This Easy Pecan Pie without corn syrup is hands-down our FAVORITE PIE EVER and a must at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Includes tips for pecan pie problems!
Pecan pie is my favorite pie but only the homemade kind because everything else pales by comparison. There are many things that I buy ready-made because they are almost as good. But there is NOTHING like homemade pecan pie especially this southern pecan pie without corn syrup.
Growing up my cousin with southern roots always raved about her mom’s pecan pie and tried to get us to try it at Thanksgiving. Once she finally convinced me to try it I became a lifelong fan! This recipe is adapted from the one passed down from my cousin’s grandmother.
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Where is the Easy Pecan Pie Recipe? In this post, I will share step-by-step instructions with photos for how to make the pecan pie, as well as answering FAQs about the recipe and sharing a video. But you can go directly to the recipe by scrolling down to the bottom of the post.
How To Make Easy Pecan Pie
Step One: Pie Crust
Here’s one of those times when I go with ready-made. Store-bought pie crust is a timesaver and since the pie crust definitely isn’t the star of the show in a pecan pie it’s an easy cheat.
Press one pie dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim off any excess and crimp the edges.
Step Two: Pecan Pie Filling
The most important thing about the pecan pie filling is that you don’t want to overmix it. The filling is stirred with a fork just until combined. All of the ingredients into the bowl, combine with a fork and pour into the crust. Super easy!
Also, this easy pecan pie recipe is made without corn syrup, unlike most other recipes, and tastes even better. Instead of corn syrup, there is additional sugar and there is more brown sugar with adds more flavor!
Time-saver #2 is that I buy already chopped pecans. The price is the same or similar and it makes the recipe even easier.
Step Three: Fill the Pie Crust
The pecan pie filling is a thick soupy, sugary filling and it’s hard to imagine it turning out amazing when you see it like this. But just trust the process and pour the filling into your pie crust.
Step Four: Make a Foil Ring
Make a ring of foil and completely cover the edge of the pie crust.
Bake the pie with the foil ring but remove it for the last 10-15 minutes.
Step Four: Bake the Easy Pecan Pie
Bake the pie for 30 minutes, remove the foil ring and then bake it for an additional 10-15 minutes, for a total of 40-45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. The pecan pie filling with thicken as it cools.
Pecan Pie Problems
How To Tell If Pecan Pie Is Done
The hardest part of this easy pie recipe is knowing when to take it out of the oven. The top pecan pie should be golden, crunchy, and set but the inside of the pie is still jiggly. When you wiggle shake the pie pan, you can see the pie jiggle a little but not so much that it looks like it is going to slosh out of the pan.
Runny Pecan Pie
If your pecan pie is runny after it cools, either you didn’t bake it long enough, you overmixed it (or used a mixer instead of a fork), your oven temperature is off, or you didn’t add the correct amount of ingredients.
You can’t really fix a runny pecan pie after it baked and cooled, but you can still eat it. The best option is to scoop out the pecan pie filling and serve it over ice cream. Once the pie has cooled it’s too late to cook it the rest of the way. It still tastes delicious and makes a great ice cream topping!
Burnt Pecan Pie
The top of the pecan pie gets burnt when it is baked too long or your oven is too hot. Check your oven temperature with a thermometer to make it is accurate. To prevent the pie crust from getting burnt, cover the edge of the pie crust with foil and only remove it for the last 10-15 minutes.
Easy Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup FAQs
1. Why doesn’t this recipe have corn syrup?
It doesn’t need it. That is how the recipe was passed down from my cousin’s grandmother. And trust us, it is THE BEST pecan pie you’ll ever taste!
2. How can I make gluten-free pecan pie? Use a gluten-free pie crust and gluten-free all-purpose flour substitute. Also, double check that the rest of your ingredients are gluten-free as well.
3. Do I need to add pecans to the top of the pie? The chopped pecans will rise to the top during baking. If you want a decorative top on the pie you’ll have to add pecan halves. After pouring the pecan pie filling into the pie crust, top the pie with pecan halves in a decorative pattern of your choice.
4. How should pecan pie be stored? Since it contains eggs, wrap the pecan pie and store it in the refrigerator for up to four days. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to two months.
Want more Pecan Pie recipes? We’ve Got You Covered!
This Pecan Pie Cheesecake Dessert recipe is TO-DIE-FOR with luscious cheesecake on a graham cracker and pecan crust topped with a gooey pecan pie sauce.
Pecan Pie Bars: Pecan pie bars have a shortbread crust with a pecan pie like topping! This recipe works great for the holidays or even for bake sales.
Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie from Sally’s Baking Addiction: Deep decadent and delicious dark chocolate pecan pie with sea salt!
Pecan Pie Dip from Crazy For Crust: Pecan Pie Dip…it’s the pecan pie without the crust. So you can eat it with a spoon…or pie crust dippers!
Easy Pecan Pie
This Easy Pecan Pie without corn syrup is hands-down our FAVORITE PIE EVER and a MUST HAVE at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Ingredients
- 9-inch pie crust, unbaked (find my homemade pie crust recipe here)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp half-n-half
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix with a fork until combined. Pour into the pie crust.
- Make a foil ring and cover the edge of the pie crust.
- Bake at 375˚F, rack in the middle position, for 30 minutes, remove the foil ring and continue baking for 10-15 minutes for a total of 40-45 minutes. The top of the pie should be golden, crunchy, and firm while the inside of the pie is still jiggly.
- Cool on a rack. Cover tightly and store in the fridge.
Notes
Slightly adapted from recipe passed down from Margaret Baysden.
You can find my easy Homemade Pie Crust recipe here.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1/8 of the pieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 458Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 280mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 4g
Nutrition data is calculated automatically by Nutritionix and isn't always accurate. I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual’s dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual. You are ultimately responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health.
Carol V. says
I have made this pie several times now with no issues at all except my family eats it so fast I never get any…lol. ❤️
Tonia says
I’m so glad they all enjoy it but bummer that you don’t get any! 🙂
Jean k says
Is it a cup of flour ?
Tonia says
It’s 1 1/2 tbsp of flour.
Hannah Gray says
For some reason the pecans seemed to have sunk to the bottom. Hopefully it still tastes right! I make pecan pie every year but decided to try a recipe without corn syrup this year.
Janet says
Is the brown sugar packed? Can’t wait to make this for thanksgiving!
Tonia says
Yes, it is packed.
Stephanie says
I made this pie for a group of pecan pie loving fiends (my friends) and it was a hit! I’ve had so many issues with corn syrup pecan pies in the past and decided to give this a try. It was a breeze and absolutely delicious. This is my go-to pecan pie recipe for life!
Tonia says
Yay!!! I love to hear that!
Le says
Followed the directions didn’t do anything different the pie is delicious will be making again
Roxy Hall says
I did the same. Used canned milk for the 2 tablespoons half and half and it was great.
SRT says
Tasty, perfect, like a restaurant! I made this today, after a failed attempt with a corn syrup recipe. It is more than perfect, and we all absolutely loved it. Many thanks to you, and thanks to your cousin and her grandmother for passing down this recipe over the generations. God bless.
Lanita says
Its not very pretty when it comes out but who freakin cares?! It tastes AMAZING!!!
Kristi says
Great recipe! I subbed almond milk with half and half, and used dairy free butter along with a GF crust and GF 1 to 1 baking flour (Bob’s Red Mill brand) and it was delicious! I should’ve baked the pie for closer to 45 mins, but the flavor was pretty good. I’ll have to experiment with DF butter for taste but overall amazing!
Lin says
Has anyone heard from Andrea about how the bourbon pecan pie turned out?
Eve says
Hi! I saw Tonia’s response to Andrea’s comment and decided to try it out. I replaced the half-and-half with bourbon, but also added about 1/2 tablespoon more of butter to compensate for the half-and-half’s fat. It worked out perfectly and tastes INCREDIBLE. The pie does not result super bourbon-forward, but you just get a nice touch of it at the end. I suppose you could add more if you wanted more bourbon flavor, but the filling would probably be a little thinner.
Sofia says
Hi,
Can you make this dough one day ahead of time?
