Classic Pecan Pie (Mother-In-Law's Recipe)

Classic Pecan Pie (Mother-In-Law's Recipe)

This traditional pecan pie recipe is a family favorite holiday dessert featuring a flaky, buttery crust and a caramel-like sweet-salty filling, perfected over 60 years and easy to make at home. We make this dessert for Thanksgiving every year! I also provide options for corn-syrup-free filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword pecan pie

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 15

Servings slices

Calories 508kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Crust

1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup Crisco (or use ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, kept very cold and cut into small cubes)** See notes below!!
3 Tablespoons cold water

Filling

3 medium eggs
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
½ cup Karo dark corn syrup
½ cup Karo light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon flour
2 cups Pecan halves or more

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a 9-inch round deep pie plat (pie baking dish).

Make the crust

Mix the flour, salt and Crisco together with a pastry cutter or large fork until well mixed and the crumbs are the size of peas. Add water, one Tablespoon at a time, until the dough sticks together.
**Note about using butter instead of Crisco: You can make this crust 100% butter with great results. Replace the Crisco with ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, kept very cold and cut into small cubes. The only change in technique is to work quickly and avoid over-handling the dough, because all-butter crusts soften faster. Cut the butter into the flour until you see pea-sized pieces, then add the cold water exactly as written. If the dough feels too soft at any point, chill it for 10–15 minutes before rolling—this helps maintain flakiness and prevents shrinkage in the oven. Everything else in the recipe stays the same.
With a rolling pin roll out the dough on a piece of waxed paper (dampen the counter under the paper to keep it from slipping). Roll it into a circle about an inch larger than the pie pan. Turn up the edges and make them thicker, then press the edge with your fingers to make it look scalloped.
Refrigerate the crust in a pie dish while you prepare the filling.

Make the filling

Mix the eggs and sugar with a mixer until well blended. Add the corn syrup, salt, vanilla and butter and beat together well until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon of flour and blend briefly until completely incorporated.
Pour the pie filling into the pie crust. Top the pie filling with pecan halves in circular patterns.
Optional egg wash: At this point, you can optionally, lightly brush only the crimped crust (avoid the filling) with egg wash just before baking. For a light, shiny-golden color, make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water, milk, or cream.

Bake

Bake the pecan pie at 350°F (175°C) for about 45 minutes. Check to make sure the edges of the crust or the top aren't getting too brown. When you see the top getting brown, take a piece of tin foil and make a tent over the pie - don’t let it touch the pie. Continue baking another 10 to 20 minutes until the filling is not shaky. You have to watch it! :) Depending on your oven, the pie can be done at 45 minutes or at 65 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!!

Notes

How do I get my crust flakey and buttery? Make sure to use cold water and thoroughly chilled Crisco, and don’t overwork the dough – gentle hands make for the best homemade crust. Roll out on waxed paper for easy handling.
Why is corn syrup used in pecan pie? It’s not just sweetness—corn syrup helps prevent sugar crystallization and keeps the filling smooth and moist. That’s the hallmark of a traditional pecan pie texture.
Don’t overmix: Lightly blend the filling to avoid air bubbles, which can affect the texture of your classic old-fashioned pecan pie.
Arrange pecans: I love topping the filling decoratively with pecan halves for a restaurant-quality appearance.
How do I keep the crust from over-browning? I tent the rim with foil right at the first sign of deep golden color and keep it on until the end. A pie shield works too.
Clean cuts: Chill the baked pie at least 4 hours (overnight is better). Warm a knife under hot water, wipe between slices.
Storage: Because it’s egg-rich, refrigerate within 2 hours of cooling. Keep it refrigerated, covered, up to 3–4 days. (USDA guidance for custard pies.)
Reheating: Warm slices on a sheet pan at 300–325°F (150–165°C) for 8–12 minutes; or serve cold/room temp.

What are substitutes for Crisco?

You can easily make this crust all butter by replacing the Crisco with ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) very cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes. Work quickly, cut the butter into the flour until pea-sized, and add the cold water as written. If the dough softens, chill it for 10–15 minutes before rolling to keep it flaky and prevent shrinking. Everything else stays the same.
You can substitute the Crisco in the crust with ¼ cup (½ stick / 56 g) unsalted butter plus ¼ cup (60 ml) cold coconut oil for a similar texture. These swaps retain the flaky, tender crust you want; just keep all other crust ingredients and handling the same.
Another option is to use replace Crisco with ½ cup (113 g) cold lard. Lard is an old-fashioned ingredient that is particularly good for creating flaky pie crusts and tender biscuits because of how it melts and its high-fat content.

Nutrition