This Easy Pecan Pie without corn syrup is our FAVORITE PIE and a must at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Includes tips for pecan pie problems!
Southern pecan pie has a sweet, gooey filling that is full of chopped pecans with a golden, caramelized top. This pie is a much-loved family tradition.
In This Post
Tonia’s Notes
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 old-fashioned 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 and have been making it for over 25 years! This recipe is adapted from the one passed down from my cousin’s grandmother.
Ingredients Needed
- Pie Pastry: Homemade pie crust is fantastic but I’ve also made this recipe with store-bought dough many times.
- Sugar: Use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Flour: Thickens the filling.
- Eggs: Provides structure and flavor.
- Half-n-Half: Adds flavor and thins the filling.
- Vanilla: A little adds a lot of flavor.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor.
- Butter: Combines with the sugar to make a caramel filling.
- Chopped Pecans: Buy them already chopped to save time.
How To Make Easy Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
Step One: Pie Crust
Press one pie dough (you can use homemade or store-bought) into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim off any excess and crimp or flute 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. Put 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. Plus, there is more brown sugar, which adds more flavor!
Step Three: Fill the Pie Crust
The 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 prepared crust.
Step Four: Make a Foil Ring
Make a ring of foil and completely cover the edge of the pie crust. You can also use a pie shield if you have one on hand. Then, bake the pie with the foil ring, but remove it for the last 10-15 minutes.
Step Four: Bake
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 it from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. The filling will thicken as it cools.
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 of the pecan pie should be golden, crunchy, and set, but the inside is still jiggly. When you wiggle and 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.
Pecan Pie Problems
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 is baked and cooled, but you can still eat it. The best option is to scoop out the filling and serve it over ice cream. It still tastes delicious and makes a great ice cream topping!
Burnt 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 sure 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 no corn syrup needed!
While many recipes call for toasted pecans, I DO NOT recommend using them. I’ve tested this recipe with toasted pecans and it ends up tasting like burnt pecans!
The chopped pecans will rise to the top during baking. If you want a decorative top on the pie, can add pecan halves. After pouring the filling into the crust, top it with pecan halves in a decorative pattern of your choice.
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.
Similar Recipes
- This Pecan Pie Cheesecake Dessert recipe is to die for!
- Pecan Pie Bars have a shortbread crust with a yummy topping.
- Chocolate Pecan Pie is just like the classic with the addition of chocolate!
- Try Sugar Free Pecan Pie from All Day I Dream About Food for a different version.
Easy Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
Video
Ingredients
- 9 inch pie pastry
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon half-n-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ 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.
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.
Eva Holman says
Can I substitute peanuts for the pecans, to make a Virginia Peanut Pie without corn syrup?
Tonia says
I’ve never tried that but yes it should work well!
Lisa says
Can you add chocolate to this recipe? I want to make like a derby pie but no high fructose syrup.
Daniel says
Perfect. I have been cooking successful pecan pies for years. But tonight was looking for one without corn syrup. Read a few and decided to try yours. Followed your recipe exactly and it came out wonderful. The whole family said we have a new standard. Thanks for posting this.
My challenge will be how to incorporate bourbon and chocolate. My son in law suggested trying to make a topping. Granddaughter suggested whipping into cream. No one suggested tampering with your recipe. Again, we’ll done.
Melissa says
I subbed out 1 tablespoon of half and half w/ spiced rum. Also threw in 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips no problem! Awesome! ( that’s my fav too bourbon/rum choc pecan! 🙂
Kim Bailey says
Hi Tonia,
I came across your recipe and am dying to try it but I’m diabetic so I have to cut the carbs wherever I can. In reading almost all of your comments, I found out that the Swerve sweeteners may tend to crystalize and be gritty so, I think I’ll try it with my good ole stand by, Splenda granulated and brown sweeteners. And one of your followers suggested a walnut crust. You probably think it’s odd to have 2 different nuts in a PECAN pie but pecans are so much more than walnuts.
I’m gonna give all this a shot before the holidays and see what happens. I’ll be sure to let y’all know 🙂
Thanks so much,
Kim
Sarah says
Really lovely recipe, thanks very much! It was very easy to make and turned out perfectly! I made it into mini pies using a cupcake tin, I got 24 mini pies out of the filling recipe (you’ll need twice as much pie crust if making mini pies). I baked them for 20 minutes and they turned out with a perfect consistency just like in your photo. The flavour is gorgeous as-is, but we liked them even better with 1/4 tsp cinnamon added to the filling- it just adds a little warmth and depth without necessarily tasting of cinnamon. Thanks for a lovely recipe, I plan to make this many times again!
Tonia says
Ohhh I love the sound of the added cinnamon and thank you for sharing your tip about making mini pies! I’ll have to give both of those a try! ~Tonia
Cindy says
I loved this pie! I may try it with a little bit less sugar next time.
I Just had a quick question question. Why does over mixing the filling make it runny? Do you know the explanation behind it? Curious minds would like to know!
Jennifer says
Excellent recipe — and as it’s about impossible to find Caro Syrup in our little corner of France, this is perfect for my pecan pie-loving husband. I had a larger pie plate so I added an extra egg and about 50% additional on the other filling ingredients. Also, I didn’t chop the pecans. Turned out perfectly — thank you!
Miriam Bell says
This pecan pie recipe rocks! I don’t like the corn syrup ones and this recipe is perfect. I used gluten free pie crust and it absolutely turned out perfect. Thank you!
Martha says
Honestly, I thought that my mom’s southern pecan pie was the best there is. I started to make one the other day because I had a crust that needed to be used and discovered I had no corn syrup, so I began an internet search for a recipe without corn syrup. I tried this one thinking that it would be okay, but not as good. This one surpassed my mom’s. The crunchy top and gooey center were so yummy. Thank you so much.
Lizette Morelos says
Hi,
Can i leave out the half and half? Just went to buy ingredients but forgot the half and half :/
Tonia says
Hi Lizette,
You can substitute milk for the half and half.
Happy Baking,
~Tonia
Melrose Macedon says
Can use milk or heavy cream
Amanda Brown says
Best pecan pie I’ve ever eaten. And I’m not kidding…I hear that same comment from every person I make it for. I used to make a large variety of pies, but this one is so easy and good that I’ve made it the last 10/12 times.
Tonia says
Fantastic! It continues to be my family’s favorite too! Thank you for coming back to let us know.