Thanks in advance!
Tonia says
Hi Sofia,
The pie crust dough can be made a day in advance, wrapped tightly in plastic and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. But the pie filling is super easy to mix together with a fork right before baking. Otherwise you can bake the pie, allow it to cool completely, cover it and store it in the fridge overnight.
Happy thanksgiving!
-Tonia
Sandie Cloud says
Wow! I searched for a pecan pie without corn syrup and found this recipe of yours. WOW! Best pecan pie EVER! So quick and easy. This is my new go to for any gathering. Added sweetened whipped cream, out of this world!
Thanks!
Tonia says
Fantastic! Thanks for stopping back to share. I made 2 of these pies today and plan to use the rest of my pie crust to make mini pecan pies. Happy thanksgiving!
Annie Green says
I used this recipe for my Christmas dessert and it was delicious. I will be using this for my go to recipe!!
Janel says
Do you toast your pecans before adding them to the filling?
Tonia says
Janel,
My personal preference is not toasting the pecans. I’ve tried toasting them first but felt that the pie had a burnt taste. That being said some people swear by toasting the pecans first.
Happy thanksgiving!
-Tonia
Janel says
Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.
krysta Wolfangel says
I made this pie both ways. One time was as you wrote it and the other times were per the recipe you adapted this recipe from. Both are insanely good BUT way too sweet. This recipe is still VERY sweet even with dropping the amount 1 and 1/4 cups sugar. What I do is I pair it with unsweet whipped cream. it is great this way. Otherwise, drop the sugar to 1 cup. Add 1 cup dark chocolate chips and you can forget ever loving anything else on earth again. It will be your one true love. This pie is so good and so heavy on sugar that your brain will demand you make it again. It will freak you out. You will be powerless. Just go with it 😏
gainia finley says
I’m going to make this because your comment made me 🤣🤣🤣
Jen Fernandez says
I made this as my first pecan pie ever with my own homemade crust and added semi sweet choc chunks. It was amazing, delicious and a huge hit with the family. My dad said it was the best pecan pie he’s ever had…. And he’s 74yrs old! ❤️
Tonia says
That’s fantastic!! I’m going to be making several of these pies this week! Happy thanksgiving!
Elle says
If you use your pie crust recipe, does it need to be blind baked?
Tonia says
Hi Elle,
No it does not need to be blind baked. I used my crust recipe to make a chocolate pecan pie. You can see what it looks like here: https://www.thegunnysack.com/chocolate-pecan-pie/
Happy thanksgiving!
-Tonia
Tonia says
Hi Andrea,
I would suggest replacing the half and half with the bourbon. I’ve never tried it but if you do let us know how it turns out!
Happy thanksgiving!
-Tonia
Samantha says
Do you whisk the eggs separately and then mix with all other ingredients?
Tonia says
Hi Samantha,
Nope, just put everything in the bowl and mix it with a fork.
Happy Thanksgiving!
~Tonia
Andrea says
I’m planning to make this recipe next week for my husband, but I want to add bourbon. Do you have any guidance regarding anything I might need to adjust to make up for the extra liquid of the bourbon? Should I just use it in place of the vanilla? Thanks in advance!
Linda says
What adaptations did you make from the original recipe and why?
Tonia says
Hi Linda,
I increased the amount of flour (for thickening), switched to half-and-half (because it is richer in flavor and is thicker), added salt (because most sweets benefit from a little salt), and increased the bake time (because my pies always took longer to bake than the original recipe called for).
Happy Thanksgiving!
~Tonia
Courtney says
Hi,
Do you add 1/2 cup of already melted butter? or 1/2 cup of solid butter, which is then melted?
Thanks!
Tonia says
Hi Courtney,
It is a 1/2 cup of solid butter that you then melt before adding it to the bowl.
Happy Baking!
~Tonia
Marie says
Great recipe. I searched specifically for a pecan pie recipe without corn syrup because I no longer eat that garbage. The only change I made was doubling the vanilla extract which I always do in every recipe that calls for vanilla extract. This turned out perfectly and tasted exactly like the pecan pie my aunt always made at the holidays.