Last Updated on April 15, 2022 by Karen

Classic Pecan Pie is sweet, decadent, and chock full of pecans, all encased in a buttery, flaky crust.

Happy Friday! I still find it hard to believe it’s 2015, although the reality is setting in now that all the Christmas decorations have been put away and plans for the new year are underway. I just received my work holiday calendar for this year today and have been making mental notes ever since on how many trips (short or long) I can make this year! It’s been brutally cold over here so I’m in complete winter getaway mode — I can’t stop thinking about taking a relaxing beach vacation.

At any rate, I’ve tempted you with enough pseudo pies like Maple Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal and Apple Pie Smoothie lately so I’m giving you a real pie. There are few desserts I make only once or twice each year, and Classic Pecan Pie is one of them. It’s my favorite pie of all time and once a year is truly not enough!

I wanted to make it for this past Christmas, but not knowing how to adjust the recipe for high altitude baking, I baked it in my kitchen in New York and transported it all the way to Colorado.

Of course, my OCD self was making sure the whole time that the carry-on bag was handled (by me!) with extra care, so that the pie would stay intact when we got there.

It’s got the best of both worlds: tender, rich and sweet (but not overly sugary) filing, chock full of pecans, all encased in a buttery, flaky pie crust. It really melts in the mouth! Plus, the pie crust actually stays flaky and doesn’t get soggy after it sits out for a while = the perfect bake-ahead dessert.

Be sure to refrigerate your pie crust before rolling it out – makes ALL the difference (and the edge of the pie won’t shrink down when you bake it).

As mentioned in the recipe, you can serve the pie warm or at room temperate for a firmer texture. Either way, watch out for curious (and hungry) bystanders, this recipe is quite a delicious treat!

It’s Friday and the weekend is in the horizon – enjoy!

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Classic Pecan Pie

Classic Pecan Pie is sweet, decadent, and chock full of pecans, all encased in a buttery, flaky crust.

Servings 1 9-inch pie

Author Karen @ The Tasty Bite

Ingredients

For the pie dough:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling dough
2 tsps sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter cold, diced
1 large egg lightly beaten

For the pie filling:

3 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
¾ cup sugar
3 tbsps unsalted butter melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
1½ cups pecans toasted and coarsely chopped

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Work the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or your fingers until it resembles pea-sized bits.
Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork. If the dough looks dry, add ice-cold water a teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together.
Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick.
Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge and crimp the edge with a fork or your fingers.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, and pecans. Pour filling into the prepared pie crust.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until pie filling is set. Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving warm or at room temperature

Notes

For decoration purpose, arrange whole pecans in a concentric circle on top of the filling (don't press them in) before baking.
If the pie crust or whole pecans get browned too quickly before the pie is done, cover with aluminum foil and continue baking.