This homemade pecan pie recipe is simple and delicious. A buttery brown sugar and maple syrup filling is topped with toasty pecans – all made without corn syrup. It’s the perfect Thanksgiving pie recipe!

slice of pecan pie topped with whipped cream on a grey plate with a black fork.

Making pies for Thanksgiving has always been one of my fondest childhood memories, and one of the family traditions that shaped me into the cook I am now. We always made at least a half dozen (sometimes a full dozen!) pies the night before Thanksgiving at my grandpa’s house, chatting and laughing and soaking in all of the kitchen wisdom from my mom and aunts.

Needless to say, I never had to choose one kind of pie for Thanksgiving. But if I did have to choose, it would be pecan pie. Hands down. Which is why I’m so excited to finally share this delicious pecan pie recipe with you, based on the recipe my family has been using for decades!

Why You’ll Love This Pecan Pie Recipe

First, this pecan pie is simply delicious! Crunchy toasted pecans sit atop a buttery, brown sugar filling, all encased in a flaky, golden pie crust. It’s easy to make ahead of time (and preferred, actually) and delicious with a dollop of whipped cream or all on it’s own. And the recipe is made without corn syrup!

What Does This Recipe Use Instead of Corn Syrup?

No that I think corn syrup is going to hurt you, especially in one piece of pie, but I know a lot of people prefer not to use it. And I simply don’t ever have it in my pantry. Instead of corn syrup, this recipe is made with maple syrup, which adds a nice depth of flavor without being overbearing. (I’ve tried replacing it with honey because the consistency is better, but the flavor is very strong!) Since maple syrup is quite a bit thinner than corn syrup, a touch of flour helps hold things together for the perfect slice of pie.

How To Make Homemade Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup

unbaked pie crust in a pie dish with parchment and dry beans in it.

overhead view of brown sugar, flour and salt in a white saucepan.

maple syrup, butter, and brown sugar in a white saucepan.

melted and whisked brown sugar pecan pie filling in a white saucepan.

beaten eggs being poured into brown sugar pecan pie filling.

pecan pie filling in a pie crust before pecans are added.

overhead view of pecan pie before baking.

Roll the crust into the bottom of a 9 inch pie dish. Place a piece of parchment on top, then fill with dry beans, rice, or pie weights. Parbake (or blind bake) the crust at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove the weights, and let the crust cool.
Whisk the brown sugar, flour and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the butter and maple syrup and cook on medium heat, stirring, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla. Pour them into the cooled sugar mixture.
Pour the filling into the parbaked crust. Arrange pecans over the top of the pie.
Bake at 325°F for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is puffy and the filling is no longer wobbly.
Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting.

Tips For Making The Best Pecan Pie

I use salted butter and I like a good bit of salt in dessert recipes. If you’re using unsalted butter, you may want to increase the salt to 3/4 tsp or 1 tsp.
If you don’t care how the pecans are arranged on top, you can spread them evenly into the bottom of the crust before pouring the filling in.
Be sure the brown sugar mixture is not too hot, or the eggs will cook when you pour them in. If this happens, it’s okay. Either leave the egg pieces (it won’t hurt anything) or strain the filling through a fine mesh strainer before pouring into the pie crust.
If the crust starts to brown too much before the filling is done, cover it with foil or use pie shields.
This recipe is for a standard 9 inch pie dish. If you’re using a 10-inch or a deep dish pie dish, you may need to use 1.5 times the recipe.
I prefer to make this pie the night before so that it has plenty of time to set up. It can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Do I Really Need To Parbake The Crust?

If you don’t want the filling to seep through the crust and make a sticky mess and soggy bottom, then yes, you do need to parbake (or blind bake) the crust before adding the filling.

slice of pecan pie topped with whipped cream on a grey plate with a black fork with a bite taken out.

More Delicious Pie Recipes You’ll Love

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Homemade Pecan Pie (Without Corn Syrup)

slice of pecan pie on a grey plate topped with whipped cream.

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 70 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 1 (9 inch) pie 1x
Category: dessert
Method: baked
Cuisine: American

Scale

Ingredients

1 pie crust
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup pure maple syrup
5 tbsp butter
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup pecan halves

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F.
Parbake the pie crust: Roll pie crust into a standard 9 inch pie dish. Line with parchment and fill with dry beans, rice, or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove weights and parchment, and cool. Lower the oven to 325°F.
Place brown sugar, flour and salt in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine.
Add maple syrup and butter. Heat on medium heat, whisking, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Cool for 5-10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until eggs are well beaten. Pour into cooled brown sugar mixture and whisk well to combine. Pour into the parbaked pie crust.
Arrange the pecan halves on top of the brown sugar filling.
Bake pie for 50-60 minutes or until the top is puffy and the filling isn’t wobbly when moved.
Cool pie completely before cutting.

Notes

I use salted butter and I like a good bit of salt in dessert recipes. If you’re using unsalted butter, you may want to increase the salt to 3/4 tsp or 1 tsp.
If you don’t care how the pecans are arranged on top, you can spread them evenly into the bottom of the crust before pouring the filling in.
Be sure the brown sugar mixture is not too hot, or the eggs will cook when you pour them in. If this happens, it’s okay. Either leave the egg pieces (it won’t hurt anything) or strain the filling through a fine mesh strainer before pouring into the pie crust.
If the crust starts to brown too much before the filling is done, cover it with foil or use pie shields.
This recipe is for a standard 9 inch pie dish. If you’re using a 10-inch or a deep dish pie dish, you may need to use 1.5 times the recipe.
I prefer to make this pie the night before so that it has plenty of time to set up. It can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Keywords: no corn syrup pecan pie, pecan pie with maple syrup, pecan pie recipe without corn syrup