This Brown Butter Pecan Pie has everything a Pecan pie needs. It has a chocolate base (Black Bottom), toasted nuts, and a brown butter golden syrup filling, all tucked into a flaky par-baked pie crust. This pie is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table this year!
Hi! Just popping on to share this recipe for Brown Butter Pecan Pie with you. Pecan Pie isn't really a thing in New Zealand (we don't celebrate Thanksgiving, and Pecans aren't super common), so I actually hadn't tried one until I moved here in 2014.
Pecan Pie is super simple to make - you par-bake a pie crust, then fill it with a custard like mixture and pecan halves. That's it! The whole thing gets baked until the middle is only just set. The result is a super gooey, incredibly flavourful pie, with crunch, goo, a flaky crust - just so, so good.
There are a bunch of variations on Pecan Pie, and I think every family has their own classic recipe. Here's mine!
How to make the best Brown Butter pecan Pie
There are a few steps that you can take to take your Pecan Pie to the next level. I obviously did as many as possible, which lead to a super flavourful, gooey, delicious Pecan Pie which has an incredible depth of flavour.
- Toast Your Nuts - Toasting your Pecans is a super easy way to make them taste extra good. This takes 10 minutes in the oven and can be done ahead if you like so when it comes to assembly time you are good to go.
- Make your own Pie Crust - Once you've had some practice, making your own pie dough from scratch is SUPER easy. You can do it ahead of time (see the tips section), and freeze it if you like!
- Use Golden Syrup - I grew up on Golden Syrup and it's just so good. It adds a beautiful depth of flavour. I get mine online, although I know you can get it in some stores! This article also tells you how to make your own!
- Brown Your Butter - It's no secret that I love, love, LOVE browned butter in anything, and using brown butter in this Pecan Pie really helps the toasty flavours come through.
- Add Chocolate - You can't go wrong with adding chocolate. I turned this into a black bottom pecan pie by adding a layer of chocolate ganache to the par-baked pie crust, underneath the filling. It makes it extra gooey, and extra delicious.
- Add a tiny bit of acid - Adding just a little apple cider vinegar helps to cut through the sweetness of the pie. You won't notice the taste itself but it makes a big difference! I use apple cider vinegar in my pie crust too to help prevent gluten formation and to keep the pastry tender.
Golden Syrup vs Corn Syrup in pecan Pie
If you haven't had Golden Syrup before I really recommend that you try. It is made with a different process to corn syrup, and is made from Sugar rather than Corn Syrup which is derived from Corn.
Golden Syrup is rich and caramelised, and gives baking a really amazing depth of flavour, whereas corn syrup's flavour is just 'sweet'. It's worth tracking some down for this pie if you can - I also use it in my Ginger Crunch recipe if you need something to help use it up!
A good pecan pie starts with a great pie crust
Homemade pie crust takes a bit of practice, but once you have the hang of it, it is super easy. You can easily make the pie dough ahead of time and freeze it until you are ready to use. I made six the other day for recipe testing, and they are just hanging out in my freezer! Make sure that you wrap them tightly, then thaw them overnight in the fridge before you use.
The recipe below makes enough for two single crust pies, but it's truly no more work at all, so you might as well make both and have one on hand for something else. It's also much easier to accidentally over or under hydrate a smaller batch of pie dough!
To read all my tips and tricks on the perfect pie crust, check out my post - how to make homemade pie crust
How to make the best Pie Crust
How to Parbake a Pie Crust for Pecan Pie
I used to be scared of par-baking pie crust (if you don't believe me check my early pie recipes, they are all double lattice with cut-outs. I was SCARED). Once I realised 1) It's not as scary as I thought and 2) Crimping is really fun, now I love par-baking pie crusts!
Par-baking a pie crust starts the baking process. It gives the inside of the pie crust a chance to cook a little before it has filling in it. This helps to prevent the dreaded soggy bottom. It also helps to make your pie flaky, as it has some time to bake without the filling.
For all my tips on a perfectly par-baked crust, check out my post: How to blind bake pie crust
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good substitute for Golden Syrup?
You can sub regular corn syrup for this recipe, although I really recommend tracking down some Golden Syrup if you can!
