better homes and gardens pecan pie

A few months ago I asked you guys what holiday pie recipes you wanted to see this year.

One of the most highly requested pies was for a pecan pie recipe made WITHOUT corn syrup!

I had actually tried my hand at this last year to poor results. It was incredibly frustrating. I ran out of time before I could get it right. This year I knew I had to try again!

Except this time I had the help of HTH team member, Emily, who gave me tons of feedback as we tested this recipe to get it just right.

I think you're going to love the depth of flavor this pecan pie has to offer. Although I can't say it raises above my all time favorite Chocolate Silk Pie…. it definitely deserves a place on your Thanksgiving dessert spread!

How to Make Browned Butter Maple Pecan Pie

Ingredients for browned butter maple pecan pie:

Pie dough – homemade pie dough is the way to go! I used my Best Ever Pie Crust for this recipe. It's ultra flaky, buttery, and practically foolproof. Tons of pie baking tips inside the recipe post!
Unsalted butter – Browned to brown butter perfection for the most flavorful pie filling ever. Always use unsalted butter when baking so you can control the amount of salt in your recipe.
Pecans – I used roughly chopped halves so it's easier to cut and serve cleaner slices.
Eggs – absolutely essential to creating that rich custard-y filling that holds everything together!
Maple syrup – our star ingredient here! We're using maple syrup to keep this pecan pie corn-syrup-free. I share more on this ingredient below. We also brush a bit of maple syrup on top of the pie after it has baked.
Dark brown sugar – creates that toffee-like sticky sweetness without being too cloying. If you need to, light brown sugar will work in a pinch.
All-purpose flour – we use some flour inside the pecan pie filling to help it thicken up nicely. Nobody wants sad, oozing pie that seeps through pie crust!
Bourbon (optional) – although optional, I highly recommend it to balance out the sweetness and enhance the warm sweet flavors of this pie.
Vanilla extract – because no pie is complete without it.
Fine salt – in addition to the finishing salt (below), make sure the filling has enough salt to bring out the nutty sweetness.
Cinnamon – just a touch truly makes a big difference!
Fleur de sel or flaky sea salt – a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the pie after it has baked provides the perfect balance of sweet and salty.

How to make pecan pie WITHOUT corn syrup:

Instead of corn syrup, this recipe uses a mixture of maple syrup and brown sugar with a tablespoon of flour to achieve the thickness and stability of the filling that corn syrup usually creates. The texture of this pie is slightly different than a typical corn syrup pecan pie, but I think the taste is so much better!!

how to make best ever browned butter maple pecan pie

How to brown butter:

Use a stainless steel sauté pan for best results. Nonstick prevents the butter from browning completely and prevents you from being able to visually see how browned it's getting. Same with the dark color of cast iron. Something with a wider surface area, like a sauté pan over a saucepan, encourages more browning more quickly.

Don't step away from butter that's browning after it's melted. It can go from browned to burnt quickly. At the same time, don't be afraid of letting that color develop. It should become a rich and fragrant amber. Scrape all the brown bits into the mixing bowl – that's where the flavor lives!

How to blind bake pie crust for pecan pie:

If you do some pecan pie googling, you'll see some recipes call for blind baking the pastry crust before filling and others don't.

I personally much prefer the texture of the crust when it's baked first. It's crispier and stays that way for longer.

Line the chilled crust in the pan with foil, pressing all the way to the edges to ensure they don't slump down. Fill the crust completely with pie weights, rice, or dried beans. It's important that you fill completely to the top edge of the crust to prevent shrinking or slumping.

Place on a rimmed baking pan. This will help catch any butter that might bubble over. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 400°F, or until pale and just beginning to brown but not raw. The higher baking temperature allows the crust to set quicker, preventing it from losing its shape or flute.

Remove the foil and weights and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.

If you typically have soggy crust problems, try baking the pie on the bottom rack of your oven or on a baking stone.

Why is my pecan pie runny or watery?

We want the filling to be gooey, not runny. This all comes down to baking.

You want to cook pecan pie to an internal temperature of 200°F. The edges should be set but the center should wobble a bit, kind of like gelatin. If you cook pecan pie too much, it'll crack and be dry. Underbake and it will be runny and watery.

Does pecan pie need to be refrigerated?

Yes. Since pecan pie contains eggs, it should be refrigerated after sitting out for about 2 hours.

How to store pecan pie:

Store the cooled and baked pecan pie loosely covered in the fridge. Pecan pie lasts for up to 3 days.

How to freeze pecan pie to make ahead of time:

Place the baked and cooled pie in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. This is easiest done with one of those aluminum disposable pie tins. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before slicing. You can refresh in a 300°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes to really re-crisp the crust.