Several years ago, when I was slightly less bojon and worked as a barista at Farley’s, I used to treat myself to the occasional massage by the brutal thumbs of Helen Hickman. Helen’s massages were a masochist’s dream of the deep tissue variety, more excruciating than relaxing, but I always knew they would make me feel better in the long run.
One day, Helen gave me something that was excruciating in a different way: a large bag brimming with pecans still in their shell, a gift from her aunt in Texas. While the nuts weren’t nearly as heinous to peel as chestnuts, they did take a long time to exorcise from their shells. When I was done, I didn’t want to waste them on just any baked good, I wanted to really showcase their freshness. So I baked them into a bourbon pecan pie, adapted from a recipe in Cook’s Country, Cook’s Illustrated‘s sister magazine. That pie was excellent, and I have gradually tweaked the recipe to its current configurations.
Pecan pie is notoriously sweet. The base is essentially a custard made with sugar, rather than milk or cream, and eggs and butter. Some recipes cut the sweetness of pecan pie with corn syrup, kumquats, coffee or citrus zest. But this recipe deals with the excess sugar by adding generous doses of salt and bourbon.
I substitute maple syrup for the corn syrup because corn syrup scares me. It is heavily processed and doesn’t taste very interesting, whereas grade B maple syrup, which is minimally processed, retains some healthy trace minerals and tastes like heaven flowing from a tree. The maple has the added benefit of giving this pie an even softer set.
Bourbon’s spicy-tart flavor blends beautifully with earthy maple and rich nuts, and two applications of salt – fine salt in the custard and a sprinkle of flaky salt on top – make this pie as addictive as bourbon is to some. The ample amount of bittersweet molasses in organic dark brown sugar adds complexity.
A few unconventional techniques result in a sublime pie true to Cook’s perfectionism. First, the well-toasted pecan halves are broken up with one’s fingers, rather than chopped with a knife. This only takes a minute or two longer than chopping (unless you’re making 20 pies) and it results in more even pieces and less dust, which would muddy the custard. Next, the custard is warmed in a saucepan. This allows the pie a shorter baking time, and it also helps eliminate the froth that gets churned up when whisking in the eggs. Like Cook’s pumpkin pie, the warm custard goes into a warm pie shell, shortening the baking time and helping the crust stay crisp. The custard bakes up clear and creamy, and softly set, the texture of a fine crème brulée, with a thick layer of toasty, almost candied nuts on top. The whole-grain crust flakes and shatters against the smooth filling.
Even with these few extra steps, pecan pie is an easy pie to make. You don’t have the potential sogginess of a fruit pie, or the long baking time (vegetables, then pie) of a sweet potato or pumpkin pie. If you’re pie-phobic, this would be an excellent and forgiving one to start with. And if you’re not pie-phobic, you should also make this pie. Because it is amazingly tasty.
If you don’t have the wherewithal to shell your own pecans, just make sure you start with fresh, raw pecan halves. You don’t even need to have Helen’s burly thumbs to easily break them up.
But it wouldn’t hurt.
High on pie:
Creamy Pumpkin
Pecan-Topped Sweet Potato
Berry Crumble
One year ago:
Bojon Eggnog
Sage, Thyme and Mimolette Cheese Straws (a.k.a. Crack Sticks)
Two years ago:
Winter Squash and Sage Tart
Satsuma Ginger Oat Scones
Triple Ginger Molasses Cookies, Three Ways
Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
Makes one 9″ pie, 10-12 servings
Inspired by Cook’s Country‘s Bourbon Pecan Pie
For the best flavor, use fresh, raw pecan halves (rather than pieces) and toast them yourself while the pie dough chills. Breaking up the nuts with your fingers, rather than chopping them, gives you more regular pieces and creates less dust, leaving the custard clear and smooth. Be sure to toast the nuts thoroughly or they will taste bland and soggy in the finished pie. On that note, be sure to par-bake the crust until it is almost fully baked, as it doesn’t cook much after the filling is added; it should be golden and dry all over.
Organic dark brown sugar contains more molasses than the conventional stuff and is highly recommended. Grade B maple syrup counter-intuitively has a deeper color and flavor than grade A; use it. This is a boozy pie, not for children, expecting mothers or recovering alcoholics. For a milder bourbon bite, omit the 2 tablespoons of bourbon that are added at the end. I used Bulleit bourbon, but I’ve also made this pie with Jack Daniel’s with great results; I’m guessing that any decent bourbon will make a tasty pie. Unsweetened whipped cream makes a fine foil to this pie; though a slice of warm pie with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream would be sublime, too.
This pie needs to cool at room temperature for 3 hours post-baking. For the cleanest cuts, chill the pie after it has completely cooled, cut slices, and then let the slices sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, or warm them briefly in a 300º oven.