How do you cool pecan pie quickly?
Ideally Pecan Pie needs to be cooled to room temp which takes 3-4 hours before you can slice into it. If you're in a big rush, let it sit at room temp then pop it on something heatproof and throw it into the fridge to chill down.
How can you tell when pecan pie is baked?
You can tell when the pie is baked when the outside is firm and set and the inside still has a little bit of jiggle to it. For me, this takes 50 to 55 minutes. You are better every so slightly underbaking it rather than overbaking it to get the nice gooey inside.
Can I leave off the ganache layer?
Yes! If you don't want to give this pie a ganache layer, par-bake the crust, then remove from the oven and brush the crust with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water), then return to the oven for 1-2 minutes to set the egg wash. This helps protect the crust in the same way the ganache does.
Tips for Making Pecan Pie Ahead of Time
There are a few ways you can go about making this Pecan Pie ahead of time, depending on what you want to do ahead and your workload.
- Make the whole thing a day ahead. This pie will store on the counter top, covered with foil or a kitchen cloth, for up to two days.
- Make your Pie Crust the day before. Par-baked pie crust will last overnight at room temperature, so if you like, you can do the par-baking section and then bake the pie off the next morning.
- Make your Crust ahead of time. Pie crust keeps up to 2 months in the freezer, so if you like, you can make the dough now, then wrap tightly and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
- Prepare some of your components ahead of time. You can toast your pecans ahead of time so they are ready to go, and have your butter browned and cooled ready to use.
A few wee tips for Pecan Pie
- Make sure you give this enough time to cool. You need the filling to set up a little bit, so that you can cut into it. Make sure you account for this!
- You can add chocolate chunks to this if you need.
- If the filling seems like it is a little too much and you are worried it might overflow, you can hold back a little bit and discard.
- The pie will puff in the middle - don't worry about this! It will deflate as it cools.
- If you want to par-bake your pie crust ahead of time, this can be done up to 24 hours before and the par-baked crust can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
- To get the top of the pie pretty, you can flip over any pecans which are flat side up so that they are floating rounded side up on top of the pie.
For more Pie Recipes, see:
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Brown Butter Pecan Pie
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Brown Butter Pecan Pie has everything a Pecan pie needs. It has a chocolate base (Black Bottom), toasted nuts, and a brown butter golden syrup filling, all tucked into a flaky par-baked pie crust. This pie is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table this year!
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 homemade pie crust, shaped into a disc and chilled*
Chocolate Ganache
- 100g dark chocolate (I used 72% cocoa solids), finely chopped
- 60g heavy cream
Brown Butter Pecan Filling
- 300g Pecan Halves
- 115g unsalted butter
- 150g dark brown sugar
- 250g Golden Syrup
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
Instructions
PIE CRUST
- I like to make my pie crust the night before or at least 2 hours before to give it time to rest.
- Once the dough has rested, unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to ¼” (6mm) in thickness, turning the dough 45˚ often as you are rolling to keep it even. You want the circle to be slightly larger than your pie tin. Transfer to a 9” pie tin, and arrange to ensure that the dough is well settled.
- Trim the dough using scissors or a sharp knife, leaving about one inch excess around the edges. Gently tuck the dough under and onto itself, to give you a neat folded edge. Chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes, then remove from the fridge and crimp as desired. Dock all over with the tines of a fork, then chill for a further 30 minutes, or freeze for 20 minutes or until solid.
- While the crust is in the fridge, preheat the oven to 425˚f / 220˚c. Cut a piece of parchment slightly larger than the pie dish. Line with the parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, filling right to the bottom of the crimps.
- Place the pie tin on a baking sheet, and place in the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, remove the parchment paper and beans. Return to the oven and bake for a further 2-3 minutes, until the inside of the crust is set and barely golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack in the pan. If you are baking the rest of the pie straight away, reduce the oven temperature to 350°f / 180°c.
PECAN PIE FILLING AND ASSEMBLY
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Spread the pecan halves out on a baking sheet. Toast for 10-12 minutes, shaking the pan often, or until golden throughout (snap one open to check). Leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, place the butter in a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted, and then continue to cook, swirling the pan often, until the butter foams and turns golden brown and nutty - this should take 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, allow to cool slightly.
