This maple bourbon pecan pie is balanced, not overly sweet, and loaded with toasty pecans. The filling is made with just 8 ingredients in about 20 minutes of active time. It's sweetened with maple syrup (no corn syrup required!) and packed with a boozy punch of bourbon.
This community-favorite recipe can be made gluten-free with my flaky gluten-free pie crust! It can also be made dairy-free and cane sugar-free.
I first published a (glutenous) version of this maple bourbon pecan pie recipe in 2011. A friend had gifted me a huge bag of freshly picked pecans, still in their shells, and I wanted to use them in a recipe where their unique flavor would really shine.
Disliking overly-sweet desserts, I adapted a recipe from Cook's Country that uses maple syrup instead of corn syrup, a good amount of salt, and a generous pour of bourbon to cut the sweetness. I fell in love with the silky-smooth filling laced with bourbon and topped with a pinch of flaky salt. And so did many of you, dear readers!
I then shared a gluten-free pecan tart in my cookbook made with a chocolate crust, chunks of chocolate, and fresh cranberries in the filling, that has also gained a bit of a cult following.
This gluten-free pecan pie uses the same filling as my original community-favorite maple bourbon pecan pie filling but baked into a gluten-free pie crust. You can find all my favorite pie recipes here, many of which can be easily made gluten-free.
Less-Sweet Pecan Pie
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 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.
Ingredients and Substitution Suggestions
This gluten-free maple bourbon pecan pie filling uses just 8 ingredients.
- Start with a flaky gluten-free pie crust made with sweet rice, oat, and millet flours for extra flavor.
- Need a quicker crust? Make my easy press-in gluten-free tart crust in a pie pan. If gluten isn't an issue, use my laminated wheat flour pie crust. Or go grain-free with my paleo pie crust.
- Toasted pecans add crunch and flavor.
- Feel free to sub other nuts such as walnuts, sliced almonds, macadamias, cashews, etc. Or use seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower for nut-free.
- Maple syrup adds sweetness and flavor. I recommend using darker syrup which is thicker and more flavorful.
- Eggs set the filling.
- Butter makes the filling rich and creamy.
- Use plant-based butter for dairy-free.
- Brown sugar adds sweetness, body, and deep molasses notes.
- I prefer organic dark brown sugar for the most flavor. Or make it refined sugar-free with coconut sugar.
- Vanilla adds rich floral notes.
- Bourbon gets added in two applications – half before cooking the filling, to add flavor but evaporate the alcohol, and half at the end of cooking to keep the boozy kick.
- Be sure to source gluten-free corn-based bourbon if need be. Or use a different spirit such as brandy or rum instead. For a non-alcoholic version, use strongly brewed coffee instead.
- Fine salt sharpens the flavor of the filling, while flaky salt added on top optionally adds addictive crunch.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
This pie uses a few key techniques to turn out a custardy filling crowned with toasty nuts in a crisp crust.
- First, parbaking the crust is a must, since the custard likes to bake at a low temperature to keep it from curdling, whereas the crust likes hot temperatures to make it brown and flake. Use a baking stone to get the bottom of the crust extra-crisp.
- Next, the pecans are given a thorough toasting, then broken up with your fingers, which yields less dust to pollute the filling, keeping it crystal clear.
- The custard is given a brief cook on the stove, just enough to warm it up, dissolve the sugar, and oust any frothy air bubbles that can mar the surface of the pie.
- The pie is baked fairly briefly in a low oven to barely set the custard, then given a long cooling period to firm it up.
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.
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.
Most bourbon is made from gluten-containing grains. Though most of the gluten gets filtered out during the distillation process, some highly-sensitive people (such as celiacs) can't tolerate it. To be safe, seek out bourbon made entirely from corn, such as Hudson Baby Bourbon, Koval Bourbon Whiskey, Yellow Rose Outlaw Bourbon, New Southern Revival 100% Jimmy Red Corn, or Balcone Texas Blue Corn Bourbon.
No booze? No problem! Try using strongly-brewed coffee instead. Or try a non-alcoholic bourbon instead.
What to Serve with Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
Some favorite fall holiday serving suggestions.
Make it a festive holiday meal:
- Gluten-Free Stuffing (Dressing) with Leeks & Goat Cheese - classic stuffing, elevated with gluten-free bread and creamy goat cheese
- Roasted Delicata Squash with Brown Butter - so tender and flavorful
- Green Goddess Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes - creamy, bright green, and herbaceous!
- Gluten-Free Mushroom Gravy - umami goodness to spoon over mashers
Have a pie party:
- Sweet Potato Pie - also adapted from Cook's Illustrated and topped with crispy pecans
- Paleo Apple Pie - maple sweetened and cinnamon-kissed
- Almond Flour Apple Crisp - everybody's favorite apple recipe!
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie - creamy, balanced, and delicious
On the side:
- Keep it simple and less-sweet with unsweetened whipped cream
- Mascarpone Cream - tastes like whipped cheesecake!
- Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream - silky and tangy whipped goodness
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this maple bourbon pecan pie recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie in a Gluten-Free Crust
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Crust:
- 1 9-inch gluten-free pie crust, parbaked
Filling:
- 2 ¼ cups raw pecan halves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (dairy or vegan)
- ⅔ cup dark (or light) brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup maple syrup (the darker the better)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons bourbon*, divided use (gluten-free if necessary; or use strongly-brewed coffee)
- a few pinches of flaky salt (such as Maldon), for sprinkling (optional)
- unsweetened whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
Make the crust
- Make, shape, and bake the gluten-free pie crust until nearly fully baked as directed.
Toast the pecans
- Spread the pecan halves on a small baking sheet in a single layer and toast in a 350ºF oven until fragrant and very slightly darkened in color, 10-14 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 275ºF.
Make the filling
- 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 spatula, until the mixture is warm to the touch (130ºF on an instant-read thermometer).
- Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of bourbon and the pecan pieces.
Bake
- 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.
Finish
- Take that pie out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature, around 3 hours. Top 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 *think* it could be frozen too, but I haven't tested this myself.)
Notes
- This recipe is adapted from Cook's Country's Bourbon Pecan Pie.
- If gluten isn't an issue for you, make this with a half recipe of my flaky laminated pie crust. Or make a paleo pecan pie by using this almond cassava flour pie crust and swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar.
- *For highly sensitive people such as those with celiac disease, be sure to source a gluten-free bourbon, or use another spirit such as rum or brandy. For booze-free, use strongly brewed coffee, added all at once with the vanilla.
- 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.
- 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 300ºF oven.
sd says
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!
James says
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 [email protected].
Happy Holidays!
Alanna says
So glad you enjoyed the pie! Thanks for commenting. :)
Stephan Tobin says
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.
Alanna says
Dad! I'm so honored that you tried the pie, and I'm glad that it was well-received! Thanks for the sweet comment.
Kassie says
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
Alanna says
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://bojongourmet.com/2012/11/flakiest-all-butter-pie-dough.html
Please let me know how it goes! Happy baking. :)
Christi says
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.
Alanna says
Yay! I'm so glad you all liked it! Thanks a lot for the review!
Anonymous says
Thank you so much for making a recipe without corn syrup! I was beginning to think I would never find one
Alanna says
Yay! My pleasure.
Ivy McGrew says
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.
Alanna says
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. :)
Sophia Green says
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!
Alanna says
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. :)
Anonymous says
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!
Alanna says
I always overcook my pies, too. :) So glad you liked it regardless! Martha's pate brisee is the best.
Avital.K says
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!
Alanna says
Aw! I'm so glad you liked it, it's a favorite around these parts, too. :)
M says
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!
Alanna says
Aw, thanks for the kind words!! I'm so glad this pie was well-loved, the addition of heavy cream sounds divine. :)
Heather says
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.
Nancy Hollin says
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!!
Christina Sirtak Mabaquiao says
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!).
Renee says
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!!!!
Alanna says
Aw, so glad you like it! Love the idea of mini-pies - I'll have to try that next time!
Travis says
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!
Alanna says
Yay! So glad it was a hit. :)
MsDanger says
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?!
Alanna says
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!
MsDanger says
Baked it, froze it, and it came out excellent! Thank you again!
Robin says
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!
Alanna says
Well that sounds freaking amazing!! I'd love to try your version! So glad this provided a good springboard recipe. :)
Jane says
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!
Alanna says
So glad you liked it! I'm totally trying your chocolate version next!!
Casey says
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.
Alanna says
YUM! That all sounds delicious!
Tina says
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!
Emily says
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!
Alanna says
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.
Jessica says
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!
Tina says
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!
Jane says
Big fan of your site and first time making and having pecan pie. I used some left over Teff flour in your crust recipe, shaped it in the pan and let it sit in the freezer overnight before baking with filling. It didn't shrink at all and is a flaky beautiful crust. I used brown butter, added a dash of hot water so the brown sugar would melt. Spilled some extra bourbon on it oops :D. Fantastic complex deep nutty flavors! The filling was very thin and I wondered if I did something wrong, but I think it was due to my Amber color Grade A maple syrup. It baked up just fine in the suggested bake time. It's such a great recipe, and it feels good to not consume the highly processed corn syrup! (Found online: US an Canada has separate Grading systems, that in the US, Grade B is basically equivalent to Grade A Dark color - robust flavor :)
Alanna says
Aw I'm so glad you like the recipe! Those modifications sound absolutely divine. Thanks for the sweet note!
Carson Love says
Excited to make another one of your fab recipes for Thanksgiving!
Has anyone tried subbing the butter for ghee in the filling?
Also, what do we think about adding a lil orange zest? I typically love a little orange zest in my pecan pie, but wasn't sure if it would be too much with the bourbon!
Thank so much!!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw I'm so happy to hear that! Love the idea of orange zest in the filling. I think I would omit the second 2 tablespoons of booze (added after cooking) and then the flavor of the spirit will be more subtle and not risk competing with the zest or taking the pie in too acidic of a direction. How does that sound?
For the crust, I actually *have* made it with ghee! The instructions are in the mushroom asparagus quiche recipe.
Please come back and let me know how it goes!