-good recipes made for real life. From quick weeknight dinners to sweet treats you’ll want to bake on repeat, there’s a bit of everything here for every kind of home cook.