All-butter crust:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole spelt (or whole wheat pastry) flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ounces (8 tablespoons/1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, in 1/2″ dice
about 4 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
2 1/4 cups raw pecan halves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup dark brown sugar (preferably organic)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup pure maple syrup (preferably grade B)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons bourbon, divided use
a few pinches of flaky salt (such as Maldon), for sprinkling (optional)
unsweetened whipped cream, for serving
Make the crust:
In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugar and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour, and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles sand with lots of pea-sized butter chunks. Drizzle the ice water over, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a rubber spatula, until the dough will hold together when you give it a squeeze. Dump the dough out onto a counter, divide it roughly into 6 portions, and fraisage by dragging a portion of dough across the counter using the heel of your hand. Scrape up the dough (a metal bench scraper works well here), gently press it into a ball and flatten into a disc. Slip it into a plastic bag, and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap, and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a 12″ circle, dusting the dough lightly with flour as needed, rotating and flipping it to prevent it from sticking. Ease the dough into a 9″ glass pie plate, fit it into the corners, and trim it to a 1″ overhang. Fold the overhang under, and flute the crust by pressing it between the thumb of one hand and the index finger and thumb of the other hand.
Chill the crust for 20 minutes, then freeze it for 20 minutes.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400º. Remove all other racks from the oven.
Place the frozen crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Line it with a piece of parchment paper, and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or clean pennies.
Bake the crust for 20 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment and bake until the bottom is lightly golden, 15 – 18 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, make the filling:
Spread the pecan halves on a small baking sheet in a single layer and toast in a 350º oven until fragrant and very slightly darkened in color, 12-14 minutes. To check if the pecans are thoroughly toasted, let one cool on the counter, then taste it – it should be crispy and have a toasty flavor. Let the nuts cool, then use your fingers to break each half into 4-8 pieces.
Reduce the oven temperature to 275º.
In a medium-large saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar and salt. Off the heat, gently whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the maple syrup, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the bourbon. Return the pot to a low flame and cook, stirring constantly with a heat-proof rubber spatula, until the mixture is warm to the touch (130ºF on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of bourbon and the pecan pieces. Pour the mixture into the hot, pre-baked pie shell. (If the pie shell has cooled, return it to the 275º oven for 5 – 10 minutes to heat it up.)
Bake the pie at 275º until the custard is mostly set, 25-40 minutes. Ways to tell when the pie is done:
The pie wobbles slightly when you shake it from side to side, but doesn’t slosh wetly.
An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160-165ºF.
When you press down on the center of the pie with the back of a spoon, the custard feels softly set, like Jell-o.
The sides of the pie may be very slightly puffed, but they should not be so puffed that the pie cracks around the edges.
Whew! Take that pie out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature, around 3 hours. Fleck with a few pinches of flaky salt, if desired. For the cleanest slices, chill the pie until firm (an hour or so), then cut slices and let them sit at room temperature, or place them in a low oven for just a minute or two until gently warmed (but not melted).
I like this pie equally cold, at room temperature, or very slightly warm. It keeps well in the fridge for up to several days.
I made this for Christmas Eve Dinner and it was fantastic! Perfect pecan-to-filling ratio. Also, you could tell that using the Grade B maple syrup made a huge difference. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hello!
I’m a 40 year Chef/Restraunteur and was looking for a more sophisticated version of this classic to serve for a catering job next week. As soon as I saw “Maple” and “Bourbon” with Pecan Pie, I knew it was a home run. I truly appreciate people like you taking the time to share their favorite recipes with others.
If I can ever return the favor let me know. I have the absolute best Bread Pudding Recipe (Brioche with Bourbon Syrup) in the world. Hit me anytime at chefclary60@gmail.com.
Happy Holidays!
So glad you enjoyed the pie! Thanks for commenting. :)
I also made the pie for a Christmas Eve Dinner and brought it to a friends' house. They had family visiting from the East and everyone who had a piece loved it. I did too. I don't usually like pecan pie because it is too sweet, but this was perfect. I used an organic store bought crust because making the crust seemed the most difficult part–and I'm not an expert pastry maker–but that didn't seem to affect the quality negatively. Although I'm sure it wasn't as good as the home-made one.
I plan on making the pie again in a couple of week for a pot luck.
Dad! I'm so honored that you tried the pie, and I'm glad that it was well-received! Thanks for the sweet comment.
I have been scouring the internet for a pecan pie recipe sans corn syrup and with some added depth of flavor. So glad I stumbled upon your website! I have volunteered to present a pecan pie at my fiancé's Thanksgiving family dinner. Although I feel comfortable cooking in the kitchen, pie baking is not my forte. However, your recipe sounds so delicious, I'm certain I won't mind baking your Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie over and over again until I perfect it. Thanks for posting!
