This Classic Southern Pecan Pie recipe is another vintage family recipe, and it's a mainstay at our Thanksgiving dessert table every year. Quick and easy to make- ready in 1 hour!
Southern pecan halves nested in a flavorful filling, with a light, crispy crust. The recipe is really easy to make, but you might want to make two at a time though...it goes fast!
You'll love this recipe!
- Classic - nothing fancy or complicated; just mix up some ingredients and pour 'em in a pie shell
- Delicious - just the right amount of sugar! not too sweet
- Easy - no rolling out dough or using lots of bowls...one bowl and a pie plate...that's all you need
Ingredients for Classic Pecan Pie
The ingredients for this delicious Southern dessert are simple: a prepared pie crust, Karo corn syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar and of course, pecan halves!
Prep the crust:
I've made this recipe using prepared crusts and sheets of dough. Here's my take-away on both:
Prepared Crust
This is a frozen crust that's already in an aluminum pan
- Thaw to room temperature; pierce shell bottom with fork 5-7 times
- Bake empty shell 10-15 minutes @350F or until it's light golden brown; allow to cool slightly before filling
Roll-Out Crust
This is a crust tht is in the frozen section and is in sheets; you can blind-bake it or do the following:
- Thaw to room temperature
- Put a little flour on clean surface
- Gently unroll dough
- Lightly coat both sides of pie dough with flour
- Press dough into pie pan
- No need to oil the pan
How to Blind Bake a Prepared Crust
- Pierce thawed crust bottom with a fork 5-7 times
- Bake at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes (until shell is light golden brown)
How to make it:
- Once the crust is prepped, in a large bowl, add lightly beaten eggs, sugar, karo and vanilla; stir together by hand
- Add pecan halves; stir well
- Pour sugar/pecan mixture into shell (flip pecan halves over if you want)
- Bake at 350ºF for 50-60 minutes
Tips and FAQ's:
How to prevent a soggy pie crust:
There are are several things you can do to prevent the crust of from being soggy.
- Blind bake: pierce crust with fork 5-7 times and bake at 350ºF 10-15 minutes, or until shell is golden brown
These are non-blind baking techniques for preventing a soggy crust:
- Place the pie on the bottom rack of the oven or on a pre-heated, hot cookie sheet
- Brush the crust with egg white; refrigerate for 5 minutes, then add pie filling
- Coat both sides of crust with flour; add pie filling
Any of these methods will prevent the Karo corn syrup from permeating the dough, resulting in a flaky crust.
What size pie plate do I use?
The measurements for this pecan pie recipe are for a 9" inch dish. If you use an 8" baking plate, use 1/3 cup less of sugar and Karo syrup; 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 eggs and 1 cup of pecans.
I poured the pecan mixture into the shell. Will the pecans rise to the top?
The first time I ever made this recipe, I thought I ruined it 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 some of the pecans over after you pour the mixture into the pie shell. I just use a fork to flip them over...
How do I know when it's done?
Bake at 350ºF for 50 minutes. Take it 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 this classic Southern pecan pie before then, the filling will be runny and not quite firm. It will still be delicious, just not as "pretty."
Related recipes:
- Orange Italian Cream Cake
- Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Mixed Green Cornbread Casserole
- Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie
Classic Southern Pecan Pie
Equipment
- 9 inch pie plate
- Thawed prepared pie crust
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 whole eggs , lightly beaten
- 1⅓ cup Karo corn syrup , light
- 1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups pecan halves
- 1 prepared pie crust (pre-formed or "roll out" dough)
- handful of dried beans or parchment paper for blind baking the pie
Instructions
Prep the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Allow crust to come to room temperature
- See Recipe Notes for Prepping Crust (depends on what type of crust you're using)
Make the Pie Filling
- In a large bowl, add eggs; beat lightly
- Add sugar, karo syrup, vanilla; stir by hand
- Add pecan halves to sugar mixture; stir by hand
- Pour pecan/egg mixture into crust
- Bake for 50 minutes @350ºF
- Test middle of pie with a knife for doneness; knife or fork may have a little pie filling on it, but not much; if not done, cook another 10 minutes, then re-check center for doneness
- Allow to cool for two hours before slicing
Notes
- If you use a pre-formed pie shell, I recommend blind baking
- Blind bake: pierce thawed crust bottom with a fork 5-7 times then bake @350ºF 10-15 minutes or until shell is golden brown; allow to cool slightly before adding the filling
- If you use "roll-out" dough sheets, I recommend coating both sides of the crust with a little flour, then place it in the baking dish; no need to oil the baking dish
Nutrition
♥ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below! Thank you!
Debi says
Pecan pie is my hubby's favorite dessert. Do you ship by the carton? 🙂
Anecia says
No, I'm sorry Debi. I cannot ship Pecan Pies because I eat them after they're done...all by myself:)