Classic Southern Pecan Pie
This Classic Southern Pecan Pie recipe is familiar to this Texan and is a vintage testament to the buttery, sweet deliciousness of the official state nut of Texas. Simple ingredients make a flaky golden crust with sweet, gooey filling. Perfect make-ahead dessert for Thanksgiving or anytime!
The pecan is the official State Nut of Texas and we have an abundance of pecan trees that produce delicious pecans! This vintage recipe is true to tradition, featuring a flaky, golden crust filled with a creamy, caramel-like custard and topped with perfectly toasted pecans.
This is the perfect dessert after a savory turkey dinner of turkey, cornbread dressing, candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, collard greens and sweet tea!
Ingredients
This recipe is written for a 9″ inch pie dish. If you’re using an 8″ inch plate, see the recipe notes in the recipe card below for ingredient adjustments.
The ingredients for this classic dessert are simple: a prepared crust, Karo corn syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar and of course, those delicious buttery pecans! You’ll also need a little all-purpose flour for the “crust dust.”
Classic Southern Pecan Pie
Equipment
- 9 inch pie plate See recipe notes for 8"inch pie plate
- Thawed prepared pie crust
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 whole eggs , lightly beaten
- 1 cup Karo corn syrup , light not dark or "lite"
- 1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups pecan halves, See "Pecans" in recipe card below
- 1 prepared pie crust (see recipe notes) (pre-formed or "roll out" dough)
- baking spray oil ( for pie plate )(optional)
- pie weights: dried beans or a few cups of sugar
Crust Dust
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Blind Bake the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350ºF; allow dough to come to room temperature; in a small bowl, combine flour and sugar for the crust dust; set aside1 prepared pie crust (see recipe notes), 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Lightly spray 9" inch plate with oil (optional); roll out dough and place it in the plate. Cover center with parchment; add pie weights and place a thin strip of foil around the perimeter; bake @ 350℉ on middle rack for 20-25 minutes; remove parchment and beans and allow to fully cool before adding the pie filling.See Recipe Notes Belowbaking spray oil ( for pie plate )(optional), pie weights: dried beans or a few cups of sugar
Make the Pie Filling
- In a large bowl, add eggs add remaining ingredients and stir by hand until well-blended. Lightly sprinkle the crust dust over the crust and spoon in the pie filling. Bake on middle rack @360℉ for 50-70 minutes. See recipe notes below about Timing. (You may want to place a baking sheet on the lower oven rack to catch any spills)1 cup sugar, 3 whole eggs, 1 cup Karo corn syrup, 1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1½ cups pecan halves, See "Pecans" in recipe card below
- Test middle with a toothpick for doneness; it might have a little filling on it, but not much; if not done, cook another 10-minutes, then re-check center for doneness. Internal temperature should be 200ºF. For best results, allow to cool for two hours before slicing with a serrated knife
Notes
- The measurements for this pecan pie recipe are for a 9″ inch round dish. If you use an 8″ plate, use 1/3 cup less of sugar, 1/3 cup less of Karo syrup; only 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 eggs and 1 cup of pecans.
- Be careful when you pour the mixture into the pie shell; you may have a little left over, but try not to get the pie too full or it will spill over and mess up your oven.
- Place a baking tray on the lowest rack to catch any spills.
- Use large eggs. If you use extra large eggs, use only 2 not 3.
- If you want a “pretty” pie, you can flip the pecan halves over with a fork so the top is showing; the pecans will ‘float’ to the top.
- You’ll need additional pecans than the recipe states. WHY? We’re gonna put 1 cup of chopped pecans in the filling and place pecan halves on top in concentric circles.
- Since you want the pecan halves to be the roughly the same size, you may have to buy another bag of pecans so you can sort through them.
- If you want to make concentric circles, start by placing halves around the perimeter, then repeat until its completely covered.
- For easy clean up, you can spray the pie plate lightly with a spray oil that contains flour. This is optional, but it does make clean up easier.
- Place dough into prepared dish, then place a round piece of parchment paper on the crust in the center; add about 1 ½ cups of dried beans (pinto, navy, doesn’t matter), then place the crust in the 350ºF oven on the middle rack; bake 20-25 minutes; remove and allow to cool before adding the crust dust and filling.
- You might want to place a ring of foil around the edges of the pie shell so the crust won’t get too brown.
Nutrition Estimate
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Updated 2025
Overview of how to make Pecan Pie
- Thaw the crust and roll it out to cover plate. Place dough over plate, press into the plate, crimp the edges, place a small sheet of parchment paper on the center of the crust, add pie weights and bake. Remove parchment and weights and allow to cool before filling.
- In a large bowl, add lightly beaten eggs, sugar, Karo corn syrup, vanilla extract and pecans. Stir together by hand.
- Sprinkle the crust dust over the cooled shell.
- Pour the filling mixture into the shell (flip pecan halves over if you want); while baking, the pecans will float to the top. See the Recipe Notes below if you want to make a decorative pecan design on top
- Place directly on the middle baking rack (you may want to put a baking sheet on the lower oven rack to catch any spills)
- Bake at 350ºF for 50-70 minutes or until the center sets; allow to rest for at least 2 hours at room temperature
Recipe Tips
- Use a 9″ inch plate
- To prevent the crust edge from browning too much, put ring of aluminum foil around the edge of the crust.
- Let cool at least 2 hours before serving
- For best results, use a serrated knife to slice into those crunchy pecans!
- If you’re making more than one pie, you may need to bake them a bit longer than indicated in the recipe card
Make ahead and storage
You can make this recipe up to 3 days in advance. Just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to serve, allow to come to room temperature, then slice and serve!
To freeze, wrap it in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and place it flat in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, allow to thaw in the refrigerator, then bring it to room temperature.
FAQ’s
Crust dust is a 1:1 mixture of equal parts of all-purpose flour and granulated sugar.
It creates a barrier so the pie filling won’t make the crust mushy or soggy.
Add crust dust after the shell is blind baked and cooled. You do not add the crust dust to the pie plate directly; just on the top of the bottom crust.
Classic Southern Pecan Pie is easy to make and not just for the holidays! Simple ingredients, delicious texture and flavor, your family will enjoy this vintage recipe for years to come!
More desserts and Southern recipes
- Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Mixed Green Cornbread Casserole
- Classic Buttermilk Pie
- Orange Olive Oil Cake
- Microwave Peanut Brittle
- Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Homemade Cream Style Corn
- Creamy Mac & Cheese
- Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Orange Spiced Cranberry Sauce
- Parsnip Gratin
- Collard Greens
- Green Bean Casserole – No Canned Soup
- Mashed Rutabaga
- Fried Potato Cakes
Pecan pie is my hubby’s favorite dessert. Do you ship by the carton? 🙂
No, I’m sorry Debi. I cannot ship Pecan Pies because I eat them after they’re done…all by myself:)