Sincerely,
Amateur baker
Hi Kassie! Thank you for the sweet comment! This pie is possibly one of my favorite ever recipes that I've developed. I think you'll find that it comes together surprisingly quickly, once you've gotten the crust out of the way. I've posted a full tutorial on pie dough here if you want more guidance on that front: https://www.bojongourmet.com/2012/11/flakiest-all-butter-pie-dough.html
Please let me know how it goes! Happy baking. :)
Made it for pre-Thanksgiving meal tonight. I also used a refrigerated pie crust (because I don't bake often). I'm sure a homemade crust would have been heavenly, but this pie got rave reviews!! Best.Ever! Thanks.
Yay! I'm so glad you all liked it! Thanks a lot for the review!
Thank you so much for making a recipe without corn syrup! I was beginning to think I would never find one
Yay! My pleasure.
I followed the instructions to a T but after 55 minutes at 275 degrees my pie was still not close to being done. I have a gas oven and live at sea level. Any ideas what may have gone wrong? I turned up the oven and am going to see what happens… Hopefully it will cook through now.
Hi Ivy, Thanks for the note. If you followed the directions to a T, then my only guess is that your oven may run cold. Turning up the oven was the perfect thing to do and I hope it cooked that pie. :)
Im so glad i found this recipe!! I just made a pecan pie and the whole thing burned. I even tented a piece of foil to put over the top but it still didn't work. I followed the recipe to a T! The recipe had the temp up too high and the pie in for too long. I have at least 20 people coming to my house and they always look forward to my pecans pies. I will definitely be trying out your recipe in the next.. ten minutes!
Yikes! I'm so sorry that other recipe didn't work out; hopefully this one will! Do you know whether your oven runs true to temp? You might want to invest in an oven thermometer (they run about $10) to find out – well worth the cost! Let me know how it comes out – I've got my fingers crossed. :)
This is my first time making a pie, let alone a pecan pie.
I took Martha Stewart's Pâte Brisée recipe
http://www.marthastewart.com/343815/pate-brisee
and combined it with your pie filling recipe.
It was excellent. I was seriously expecting that corn syrup was the way to go because I've only eaten pecan pies made from corn syrup. But the grade B maple syrup was much better. My only regret was that I babied the filling too much and overcooked it worrying it would not set well without corn syrup. My mistake. This pie filling recipe is the best I've found and has wonderful flavor. I cooked mine to around 35 mins. I should have stopped around 28 to 30 mins.
Take to heart what Alanna says about the bounce of the pecan pie. I wanted to cook the pie past the slightly jello slosh, but I wanted to keep the jello bounce in the middle. Get a spoon and test it around the 25 to 30 min mark. I moved my pie side to side a bit to see if the filling rolled around.
This is an incredible pie recipe. Thank you so much!
I always overcook my pies, too. :) So glad you liked it regardless! Martha's pate brisee is the best.
I stumbled upon this recipe on pintrest after searching for a while for a recipe without corn syrup. The recipe looked good so I had to try it. OMG! I have never devoured a pecan pie so quickly! Thank you so much for posting this delicious recipe!
Aw! I'm so glad you liked it, it's a favorite around these parts, too. :)
Hi,
I stumbled across your website and am glad that I did. Got answers about pie dough and found your recipe for pecan pie. I adapted it to fit a 10 inch deep dish pie pan. Along with increasing the amount of original ingredients, I added heavy cream. I used some extra dough that I had frozen from making southern cobbler for the crust. Next time, I will use your recipe because I have some spelt in the pantry and it fits better than cobbler dough :-l The family that sent it to loved it, I am now a fan of your site. I was looking for a pecan pie recipe that didn't have corn syrup ever since I lost the one from Cook's illustrated. I love maple syrup and you!
Aw, thanks for the kind words!! I'm so glad this pie was well-loved, the addition of heavy cream sounds divine. :)
I’ve made this the past two years for our work Thanksgiving dinner. It is a HUGE hit. I do use my own crust recipe (it contains bourbon, too), and I pour generously with the bourbon in the filling. Everyone really loves it, enough so that when the Thanksgiving potluck sign up goes around, the person that maintains it asks me first if I plan to make this pecan pie. Thanks so much for posting this. I plan to use it for years to come.
This is a wonderful recipe but in the step of adding the eggs to the butter sugar mixture the first time I did it like you instructed and my eggs scrambled. So I re-did the mixture and tempered my eggs with the hot mixture and it turned out perfect. That was my only bump. I only had to cook my pie 20 minutes because my crust was piping hot. -thanks for the “doneness tips”. Other than the bump it was easy and very tasty!!
