My Favorite Pecan Pie Recipe

This is my favorite pecan pie recipe for many reasons. A little cinnamon, vanilla, melted butter, toasty pecans, homemade flaky crust... I could go on and on. Classic and simple, traditional and sweet.

Ingredients :

• Homemade Pie Crust (my recipe makes 2 crusts; you can halve the crust recipe or freeze the 2nd half)
• 2 and 1/2 cups (250g) coarsely chopped Diamond of California pecans (a very rough chop!)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (240ml) dark corn syrup1
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions :

1. The crust: Prepare my pie crust recipe through step 5.
2. After the pie crust has chilled, adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
3. Roll out the chilled pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Remember, when rolling out the chilled pie dough disc, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Roll it out into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9x2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth.
4. The filling: Spread pecans evenly inside pie crust. Set aside. In a large bowl using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, melted butter, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Once completely combined and thick, pour evenly over pecans.
5. Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. You can also tent a piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie if it is browning too quickly. Remove finished pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. The pie filling will settle as it cools.
6. Slice and serve pie warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar if desired.
7. Make ahead tip/Freezing: Pecan pie is a wonderful dessert to make ahead of time. You can get started by combining all the filling ingredients (except the pecans) one day ahead of time. Keep it covered tightly in the refrigerator. You can also make the pie dough 1-5 days in advance, since it needs to chill. To make the pie in full 1 day in advance-- after it cools, cover tightly and keep at room temperature. Baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

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