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Making pecan pie without corn syrup is as easy as pie! (bad pun intended.) Pecan pie satisfies everyone’s sweet tooth and no Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner is complete without a pecan pie on the table! However, this recipe doesn’t use corn syrup, so whether you ran out of it or simply don’t want to use corn syrup, this is the recipe for you!
For some more pecan-based desserts, try my Chocolate Pecan Pie. some pecan sandies or some candied pecans!
Table of Contents
Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
Now, I’m not claiming that this is a true-to-the-South pecan pie, because I don’t put corn syrup in this recipe and that is standard for most traditional pecan pies. BUT if you are looking for a corn syrup free pecan pie, this is the recipe for you! It’s still delicious and full of ooey-gooey pecan goodness! I might have a pecan pie bake bake-off in my kitchen one day, one with corn syrup and then this recipe and see what I like the best. While traditional, you use up to one cup of corn syrup in the recipes, and that is a LOT if you are someone that isn’t fond of corn syrup!
Ingredients for Pecan Pie
This is just a list of ingredients for you to skim over and see if you have them or need to shop, the exact amounts of ingredients are listed in the printable recipe card below!
- Pre-made pie crust or homemade pie crust
- Brown sugar
- White granulated sugar
- butter
- Flour
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Half & half
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Pecans
How to Make Pecan Pie
- Roll out your pie crust into a pie plate, crimping the sides with a fork or with your thumbs.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl until foamy, then add in the sugar and butter, mixing into dissolved
- Add in your flour, cinnamon, salt, heavy cream, and vanilla and mix to combine
- Carefully fold in your pecans and then pour the mixture into the pie crust
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, OR until just jiggly in the center
How to Tell When Your Pie Is Done
The key with this recipe is to keep an eye on the crust than the filling – when cooked properly, the filling should be mostly set, with a little bit of jiggle still left in the middle if you shake it. This is fine, though, because it will keep setting as it cools, resulting in a perfectly cooked pie once properly rested and at room temperature.
The top might crack a bit, don’t worry that is normal. Just make sure that the filling is cooked with a wee little jiggle in the middle and it will be great!
How to Prevent the Crust from Browning too Much
If there is one eternal problem that pie bakers suffer from, it is the tendency to burn their crust while baking the pie. The filling bakes up just fine, the crust, however, is likely to overbake if not watched carefully. Different ovens have different temperature spots, so you might find your crust burning before your pie is even starting to set.
If this happens, tent the whole pie with a loose covering of foil, making sure to cover the edges. This will stop the crust from darkening any more, while still allowing the pie to continue to cook and set up properly.
I always have to cover my pie crusts no matter what oven I use, it’s the the way of pies.
How to Freeze Pecan Pie
Pecan pie freezes exceptionally well. Simply bake it up and let the pie cool completely at room temperature. To store, wrap the pie securely in plastic wrap (any air getting in is how freezer burn happens) then in aluminum foil.
Freeze for 6-8 weeks. (This is standard baking advice but man my Grandma had pies frozen for 6 months and they were still amazing. Choice is up to you.)
To serve the frozen pie, thaw the frozen pie in the refrigerator then let it sit out on the counter to bring it to room temperature for serving. You can heat it a little in the oven at 300 °F for 15-20 minutes if you want it warm.
Happy baking!
Love,
Karlynn
Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 45 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 567
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust pre-made or homemade
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups pecans lightly chopped, leave a lot whole
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Roll out the pie crust and place in pie plate, crimping the sides all around with fork tines or pinching between your thumb and fingers.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until foamy.
- Add in the sugars and butter. Mix until the sugars are dissolved.
- Add in the flour, cinnamon, salt and heavy cream and vanilla and mix. Whisk until the flour is completely incorporated.
- Add in the pecans and mix to coat.
- Pour into the prepared pie plate. The pecans will float to the surface and middle. If desired you can place some on top for decoration, just make sure that you dunk them and coat them in the pie mixture, so they don't burn and dry out on top.
- Bake the pie for 35-40 minutes—cover the crust if it gets to dark towards the end.
- Center will still be jiggly and will continue to set as it cools.
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Kristen says
Your recipe is amazing!!! I’ve made this 5 times now and everyone raves about how freaking delicious it is in comparison to the corn syrup version. I will never go back! I do have a question about the appearance though. My pies all seem to come out of the oven with a golden brown meringue type topping that covers all the pecans. How do I keep the eggs from fluffing up to the top when baking?
Brandy Walters says
Love your recipes, have one of your two cookbooks already, I recommend your books, posts, email subscription to friends, family, coworkers, libraries – anyone willing to listen long enough. lol
I’ve noticed some food-related sites have a ‘Cook Mode’ button that stops the screensaver from activating while a person is following a recipe – talk about super handy for the end user! It seems to be the type of thing a website designer/writer would have to add and make available to the recipe reader.
Yeah, this topic is not pecan pie related, but that’s the page I happened to be on (because I was mentioning this recipe for my sis-in-law who lives in Edmonton – honestly, I recommend your recipes all the time.)
Liz Schelper says
I am so happy to find this recipe! I tried the corn syrop version you posted and did half brown and half white corn syrop, and it was a proper pecan pie, just like my mom in law’s Randelette,Ok pie of fine destinction. But to avoid the corn syrop is my next goal. So I will be trying this against your other fine recipe! I’ll let you know, because most people’s recipes don’t cut it, corn syrop orno!
Rebekah Hansen-Trierweiler says
Thank you so much – this turned out wonderful and as our family does not use corn syrup – I was so happy to be able to recreate a family tradition without the yuck. 🙂
Deb says
Haven’t tried this method but the Slate recipe with real maple syrup is my go to and is loved by my family.
Disappointed says
Did not come out like the picture at all despite following the recipe step by step. I’m sure it’s delicious but it doesn’t even remotely look like what the picture shows and I would not have made it based on what it turned out looking like.
Stan says
I’ll try it. Always enjoy trying variations. There is no one right way.
Elizabeth Powell says
Sorry but this recipe is not right. You need to use light corn syrup. You don’t need cinnamon and heavy cream. Speaking as a true southern girl.
Mr. Kitchen Magpie says
Thanks for sharing but given that this is a Pecan Pie without Corn Syrup, adding corn syrup wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense. There’s nothing wrong with the recipe, it’s different from what you might be accustomed to, sure, but that doesn’t make it “wrong”.
BonBon says
Did you make the pie using this recipe? If yes, how did it turn out?
Paul Ferry says
I recently started making my pecan pies with honey instead of corn syrup. So no, you don’t need corn syrup to make a pecan pie. I haven’t made this particular recipe. I’m curious how the sugars become a gel like consistency while baking if they weren’t first heated with the butter to bring it into a more liquid like state.
Deb says
Hi Paul, this recipe is very similiar to the one my ex MIL made way back in the day. This pie does not have gel like consistency, it’s more of a custardy(my word lol) consistency and I have always made this pie for Thanksgiving and other times of the year. To me, and I’m 100% southern, I’ve never liked the corn syrup pecan pies….too sweet! this one seems to be almost exactly like the one my MIL made, ( I do know she did not use heavy cream, just milk) as I lost hers at some point 🙁 I’m hoping to find it again, but for this yr, I will make this one and fingers crossed it’s as good as hers! <3 Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!