This was a *great* recipe! Anyone who *starts* with a Cook’s Illustrated/Cook’s Country recipe and then adjusts is someone to take seriously! Here are my notes, in case anyone else finds them helpful:
Ingredient/tasting notes:
– Organic dark brown sugar can be hard to find, but once I found it, I could clearly see the difference in color, texture & flavor. If I couldn’t find it next time, would you advise adding some additional molasses, sorghum or maple syrup?
– I used a “good” but somewhat bland bourbon (Kirkland, Costco store brand). It didn’t have the “oomph” I wanted – next time I’ll go for Bulleit or similar.
– I swapped vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste – which I often do. Good call!
Cooking/prep notes
– After melting the butter and sugar, my mixture was too hot to add the eggs directly – a small test resulted in a drop of scrambled egg on top. :( We tried tempering the egg mixture by adding a bit of butter and sugar, but the mixture was too thick to blend well, creating little cooled butter sugar chunks. So we risked swapping ingredient order and added the bourbon/maple syrup/vanilla (which helped cool things down), then the eggs. I wasn’t sure how it would affect the filling, but it seemed to turn out just fine!
I was worried about the texture, since we weren’t using corn syrup – I wasn’t sure it would thicken enough. The texture was *perfect* – delicious (not overly sweet), and not at all “gloppy” like many pecan pies. We used a 9″ pie pan that was on the shallow/smaller side. I’m not sure how this would work with a larger or really deep dish, so if I wanted to expand the recipe I would definitely make two small pies vs. a larger one (besides, we want the right crust/filling balance!).
I have made this the past two years for christmas, and I’m going for year three! I make mini pies in a muffin tin for a cute, individual serving option. My family loves it, and I’m a fan of anything that involves booze! THANK YOU for sharing this glorious recipe!!!!
Aw, so glad you like it! Love the idea of mini-pies – I’ll have to try that next time!
Thank you. Made this for tonight’s thanksgiving dinner (with a gluten-free premise crust and Makers Mark bourbon). As a person who loves pecan pie above all other desserts, this one is the best I’ve ever had. It will be a regular on holidays at my house for a long time to come!
Yay! So glad it was a hit. :)
This pie recipe has me excited and I have plans to revamp it juuuuust a bit BUT I would like to know how well it would freeze?! Baked or (preferably) unbaked. What say you?!
I bet you can freeze it baked, then refresh it in the oven to crisp up the crust. I wouldn’t freeze the unbaked filling as it’s liquidy. You can definitely freeze the unbaked or parbaked crust. Let me know what you try!
Baked it, froze it, and it came out excellent! Thank you again!
Wow SO amazing!
Last Saturday I had a out of this world “Mexican Chocolate Nut Pie” at a wedding and I spent all week trying to find a pecan or walnut pie recipe to modify and attempt to replicate that wedding pie. This recipe was perfect – I just added walnuts, 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate and cayenne, chili powder, and cinnamon (and omitted the second round of burbon). It turned out SO good on the first try – I even like it better than the original pie that inspired it!
Thank you thank you thank you!
Well that sounds freaking amazing!! I’d love to try your version! So glad this provided a good springboard recipe. :)
Thank you! I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit! Loved that I didn’t have to use corn syrup(for health and environmental reasons). The texture was far superior to previous pecan pies. I added 6 ounces of high quality semi-sweet chocolate which was so yummy!
So glad you liked it! I’m totally trying your chocolate version next!!
So I happened to have a bottle of bourbon barrel aged maple syrup so I used that. Maybe it was over the top but it was awesome :)
It’s great as it is but next time I might add some orange zest to get an Old Fashioned sort of flavor, just for fun.
YUM! That all sounds delicious!
I made the filling of the pie with a GF crust from America’s Test Kitchen. The filling was amazing! Thank you for such a great recipe!
My husband requested Bourbon Pecan pie for Thanksgiving this year so I found your recipe and loved the ingredients and detailed instructions. The result was a delicious and very flavorful pie! We loved using maple syrup instead of corn syrup! I am planning to make it again for Christmas with extended family. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Yay! Thanks for trying out my recipe and for the nice note – I’m so glad you all dug the pie. It’s an all-time favorite around here, too.
I looove this pecan pie recipe! It’s been a family favorite for two years now. I get the “I don’t care what else you make, as long as you make that pecan pie,” comment often. During the holidays, and a go-to recipe for potlucks (especially if it’s one where I don’t know people!) Turns out, it’s a great way to make quick friends! ha! I do make one slight change- I use a gluten free graham cracker crust now. It happened by accident (didn’t have any GF flour left and only had that on hand) but now I think I like it better?! Probably only because I have to use GF flour in pie crusts and it makes them just so crumbly. Thanks, Alanna!
This pie is superb. I’ve baked it with a store-bought crust several times for friends and family and it is a memorable treat. It makes everyone’s heart sing! I’ve never attempted to make pie crust (ever, in my life) but I finally have the confidence to try with this recipe. Wish me luck!