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This pecan pie has that gorgeous combination of crisp pastry, a sticky, buttery filling and masses of pecans, with whole pecan halves arranged over the top so you get plenty of crunch in every slice.
Nicky’s Notes
This is another one of Chris’s recipes, he’s usually the baker in our house and this is exactly the sort of bake he does so well. Rich, generous and very difficult to walk past once it’s sitting on the kitchen counter.
The filling is made with golden syrup rather than corn syrup, which gives it a lovely deep caramel flavour, while the chopped pecans running through the filling stop it becoming one big layer of sweetness.
You’ve got crunch, gooeyness and crisp pastry all happening together. Very good with a scoop of ice cream. Even better if you can persuade Chris to cut you a slightly over-generous slice.
Table of Contents
Why This Pecan Pie Recipe Works
- Golden syrup gives the filling depth. It provides sweetness, of course, but there’s also that buttery caramel flavour running through the whole pie.
- There are pecans all the way through it. Roughly chopped nuts in the filling mean you don’t get a thick layer of syrup underneath a decorative scattering of pecans. Every forkful gets plenty of nuttiness.
- A teaspoon of cinnamon adds warmth without taking over. It works beautifully with the brown sugar, golden syrup and toasted pecans, giving the filling a gentle spiced note that makes all those caramel flavours taste even richer.
- The pastry is par-baked first. This makes a huge difference when you’re adding a wet filling and helps keep the bottom crisp rather than doughy.
- The pie isn’t baked until completely solid. A slight wobble in the centre protects that lovely gooey texture. The residual heat and cooling time finish the job.
- Salt and vanilla round everything out. The vanilla adds a soft sweetness while the salt cuts through the richness, so even though pecan pie is meant to be indulgent, the filling still tastes balanced rather than simply sugary.
📋 Ingredients for Pecan Pie
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
The Baking Dish
I use a 23cm (9 inch) loose bottom tart tin (<affiliate link) that’s 3.5 cm (about 1.5inch) tall.
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Line a pie dish with the shortcrust pastry, chill, then blind bake until the base is dry and lightly golden. Whisk together the syrup, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and salt, then fold in the chopped pecans. Pour into the pastry case, arrange the pecan halves on top and bake until the edges are set with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool in the dish for at least 3 hours before slicing so the filling can fully set.
Recipe Tips
- Chilling the lined pastry case helps it hold its shape, and par-baking gives that liquid filling a dry, lightly golden base to sit on rather than raw pastry.
- Look for a slight wobble in the centre rather than waiting for the filling to become completely firm.
- Then make sure you let the pie cool fully before slicing so the filling has time to set properly.
You get crisp pastry first, then that dense, soft filling and finally loads of crunchy nuts on top. Sweet, rich and properly indulgent.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItMake ahead and storage guide
- You can make the pecan pie a day ahead, then cool completely, cover and refrigerate. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. For the best texture, bring it closer to room temperature before serving.
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I’d love to know how you get on with this one, If you’ve made the pecan pie, leave a comment and let us know how it turned out.
Pecan Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 320 g (11.2oz) ready rolled shortcrust pastry SEE NOTE
- 300 g (1 cup) golden syrup
- 75 g (3/8 cup) light soft brown sugar
- 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter very softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 250 g (roughly 2.5 cups) pecans (150g roughly chopped + 100g left as intact halves for topping)
Instructions
- Add a piece of parchment paper to the base of your dish then line it with the pastry.320 g (11.2oz) ready rolled shortcrust pastry
- Trim the edge and prick the base with a fork several times then place in the fridge to chill for another 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320F) fan. Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment and beans and bake for a further 8-10 minutes, until the base looks dry and lightly golden then remove from the oven.
- Whisk the golden syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, salt and cinnamon together until smooth.300 g (1 cup) golden syrup, 75 g (3/8 cup) light soft brown sugar, 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, 3 large eggs, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp salt
- Fold in the roughly chopped pecans then pour the mixture into the par baked pastry, then arrange the remaining pecan halves on top.250 g (roughly 2.5 cups) pecans
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 mins.
- Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and cool in the dish for at least 3 hours before removing from the tin and slicing. The filling will finish setting as it cools.
Notes
The Pastry
You can make your own shortcrust pastry if you prefer, but ready-rolled works really well here and keeps things nice and easy. Just make sure it’s well chilled before rolling out and chilled again before blind baking to help reduce shrinkage.Cinnamon
I like to add the cinnamon to the pecan pie as I think it ads a lovely depth of flavour and compliments the pecans. If you don’t like cinnamon you can leave this out all together.Tip
Put the pie dish on a baking tray before adding the filling. It makes the pie much easier to move into the oven without spilling the syrup mixture. Nutritional information is estimated per slice with and will vary depending on the ingredients used and the size of the slice.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This pecan pie recipe was first posted in Oct 2026.
🍽️ What to serve it with
A small slice of this is rich enough to be dessert all by itself, but I’m never going to say no to something creamy on the side.
I love it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream.
And if you’re firmly in the warm-pudding camp, add a pour of my smooth homemade vanilla custard.
🍂 More Autumn/Fall Bakes
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