- To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate into a small bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until there is just movement around the edges, then pour over the chocolate, place a plate on to act as a lid, then leave to sit for 3-4 minutes. Whisk until completely smooth.
- Pour the chocolate ganache into the bottom of the par-baked pie crust, and smooth with an offset spatula. Place in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the filling.
- To make the remainder of the filling, whisk together 70g (see Notes section below) of the cooled brown butter, the dark brown sugar, and golden syrup together in a large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, and whisk to combine. Add the heavy cream, vanilla bean paste, apple cider vinegar, and salt, and whisk to combine.
- Arrange the pecans in the cooled par-baked pie crust. Place onto a baking sheet.
- Pour the prepared filling over the pecans - hold back a little filling if you are worried that it will be too full. Flip over any pecans using your fingers so the rounded side is up.
- Place the pie into the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the edges feel set, and the middle still jiggles a little. It should be a little puffy.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 3-5 hours before slicing.
- Store leftovers at room temperature loosely covered by foil.
Notes
You may notice that there are two quantities of butter in the recipe - the initial quantity of butter, then a second measurement in the method which is the quantity of brown butter. The larger initial quantity is to account for water loss when browning - read more about that here.
If you are using the recipe scaling feature (2x or 3x) be aware that any quantities, measurements, pan sizes and cooking times given in the Instructions section do not scale automatically.
The recipe for homemade pie crust that is linked makes two crusts - this recipe uses one of them. If you need more help with par-baking, ready my post on how to blind bake pie crust
Keywords: Pecan Pie, Brown Butter pecan pie, pecan pie recipe
Comments
Crust was beautiful and flakey. Filling was delish! I turned the pie into bars for easier snacking. Huge hit at Friends-giving!
★★★★★
The flavor in this was incredible! Golden syrup and browned butter were unbeatable. My only tweak when I make this again, is to reduce the pecans by at least 50g. It might be a preference but the filling didn't fit in the pie and I longed for more goey middle. It was an overwhelming amount of nuts for mine and my partners taste. But it might just be us!
Yayyy I am so glad that you love! It's pretty versatile so you can definitely ditch some of the nuts if you like! x
Looks perfect!
★★★★★
Is 60g correct for the amount of apple cider vin in the pie crust? Seems like a lot.
Hi! Yep it's correct! You don't use all the ice water!
beautiful pie! The easiest crust I’ve worked with, the filling is so tasty! I did miss adding the egg wash - I didn’t see it noted in the actual instructions and blanked on it - other than that, turned out great
★★★★★
Hi! Ahhhh so glad you enjoyed! Sorry that was in there - I didn't end up using it in the final pie and still included it in the instructions which was a bit sneaky of me!
So delicious! The filling is divine and so much better than any corn syrup pecan pie I’ve ever had. I made the golden syrup from scratch, so worth it. I did have some issues with a soggy bottom and filling seeping into the crust, but I blame that on my terrible pie-making skills (only my second ever pie!) and not the recipe.
★★★★★
Yayyy I am so glad you enjoyed! xx
I’m not a big pecan pie fan, so I was planning to make this to deliver to my family that lives nearby. I ended up eating half the pie before I shared with my family! It was so delicious—the filling is amazing, the ganache and toasty crunchy pecans took it above and beyond any pecan pie I’ve ever tasted.
★★★★★
Ohhhhh this is the best feedback ever! Thank you so, so much, I am so glad you enjoyed! x
I've never made pie before and was honestly super nervous going into this recipe, but Erin's recipe was so incredibly well explained and broken down that baking this was a breeze! The pie turned out amazing, flaky and delicious! And now that I know how to make an amazing pie crust, I feel like the world is my oyster!
★★★★★
Yayyyy I am so glad you loved! So so many pies in your future! x
Would you please convert the recipe into cups instead of grams? It sounds wonderful! Thank you and Happy New Year
Hi, I don't provide recipe conversions but you are welcome to do the conversion yourself if you like - I test in grams so don't have conversions on hand. If you google you should be able to find the conversions, or King Arthur has a good guide I think but please know the recipe was tested in grams so I cannot guarantee the accuracy of it if you make it in cups. Happy to recommend a scale too if you need one - they are such a good kitchen tool to have on hand and make life so much easier!
