This Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie is a classic southern dessert. Its sweet, buttery, gooey filling is loaded with crispy pecans in every bite. Pour the filling into a pre-made deep-dish pie crust for a time-saving shortcut.
I'm proud to share with you my grandmother's (my Mimi's) pecan pie recipe. I cherish old family recipes - they're such treasures!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"Making this this weekend. It's exactly like I remember from my mom." - Ruth
Quick Look: Old Fashioned Pecan Pie
- ⏲️Ready in: 55 minutes
- 👪Serves: 8
- 🥘Key Ingredients: Pecans, sugar, butter, eggs, light Karo syrup, vanilla extract
- 🍳Method: Oven
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy
- 👩🍳Texture/Flavor: Rich, buttery, gooey filling with crunchy pecans in a flakey crust.
- ☀️Best For: Thanksgiving, Christmas, holiday gatherings, and family dinners.
- ✅Why You'll Love It: A treasured family recipe that's easy to make and always the first pie to disappear from the dessert table.
Summarize & Save this content on:
If I had to pick a favorite dessert for my husband, it would be this one (even though he is a devout chocolate lover). He says it's the best pecan pie recipe! But he would not turn down a slice (or two) of my Chocolate Chess Pie!
Jump to:
Here's Why It's the Best Pecan Pie
This pie is everything you want in a classic holiday dessert!
- It's sweet, buttery, and loaded with pecans in every bite.
- The filling bakes up rich and gooey.
- It's made with simple pantry ingredients, comes together in minutes
- It tastes just as delicious the next day (if it lasts that long!).
If you love old-fashioned pies, be sure to try my Lemon Chess Pie. It has the same rich, custardy texture with a bright, sweet-tart lemon flavor.
Ingredient Photo with Notes
Let's take a peek at the ingredients. The #1 tip is to chop the pecans - this will make the pie much easier to slice!
- Chopped Pecans - always use baking pecans (which are unsalted) and not the salted pecans. Why it Works: Chopped pecans makes slicing the pie much easier and makes sure each slice has plenty of pecans!
- Light Corn Syrup (Karo) - light corn syrup is a key ingredient in pecan pie! It provides sweetness and flavor. It's a must ingredient in creating the classic pecan pie consistency (jiggly center) that so many people love.
- Sugar - adds a little more sweetness to the filling.
- Butter - for that classic rich buttery flavor. Salted or unsalted is fine, but I like the flavor the salted butter adds.
- Eggs - for binding the ingredients; the eggs don't have to be room temperature, but it certainly seems to help blend more smoothly.
- Vanilla extract - use the pure stuff. Vanilla bean paste works very well, too.
- Deep dish pie crust - no need to thaw the crust or blind bake it! Pour the filling directly into the frozen pie crust and bake.
Attention pecan lovers! Nobody loves pecans as much as we do in the South! Both sets of my grandparents had pecan trees in their backyard (and now I do, too!). Here's another one of my grandmother's recipes that features pecans - you'll love this Cinnamon Swirl Pecan Coffee Cake!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Use a different kind of nut. If you don't have pecans or prefer a different nut, you can replace them with other nuts like walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts. But of course swapping out the nuts will give the pie a slightly different flavor and texture.
- Instead of corn syrup, you can use maple syrup, honey, or golden syrup. Keep in mind that these may alter the flavor and texture of your pie slightly. Light corn syrup gives the most classic old-fashioned flavor and texture and is my top choice.
- Swap out the extracts. If you don't have vanilla extract, try almond extract or maple extract.
- Graham cracker crust. For a fun variation, use a graham cracker crust for a delicious change of pace.
Looking for another Southern holiday favorite? My Southern Sweet Potato Pie is smooth, warmly spiced, and always a welcome addition to the Thanksgiving dessert table.
How to Make Old Fashioned Pecan Pie
My grandmother's original recipe must be at least 100 years old! The only change I made to her recipe was to use a pre-made pie crust.
Photo 1 - blend sugar and melted butter.
Photo 2 - add corn syrup and salt.
Photo 3 - add eggs and vanilla extract.
Photo 4 - add chopped pecans.
Photo 5 - pour into pie shell.
Photo 6 - bake for about 45 minutes.
Tip: To keep the crust from browning too quickly, I suggest laying a piece of foil that's been sprayed with non-stick spray over the pie during the last 5 minutes of baking or use a pie crust protector shield.
Anne's Recipe Tips
- Chopped pecans make the pie easier to slice and ensure you get pecans in every bite.
- Use a sheet pan. Place the pie on a sheet pan to bake it. It helps to catch drips and also makes it easier to get the pie in and out of the oven!
- Fancy it up! We almost always top our slice of pecan pie with whipped cream or ice cream, or both! Ahh, it's the best!
- Protect that pie! So now that you've made this delicious pie, what is the best way to transport it? I love this Southern Homewares 3-in-1 Plastic Holder Container. Available now on Amazon!
Most of the time, pecan pie is served for a special occasion such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it's not unusual to have pecan pie for any special gathering here in the South. Another favorite holiday treat are these Bite Size Pumpkin Pies...just pop them right in your mouth!
Old Fashioned Pecan Pie FAQs
Light corn syrup has a lighter flavor and is made with real vanilla. Whereas dark corn syrup is made with a type of molasses. They are interchangeable so either can be used for this recipe. I chose the light corn syrup because it has a delicate, vanilla flavor (I love vanilla!). Dark corn syrup offers a more robust flavor, which is why I love to eat biscuits with dark corn syrup.
Keep your pecan pie fresh by storing it in the refrigerator. Store it covered for up to 3 days. Delicious cold or heat in the microwave for a few seconds.
Actually, I've never experienced a runny pecan pie. I can only imagine that perhaps the pie wasn't baked long enough. Be sure to bake the pie according to the directions. Some people cover the pie with foil during the last 10 minutes or so to help the pie firm up. Be sure to spray the foil first with non-stick spray so the pecans won't stick to it.
Yes! Mix up all the ingredients as directed. Pour into the frozen pie crust. Wrap the entire pie with plastic wrap; then wrap in foil. To keep the contents from spilling out while you're wrapping it, wrap it from the bottom to the top. Place the pie on top of a large section of plastic wrap, then fold the plastic wrap over the top and sides of the pie. Repeat with the foil. Freezes well for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, remove from freezer, unwrap the pie, place directly into a preheated oven. Bake as directed for an extra 20-30 minutes or until set.
More Holiday Pie Recipes
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Round out your holiday dessert table with a glass of my Non-Alcoholic Eggnog. Its smooth, lightly spiced flavor pairs beautifully with a slice of pecan pie.
Recipe
Old Fashioned Pecan Pie
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted pecans, rough-chopped
- 1 frozen 9" deep-dish pie shell no need to thaw
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Set the oven rack in the center position.
- Blend the sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Blend on medium speed for about 1 minute.
- Add syrup and salt. Blend on medium speed for about 1 minute.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Blend on medium speed for about 1 minute.
- Stir in pecans. Blend well.
- Pour into frozen deep-dish pie shell and bake on the center oven rack for about 45 minutes. To keep the crust from browning too quickly, loosely lay a piece of foil that's been sprayed with non-stick spray over the pie during the last 5-10 minutes of baking. (Don't scrunch the foil around the pie, simply lay it on top). If your oven bakes hotter than normal, check the pie frequently to make sure the crust isn't getting too browned. You may have to cover it sooner with the foil.
- Serve with whipped cream topping or vanilla ice cream (or both).
Notes
- Place the pie on a sheet pan to bake it. It helps to catch drips and also makes it easier to get the pie in and out of the oven!
- Don't overbake it! If the crust starts to get too brown before the filling is set, place a piece of foil that's been sprayed with non-stick spray loosly on top of the pie. Alternatively, you can use a pie crust protector shield to keep those edges from getting burnt.
- Chopped pecans make the pie easier to slice and ensures everyone gets plenty of pecans in their slice!
- You can use a refrigerated pie crust instead of a frozen pie crust. Just be sure to use a deep dish pie plate, and follow the instructions on the package.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
This recipe was originally published in 2020. I updated it in 2026 with new and improved photos!
Pennie DiGiaimo says
The pie is delicious; although I had to bake it almost an hour as at 45 minutes, the edges weren't even set. I also used whole pecans (because I always have in past recipes). My ONLY issue and why I didn't give it 5 stars is when I lay a piece of aluminum foil across the top to keep my crust from over browning, most of the nuts came off with it. I had to scrape them off the foil and put them back on the pie top. I ended up just putting foil around the edges. The pie is UGLY but it taste great which is what counts. Moving forward, recipe is definitely a keeper but next time I'll just foil the edges. Maybe if you sprayed the foil with cooking spray, it might have worked better.
Ruth says
Making this this weekend. It’s exactly like I remember from my mom. She never wrote down some of her recipes, so I knew the ingredients but not measurements .
Anne Clark says
I’m so happy to hear from you, Ruth. I love to read comments like yours! Please let me know how it turns out. I hope you enjoy it 🙂