Southern Pecan Pie Recipe (Classic, Easy Steps)

Pecan pie is the sweetest pie on the Thanksgiving table: a gooey filling that tastes like caramel, topped with a crisp layer of pecans. It needs one bowl and a spoon, no mixer.

If you're baking more than one pie, make this one the day before. It needs a few hours to set, and it slices more cleanly the next day.

What you need

• A deep-dish crust. The filling is generous. In a regular crust, hold back a little filling so it doesn't spill over in the oven. A store-bought crust works fine.
• Corn syrup. It's what gives pecan pie its smooth, gooey texture. Light or dark both work.
• Fresh pecans. Taste one before you start. Old nuts taste bitter, and you'll taste them in every bite.

Want to make the crust yourself?It's easy: 4 ingredients and about 15 minutes of work. Tap the button to see the full crust recipe, then come back here for the filling. See the crust recipe →

Substitutions

• Walnuts instead of pecans. Use the same amount of coarsely chopped walnuts for a walnut pie.
• Light or dark corn syrup. Either works. Dark gives a deeper, molasses-like flavor.
• A deeper caramel taste. Replace up to half of the white sugar with packed light brown sugar.
• Baking at high altitude? Use 2/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, and bake at 325°F.

How to tell it's done

Pecan pie is done when the edges are set and the center only jiggles a little when you nudge the pan, like soft gelatin. It shouldn't slosh.

The most reliable test is an instant-read thermometer: 200°F in the center. If it's not there yet, give it 5 more minutes and check again. No thermometer? Tap the center lightly: it should spring back.

Make it ahead

Bake it a day early, cool it for at least 2 hours, then cover and refrigerate. Serve it cold, or warm slices for a few seconds in the microwave.

To freeze, cool the pie completely and wrap it well. It keeps its best quality for 1 to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.

Making the full Thanksgiving dessert table? Our classic pumpkin pie can also be baked the day before.

Step by step

1. 
   Step 2: Stir the filling

   Corn syrup, eggs, sugar, melted butter and vanilla, stirred with a spoon until smooth. No mixer needed.

2. 
   Step 4: Pour it into the crust

   Stir in the pecans, then pour everything into the crust.

3. 
   Step 5: Bake on the baking sheet

   350°F for 60 to 70 minutes, on the middle rack.

4. 
   Step 6: Check it, then let it cool

   It's done at 200°F in the center. Cool it on a rack for at least 2 hours before you slice it.

Southern Pecan Pie

Classic corn syrup pecan pie in a 9-inch deep-dish crust.

Prep10 min

Bake1 h 10 min

Total3 h 20 min

Makes1 pie (8 slices)

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, store-bought or homemadeMake it yourself: see our easy crust recipe →
• 1 cup light or dark corn syrup
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves (6 ounces)

Instructions

1. Put a rimmed baking sheet on the middle oven rack and heat the oven to 350°F. The sheet catches any drips.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the corn syrup, eggs, sugar, melted butter and vanilla with a spoon until smooth.
3. Stir in the pecans.
4. Pour the filling into the crust. Set the pie on the hot baking sheet.
5. Bake 60 to 70 minutes. The pie is done when the center reaches 200°F on an instant-read thermometer, or springs back when you tap it lightly. If the crust edge browns too fast, cover it with foil.
6. Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing, so the filling sets.

Tips:

• Light corn syrup gives a classic caramel taste. Dark corn syrup gives a deeper, molasses-like flavor.
• The longer it cools, the cleaner it slices. Made the day before, it cuts perfectly.

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Nutrition per slice (1/8 of the pie)

Calories

570

Fat

30 g

Saturated fat

11 g

Carbs

75 g

Fiber

2 g

Sugar

59 g

Protein

6 g

Sodium

130 mg

Cholesterol

110 mg

Estimate per slice, with our all-butter crust, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values. A store-bought crust will change the numbers.

Food safety: pecan pie is made with eggs. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooling and eat it within 3 to 4 days.

Questions people ask

Sources

Recipe checked on November 9, 2026, against these published recipes and food-safety guidance:

1. Karo, "Homemade Pecan Pie" (the classic recipe: amounts, oven, bake time, 200°F test, walnut and high-altitude notes). karosyrup.com
2. Budget Bytes, "Pecan Pie" (doneness test, brown sugar, storage). budgetbytes.com
3. USDA FoodData Central, for the nutrition estimate (corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, pecans, flour).
4. Iowa State University Extension, AnswerLine, on storing pumpkin and pecan pie. blogs.extension.iastate.edu