Classic Southern Pecan Pie (Printer-Friendly)

A buttery, flaky crust filled with rich pecan and brown sugar custard.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pie Crust

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
05 - 3-4 tablespoons ice water

→ Filling

06 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
07 - 1 cup light corn syrup
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
09 - 3 large eggs
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 2 cups pecan halves

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, stirring just until dough comes together. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
03 - On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish, trim excess dough, and crimp edges as desired.
04 - Whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt until completely smooth.
05 - Stir pecan halves into the filling mixture, then pour into the prepared crust.
06 - Bake for 50-55 minutes until center is set but still slightly wobbly. Cover edges with foil if crust browns too quickly.
07 - Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The crust stays impossibly flaky even after a day on the counter, which I learned after accidentally making it the night before and panicking
  • The filling walks that perfect line between gooey and set, so you get those luxurious puddles on your plate without the pie collapsing when you slice it
02 -
  • I once skipped chilling the dough because I was running late, and the crust shrank so dramatically that half my filling spilled onto the oven floor
  • Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for 5 minutes before adding them to the filling, and the entire pie develops this incredible nutty perfume that fills the whole house
03 -
  • Set your pie dish on a baking sheet before filling it, because this pie inevitably bubbles over and I've spent too many hours scrubbing burnt sugar from oven floors
  • The center might look underbaked when you pull it out, but remember that residual heat continues cooking the filling as it cools
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