Perfect Pecan Pie Recipe - Avoid Underbaking (2024)

If you want a perfect pecan pie every time, you need this recipe in your life. It has the traditional Southern pecan pie taste of rich and nutty caramelized filling in a flaky buttery pie crust, but the best part is that it never misses.

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As kids, one of our favorite Sunday desserts was pecan pie. It seemed like Mama made one almost every Sunday and coincidentally, that was the day when we always had even more dinner guests than usual. Unfortunately, it was often a hit-or-miss recipe until a friend gave her this perfect pecan pie recipe when I was a young teen and our lives were changed forever! Seriously, ever since then, this pecan pie has turned out perfectly every single time. It’s like magic!

Fortunately, this traditional Southern pecan pie recipe is so easy to make. All you need is 6 ingredients: eggs, sugar, white corn syrup, butter, chopped pecans, and a store-bought pie crust. The instructions are as simple as mixing the ingredients together one by one in a mixing bowl. The pie will be ready to bake in under 10 minutes. The secret to this pecan pie recipe is that we place the unbaked pie in a cold oven and then bake it for 1 hour. Trust me, this little trick results in a perfect pecan pie every time.

Pecan pie has been a favorite Southern dessert for decades. While many people reserve it for the holidays and the Thanksgiving table, my family loved to celebrate with pecan pie year-round. Keep scrolling to the bottom for lots of helpful tips and tricks to make the best pecan pie recipe imaginable. And most importantly, enjoy every bite of this pecan pie, with its rich caramel nutty flavor and flaky buttery crust. It’s a match made in heaven, that’s for sure!

Recipe Ingredients

Eggs
Sugar
Karo light corn syrup
Butter
Pecans
Unbaked pie shell

How To Make the Perfect Pecan Pie Recipe

In a medium bowl, beat eggs well.

Blend in sugar with a whisk or a mixer.

It will look a little bit like this.

Pour in corn syrup.

Pour in melted butter.

Storage

Because the pie has an egg filling, I recommend storing it covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I mention this in the FAQs, but pecan pie is a great dessert to make ahead of time this holiday season.
Pecan pie is great served cold or warm. So if you want to reheat leftovers, I recommend briefly reheating them either in the oven or air fryer to get the crust nice and flaky once more.
You can also freeze pecan pie for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes

If you’d prefer to use a homemade pie crust, here’s my easy-peasy recipe.
For added flavor, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract when you fold in the pecans and/or half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Feel free to use granulated sugar, light brown sugar, or dark brown sugar in your pecan pie.
If you use unsalted butter, I like to add a pinch of salt. But if using salted butter or margarine, there’s no need.

Recipe FAQs

How do you serve pecan pie?

Serve this classic pecan pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream (here’s my homemade whipped cream recipe), and/or a drizzle of warm chocolate, salted caramel sauce, or hot fudge sauce on top.

What do I do if my pecan pie is still runny in the middle?

It may be that your oven heats up differently than mine so a thoughtful reader Kelli left her tip in the comments. If your pie is runny at 300 after an hour, knock the temp up to 325 and bake for an additional 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes until done. You don’t want to over-bake it as it’ll turn very tough and chewy. My family has been using this recipe for years and years and it never fails (especially if you do this trick in case it doesn’t firm up in time).

How do I know when my pecan pie is finished baking?

Your pecan pie is done when the center isn’t overly jiggly (a little wiggle is fine) and the outer edges are set. Follow the tips above if it’s still jiggly after the 60 minutes.

Can I make a perfect pecan pie without corn syrup?

Yes, you can. If you want a pecan pie without light or dark corn syrup, you can substitute it for maple syrup instead and that would have you making something close to Southern Plate’s maple pecan pie recipe. Another option is to use a combination of sugar and water. For each cup of corn syrup, substitute it for 1 cup of granulated sugar dissolved in ¼ cup of warm water.

Is it best to make pecan pie the day of or before?

You can definitely make your pecan pie up to 3 days in advance. Bake the pie, let it completely cool, and then cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the fridge. If you like, remove it from the fridge an hour before serving or briefly reheat it in the oven.

Should you toast pecans before making pecan pie?

You don’t have to toast pecans before adding them to your pie, but it does make them extra crunchy and enhances the flavor. If you want toasted pecans, preheat the oven to 350, spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake them for about 10 minutes. Stir them halfway through so they evenly roast. Let them cool completely before you chop and add them to the pie filling.

Is it better to use pecan halves or chopped pecans for pecan pie?

You can use either, but chopped pecans ensure the pie is easier to slice. If you like, you can add chopped pecans to the pecan pie filling and then garnish with pecan halves on top before baking.

How do you make the perfect gluten-free pecan pie?

The pecan pie filling is naturally gluten-free, so all you need to do is pour the filling into a gluten-free pie crust. Here’s a homemade gluten-free pie crust recipe.

Check out these other perfect pecan pie recipes:

Pecan Pie Cake

Maple Pecan Pie Recipe

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Faux Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie Muffins

Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe