Perfect Pecan Pie with secret ingredient

Rich, buttery and full of caramel flavor this pecan pie is packed with pecans and the secret ingredient creates a smooth velvety texture. This pie is truly the star of the show. Always a crowd favorite. The best pecan pie recipe ever. One is never enough so you should make two while you’re at it!

Why I love this pie so much

I have had people tell me that pecan pie is just too sweet for them, they clearly have never had this pecan pie recipe! Yes, it is sweet, but it’s not too sweet. It is perfectly sweet, creamy, caramely, and chocked full of toasty pecans. I get the most requests for this delicious pecan pie at the holidays, more than pumpkin, almost more than dutch apple pie! The secret ingredient is a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, the acid from the vinegar helps to break down the sugar crystals making the pie smoother, and it also helps to cut the sweetness. Food science is amazing!

Gather these ingredients

How to make the best pecan pie

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out pie crust and place in pie dish, crimp edges.

1. Place pecans on a baking sheet and put in preheated oven for 3-5 minutes. Do not leave!! Nuts toast fast. As soon as you start to smell the toasty smell of pecans remove them. Set aside to cool.

2. When nuts are cooled, chop half of the pecans and place them in the bottom of the pie crust. Leave the other half for adding to the top of the pie.

3. Add 1 cup sugar, combo of white and brown sugars, butter, and karo syrup to mixer and mix on medium speed until filling is smooth, 3 minutes.

4. Add large eggs, one at a time, mixing continuously, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and apple cider vinegar mix until filling becomes smooth and fluffy as shown in the photo above. Scrape down sides of bowl at least once during this process.

5. Add chopped pecans and fold into filling.

6. Now spoon the pecan pie filling in the crust. (If you have a little extra, put it in a buttered ramekin and bake it along side your pie and, you can have yourself a little treat!)

7. Place whole pecans on top of the pie in any arrangement you prefer. If you prefer not to you can just mix them in with the chopped and see what happens. No matter how you add the pecans this pie will end up spectacular.

8. Now place in a preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. (See FAQs for tips on not burning your crust.) If the pie has a little bit of jiggle in the middle when it’s time to remove it from the oven this is OK. It will also puff up, and then fall as it cools, also OK. Allow the pie to cool for at least one hour before cutting into it.

FAQ’s

• Is it possible to use light karo syrup if I am unable to find the dark syrup? Yes you can use the light syrup it will not affect your pie enough for anyone to detect it. Karo syrup is basically light corn syrup with either molasses (dark) or vanilla extract (light) added. If you can find Lyles golden syrup, get it! It is fantastic in traditional pecan pie, but it’s hard to find in the U.S. I have splurged and bought it on amazon.
• I don’t like the idea of using vinegar in my dessert, is there a substitute? If you must, you can use lemon juice which is also an acid, but honestly you will not taste the vinegar at all. It creates a chemical reaction that helps break down the sugar crystals creating a smoother texture, and helps cut the sweetness.
• Every time I bake a pecan pie it seems to burn on the top. How can I prevent this from happening? If the crust starts to look too brown while your pie bakes, remove the pie and if you have a pie crust guard use it. If you are like me, take some aluminum foil and fashion it to cover the crust or just teepee a larger piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie, return to the oven and continue to bake.
• Can I use store-bought pie crust? Yes. However, pie crust is really not that hard to make and the extra effort pays off. Here is my pie crust recipe.
• How do I know when my pie is done? The center of your pie should jiggle but not make waves. If you press your finger into the center of the pie and it feels soft but springs back this is a good sign it’s done. If you have a cooking thermometer you can insert it into the middle of the pie, if filling is between 190 -200 your pie is done.

This is such an easy recipe. I really hope you give it a try. It’s our family tradition to have pie at the holidays. We all have our favorites so that means sometimes we have several different pies for dessert. If you know me, you know I am a pie geek. I love pie! Early on in my blogging days I had a #PieGeekWeek and I had t-shirts made that said “It’s pie o’clock”. They were (not) wildly popular. LOL. For many years I made pies and sold them as a fundraiser for different causes in my area. Making as many as 125 pies one year! Pies for days. I loved it. I hope you make some of your favorite pies for Thanksgiving dinner.

Happy Baking, Sheila

More pies to try!

• Dutch Apple Pie
• Maple Pumpkin Pie
• Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie -chocolate pecan pie
• Praline Buttermilk Pie