Classic Southern Pecan Pie

This Classic Southern Pecan Pie recipe is another vintage recipe from my family, and it’s a mainstay at our Thanksgiving dessert table every year, along with Cornbread Dressing and Spiced Cranberry Sauce!   Whole Southern pecans nested in a flavorful filling, with a light, crispy crust.  The pecan pie is really easy to make, but you might want to make two at a time though…it goes fast!

Classic Southern Pecan Pie

If you’re looking for the best pecan pie recipe–one like Mom used to make– then look no further. This family recipe, as many other pecan pie recipes, is based on the classic pecan pie recipe from the folks at the Karo corn syrup company.

Ingredients for Classic Pecan Pie

The ingredients for this delicious holiday dessert are simple: a prepared pie crust, Karo corn syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar and of course, pecans! The measurements for pecan pie are for a 9″ pie dish. If you use an 8″ pie crust, use 1/3 cup less of sugar and Karo syrup; 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 eggs and 1 cup of pecans.

The last piece of the pie…literally! I almost didn’t get a shot of the whole pie!

How to Make Pecan Pie

This is a super easy recipe!

1. Lightly spray pie pan with oil
2. Place pie crust over pie plate; press pie dough into plate and pinch the edges
3. Blind bake pie shell for 15 minutes
4. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, adding pecans last; stir well
5. Pour mixture into pie shell
6. Bake at 325ºF for one hour

How to Prevent a Soggy Pie Crust

The beauty of this easy pie recipe is the flaky crust! There are are several things you can do to prevent the crust of your homemade pecan pie from being soggy.

1. Blind bake: bake weighted crust for 15 minutes before you add the filling (weight the crust with dried beans)
2. Place the pie on the bottom rack of the oven
3. Place the pie plate on a pre-heated, hot cookie sheet
4. Brush the pie crust with egg white

Any of these methods will prevent the Karo corn syrup from permeating the pie dough, resulting in a flaky crust.

I Poured the Pecan Mixture into the Pie Shell. Will the Pecans rise to the top?

The first time I ever made this vintage pecan pie recipe, I thought I ruined the pie because all the pecans fell to the bottom! Believe it or not, the pecans will rise to the top. Some may be upside down and others right side up. If you want all the pecans to be “right side up,” you’ll have to flip the pecans over after you pour the mixture into the pie shell.

How Do I Know When the Pecan Pie is Set?

Bake the pie at 325ºF for 60 minutes. Take the pie out of the oven and slightly shake the pan. If the center is still a bit jiggly, bake it another 10 minutes. Another way to determine doneness is to insert a fork into the center. You will see a little pie filling residue on the fork–but not much. It is done if there’s just a little filling on a fork or knife.

How Long Do I Wait to Serve the Pie?

The gooey Karo syrup filling firms up in about two hours. If you serve the pie before then, the filling will be runny and not quite firm. It will still be delicious, just not as “pretty.”

Classic Southern Pecan Pie

Southern Pecan Pie with whole pecans, nestled in creamy pie filling

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Louisiana, Southern

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Blind Bake Shell: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 8 slices

Calories: 100kcal

Author: Anecia Hero - SmartyPantsKitchen

Equipment

• 9 inch pie plate
• Thawed prepared pie crust
• handful of dried beans or parchment paper (to blind bake the crust)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 whole eggs , lightly beaten
• 1⅓ cup Karo corn syrup , light
• 1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1½ cups whole pecans
• 1 prepared pie crust
• handful of dried beans or parchment paper for blind baking the pie

Instructions

Prep

• Preheat oven to 325ºF
• Lightly oil pie pan
• Allow pie crust to come to room temperature
• Lightly press pie crust into pie plate
• Place a handfull of dried beans (or parchment paper) over the pie dough and bake for 15 minutes (See Recipe Notes: How to Prevent a Soggy Pie Crust)

Make the Pie

• In a large bowl, add eggs; beat lightly
• Add remaining ingredients; stir by hand
• Pour pecan/egg mixture into pie crust
• Bake for 1 hour
• Test middle of pie with a knife for doneness; knife or fork may have a little pie filling on it, but not much
• Allow to cool for two hours before slicing

Notes

How to Prevent a Soggy Pie Crust

There are are several things you can do to prevent the crust of your homemade pecan pie from being soggy.

1. Blind bake: bake weighted crust for 15 minutes before you add the filling (weight the crust with dried beans or cover with parchment paper)
2. Place the pie on the bottom rack of the oven
3. Place the pie plate on a pre-heated, hot cookie sheet
4. Brush the pie crust with egg white

8" or 9" Pie Dish:

The measurements for pecan pie are for a 9" pie dish. If you use an 8" pie crust, use 1/3 cup less of sugar and Karo syrup; 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 eggs and 1 cup of pecans.

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