Try freezing the butter and then use a grater to “cut” it into small pieces before adding it to the flour when making the pie crust.
There's lots of ways that work! This way works great for me 🙂
Loved this recipe! Another hit Erin! I reduced the amount of pecans by 50g as they didn’t fit in my pie tin with all the filling. I also had only 205g of golden syrup on hand and it still worked out wonderfully. My friend ended up loving it and went back for seconds. It was slightly too sweet for me but I find that to be a problem with all pecan pies. The flavour of the brown butter was so lovely.
★★★★★
This pie was SUCH a hit last thanksgiving, I’m making it this year too! Erin, you are so clever!
There is one guest who can’t have chocolate, would I freeze the parbaked pie crust before adding the pecan filling, or is that just if you add the ganache? Thanks so much for your amazing recipes!
★★★★★
Hi! Yess that's just to set the ganache! So happy you loved!
Hi! I'm excited to try this pie for Thanksgiving. Is the cream necessary? Can I substitute milk instead? I'm trying to figure out if I need to run to the grocery store for something the recipe only says I need 2 Tbsp of 🙂
Thank you!
Hi! So sorry I missed this - a bunch of my comments got stuck in limbo. I hope it worked out ok!
This pie was a hit at my family holiday dinner. I loved the addition of apple cider vinegar and toasting the pecans. I left out the black bottom (this time), but it did not take a way from deliciousness of this pie. Also, I was so intrigued by the crust technique- the folds that I did it on all of my pies. I’m 100% a convert. It created layers of flakiness and crunch, the best crust I’ve ever made!
(I must say I watched your stories several times to ensure I was doing it right. 🤓)
★★★★★
I was never the biggest fan of pecan pie but made this as part of a tradition. It was amazing and I went back for seconds. Highly recommend, will definitely make it again. It was straightforward, and you just need to make sure you allow enough time
★★★★★
this was AMAZING. everyone who had it thought it was delicious, and many people came back for seconds. It was also pretty easy, so make this pie!
★★★★★
Made this as a VERY late Thanks Giving pie and it went down a treat!
★★★★★
I used my own pie crust recipe but the filling is absolutely divine and so indulgent! It tastes like a turtle sundae!
★★★★★
I've never had a pecan pie I liked, until this one! The pie is so good, the ganache and golden syrup definitely make a difference and give the pecan pie a unique twist. I bring this to every Thanksgiving now and I never have any leftovers to bring home because its such a big hit.
I made this a couple of weeks ago as had some friends coming round for dinner. Tbh, I've only made one pecan pie before, but have eaten a lot and this one was far and away the best. Amazing crust (the leftover pie dough in my freezer), completely delicious feeling, dreaming about it still.
I had leftover filling, so I ended up just baking it in a glass dish without the crust/ganache and it was still delectable obviously.
I always rely on your recipes to impress people (me and my guests!) thanks!!
★★★★★
Hi! Will be testing this out soon but I’d like to add a few tbsp of bourbon to the filling—do you think this would impact the way it sets? Thanks!
I haven't tried it sorry! It should be ok?
My family demands this pie every year. It’s so so good!
★★★★★
10/10 again, as is everything I’ve made from Erin so far. Consistently perfect
★★★★★
I’ve never see a pie disappear so fast! Made it to the recipe minus the chocolate and it was so good. Nailed it again, Erin ✌🏽 thank you!
★★★★★
The pie was great, but the crust recipe is PHENOMENAL ✨
I’m a messy baker so don’t judge the photo, please!
★★★★★
This is a fabulous pecan pie recipe! I have tried a few different pecan pie recipes that use Golden Syrup instead of corn syrup---Erin's recipe is my favorite. We love it with the ganache on the bottom crust! Thank you, Erin. You have given our family *another* winner!
★★★★★
This will be in Thanksgiving rotation from now on! It has a perfectly balanced sweetness and the chocolate was a lovely addition. I didn’t have golden syrup so used corn syrup but I imagine staying true to the recipe would yield even better results.
Thanks Erin for another great dessert!
★★★★★