Grandma’s Pecan Pie
Grandma’s old-fashioned Pecan Pie is a family tradition! I can’t remember a Thanksgiving that it wasn’t on the dessert table. And for good reason, this is by far the best pecan pie recipe I’ve ever tasted! It’s super easy too! A rich, gooey, pecan filling is poured into a flaky crust, topped with more pecans and baked until golden brown. Top with whipped cream for the ultimate holiday treat!
My grandma’s Pecan Pie recipe is easy to make and bakes up rich, chewy, nutty and sweet. It’s a traditional holiday staple, and true perfection. For my family, the holidays aren’t the holidays without this delicious dessert on the table. You are going to love my grandma’s old-fashioned version!
There’s always quite a dessert spread on Thanksgiving! We adore sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and if you’re a chocolate lover, you can’t go wrong with this no-bake chocolate pudding pie.
Want to make mini pecan pies? These irresistible mini pecan pies are one of my all-time favorite desserts. Poppable bites of sweet, nutty deliciousness… what could be better? It’s also Grandma’s recipe!
Delicious and so easy!!! My family loved it!
— Maddy
Ingredients needed
This incredible classic pecan pie recipe is made with basic ingredients and plenty of pecans. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Eggs. Use 4 large eggs to give the filling the perfect texture.
- Light corn syrup. The base of this recipe that holds the pecan pie filling together. I prefer light corn syrup for a light sweet vanilla flavor. If you’d like a more bold and toasty flavor, use dark corn syrup.
- Brown sugar. Combined with the corn syrup, vanilla, and butter; light brown sugar gives the pie its deep rich flavor.
- Flour. A small amount of flour acts as a thickening agent in the filling.
- Vanilla. A must for a boost of flavor!
- Butter. Use unsalted butter, so it doesn’t taste too salty.
- Pecans. Can’t have a pecan pie without pecans!
- Crust. This filling is poured into a delicious, flaky, super simple homemade crust. See below for more crust details. Feel free to use a store-bought frozen pie crust, if preferred.
Easy pie crust recipe
For this pie recipe, my grandma used a pie crust that was from a VERY old Pillsbury cookbook. It’s the one she most often used and now my mom uses. It’s made with oil, instead of butter or shortening, yet it is the flakiest pie crust ever. After tasting a bite, my husband actually commented on the crust and mentioned that he liked it better than most crusts because it’s soft and flaky, not as hard as some pie crust. This one is so tender that it almost melts in your mouth when you eat it.
My favorite thing about using an all-oil pie crust is how super simple it is to make. It’s only 5 ingredients, you don’t need a food processor or pastry cutter, and there is no chilling required. You just mix the ingredients and pat the pie dough into a pie dish. In less than 5 minutes, you have a pie shell that is ready to be filled and baked. There is also no need for pie weights or blind baking.
How to make this recipe
Pecan pie looks impressive, but it’s actually one of the easiest pie recipes to make. There’s no pre-baking the crust or pre-cooking the filling. Here’s the simple process:
The full, printable instructions are in the recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Make the crust. This simple crust recipe only requires 5 basic ingredients. Stir them together in a medium bowl, pat them into your pie plate and shape or flute the edges, as desired. In the photos, here, you’ll see we have an adorable, rustic design made by pressing the back of a fork into the crust. You can crimp the crust edges, if preferred.
- Mix the filling. In a large bowl, simply whisk all of the filling ingredients together.
- Pour filling into pie pan. Once the filling mixture is in the unbaked pie shell, you can cover the top with additional nuts for decoration, or leave as-is, if you’d rather than have larger pecan halves.
- Bake. Place in the oven and bake at 350ºF for about 35 minutes and until the center is puffed and golden brown.
- Cool. This is best when cooled completely to room temperature. It gives the filling a chance to settle and set, so it’s not too runny.
- Serve. We usually enjoy this at room temperature, but it’s also delicious warm or cold. If desired, top with Cool Whip topping, whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Expert tips
Making this dessert from scratch really could not be easier, but here are a few tips, so that your pie is absolutely perfect!
- This is the perfect dessert to prep ahead of time! You can even make it the day before to free up some precious oven space for other holiday dishes.
- I don’t have any trouble with this particular crust recipe getting brown too quickly while baking, but you can always cover the crust with a pie shield or even some aluminum foil around the crust.
- It’s normal for the filling to puff up while baking and then sink down as the pie cools. Don’t worry if you see a small crack or two, as it won’t be too noticeable once the pie has cooled.
- Make this a chocolate pecan pie by stirring about 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips into the filling mixture.
Frequently asked questions
It is popularly served at holiday meals in the United States and is considered a specialty of Southern U.S. origin, as it originated in Texas.
The filling in pecan pie is a simple combination of eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, flour, vanilla, melted butter and chopped pecans. They all get stirred together and poured into an unbaked crust.
A small amount of all-purpose flour is added to the filling ingredients to make it perfectly thick. You can use cornstarch instead, if preferred.
Pecan pie should be soft and the filling very gooey and rich. However, the filling should not be runny. If your filling is runny, it’s most likely because you didn’t cook it long enough or give it a long enough time to set.
Feel free to serve this however you prefer, but we like this cooled down to room temp or even out of the fridge with a spoonful of Cool Whip.
Storing leftovers
Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for 1-2 days or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. My mom is the one that typically makes this for our Thanksgiving feast. She always makes it the day before and leaves it at room temperature until after we’ve had Thanksgiving dinner.
Freezing instructions
Pecan pie freezes wonderfully! Once it has cooled completely, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in a large freezer bag or freezer-friendly storage container for up to 3 months. To thaw it, place it in the refrigerator overnight, enjoy the pie chilled or bring it to room temperature before serving.
More holiday dessert recipes
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Grandma’s Pecan Pie
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons milk
For the filling:
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup chopped pecans + more pecan halves to decorate the top of the pie, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- For the crust, combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add oil and milk; mix well and pat in 9-inch pie dish, flutting or pressing a fork into the edges if desired.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir in melted butter and chopped pecans.
- Pour the filling into the piecrust. Top with additional pecans for decorative purposes, if desired. Bake until center of pie is puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes.
- Remove baked pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve pie warm, at room temperature, or even chilled. Enjoy plain or with whipped cream or ice cream.
Notes
Ingredient substitutions: Use dark brown sugar or dark corn syrup for a deeper caramel flavor.
Variations: If desired, add 1/2 to 1 cup drained crushed pineapple, semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dates with pecans. Storage: Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Freezing: Cooked pecan pie freezes well. Once cooled, wrap the pie tightly with plastic wrap and store it in a large freezer bag or freezer-friendly storage container for up to 3 months. To thaw, place it in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving. Nutritional information includes the crust.
Did you make this recipe?
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Delicious and so easy!!! My family loved it!
We love it too! So happy you enjoyed!