Old Fashioned Pecan Pie is a classic fall dessert that’s rich & sweet. If you’re looking for the BEST recipe for Pecan Pie, look no further! This easy pie recipe is so simple to make and uses plenty of pantry and fridge staples- no need to run to the store.

 

There are few things as comforting as a simple and sweet pie. No matter what the season or time of year, there’s plenty of pie recipes to choose from: fruity treats like creamy blueberry pie or cherry pie for those warm summer months or something like a dutch apple or pumpkin pie during the fall. When it comes to those fall and winter months though, there’s one tasty pie recipe I’m always eager to make up: Old Fashioned Pecan Pie.

These Karo Pecan Pie recipes have been a staple of the winter and fall season- especially down south, which is why it’s sometimes called Southern Pecan Pie. It doesn’t matter too much where it’s from: what matters is how delicious this Classic Pecan Pie tastes! A rich custardy filling laced with pecans that get all warm and toasty after a brief stint in the oven? You’ll find the Pecan Pie Recipe below- it’s one you’re not gonna want to pass up on.

Why you’ll love this Classic Southern Pecan Pie recipe

• Old Fashioned Pecan Pie is so easy to make. Making the pie filling is as simple as melting some sugar and corn syrup together, carefully beating some eggs into it, and mixing with some pecans. Toss into a pie crust, bake, and done: delicious warm pecan pie! No special ingredients or unnecessary extra steps.
• The flavors of a Classic Pecan Pie are so comforting. Warm, toasted nuts and that richly sweet custard-style filling around them? All on top of a browned crisp pie crust, it’s easy to fall in love with this comforting dessert recipe.
• The pie holds up really well thanks to all that sugar and corn syrup. Sugar is a sort of mild preservative, so your pie will hold up quite well in the fridge. You can even freeze pecan pie for later so that you can have it as a Christmas or Thanksgiving dessert!

Old Fashioned Pecan Pie Ingredients

For a classic old fashioned pie recipe like this one, you’re going to need just a short list of ingredients- most of them are fridge and pantry staples. Here’s all you’ll need for our Old Fashioned Pecan Pie:

• Sugar – We used a mix of white granulated sugar and light brown sugar for this recipe. Adding a bit of that brown sugar just adds a bit of extra caramel flavor to our pie filling.
• Corn Syrup – This Karo Light Corn Syrup did the trick for us.
• Eggs
• Butter
• Vanilla Extract
• Pecans – We’d recommend buying pecan halves for this recipe instead of pre-crushed. We ended up using halved pecans in the filling and then crushed pecans by hand for a topping after we filled our pie crust. Speaking of…
• Pie Crust – Go with your preferred store-bought pie crust or try making our Easy Pie Crust from scratch! If you buy or make a deep dish pie crust, you may want to increase the amount of each of your ingredients to make sure you can fill your pie all the way.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Pecan Pie

Making Pecan Pie is a lot easier than you might think! Here’s all you have to do:

1. Heat sugar and corn syrup in pot over medium heat and stir until warm and blended. Beat eggs together in large bowl before slowly adding warm sugar mixture, beating constantly to keep eggs from cooking.
2. Add in butter and vanilla extract and beat until fully mixed together. Add pecans and blended pie filling to pie crust, optionally decorating top of pie with arranged pecan halves and crushed pecans like a Marie Callender’s Pie.
3. Transfer filled pie to an awaiting 350 degree oven. Let bake for 30 minutes without a tent. Then an additional 20 minutes or until pie filling has a slight jiggle. Let cool before serving. Optionally, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped topping when serving.

Substitutions

Whether you’re low on certain ingredients or have some dietary concerns, you don’t have to worry. We’ve got a few substitutions you can use in your Old Fashioned Pecan Pie:

• Sugar – We used a blend of white and brown sugars for this old fashioned pie recipe. This helps us sort of imitate those caramel flavors you’d get from something like a raw or demerara sugar- which you can also use. You could also just as easily use all granulated sugar or all brown sugar for your pie recipe.
• Corn Syrup – Light corn syrup helps keep our pecan pie filling very sweet and somewhat viscous before baking. While we wouldn’t entirely replace it with dark corn syrup, a small touch of it would add a bit of that old school, molasses flavor to the pie. You could also try subbing in some maple syrup or some honey instead.
• Pecans – You might be shocked to learn that lots of folks want to make Pecan Pie without pecans- for one reason or another. We’re not ones to judge, but there’s actually quite a few workable substitutes- whether you have some sort of nut allergy or not. Other nuts like walnuts or hazelnuts should work. For non-nut pecan substitutes, I’ve seen folks use everything from mini pretzel bites to old fashioned oats- these will help keep the finished pie somewhat crispy and chewy.

Variations

Want some ways to mix up our Old Fashioned Pecan Pie recipe? We’ve got a couple of ideas you can give a try:

• Derby Pie – This Chocolate Pecan Pie is a fun spin on Pecan Pie from Kentucky. Add in a healthy serving of chocolate chips and a splash of bourbon to your pie filling before continuing with the recipe.
• Sheet Pan Pecan Pie Bars – Instead of preparing your pie in a traditional pie pan, consider using something like a sheet pan or baking dish. This will help you make your Pecan Pie into more like a Pie Bar dessert- great for packing in lunches!

Storage / Freezing

Storage: Done enjoying your Old Fashion Pecan Pie? You’ll want to move it to the fridge to help it last longer. Keeping your Pecan Pie in the fridge, it should last a good 3-4 days- maybe even 5 if you want to push your luck. Since the pie filling is plenty sweet and packed with sugar, it holds up really well- the sugar acts like a sort of preservative.

Freezing: Another bit of good news about this Southern Pecan Pie is that it should freeze very well! Wrap well with foil or plastic wrap before putting it in the freezer. Kept like this, it should stay good for around 3-4 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before warming back up on the countertop or in the oven.

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