Pecan pie
This delicious pecan pie is a traditional American Thanksgiving dessert. If you’ve never made one before the step by step instructions make this easy recipe perfect for kids and beginner bakers.
Pecan pie is a classic American Thanksgiving dessert but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it at any time of year or here in the UK.
Pecan pie is a delicious combination of buttery shortcrust pastry, with a sweet, maple flavoured filling (not forgetting the all important pecan nuts!)
We’ve tried making homemade pecan pies a lot over the past year but could never get it quite right. Most recipes I could find were American (for obvious reasons) but I don’t think they always translated well with UK ingredients.
This recipe is based on Mary Berry’s pecan pie recipe with the pie crust made from scratch. The filling was as tasty as a pecan pie should be, and uses ingredients easy to get hold of in the UK.
How can kids help to make a pecan pie?
There are a lot of steps making a pecan pie from scratch so there’s a lot for kids to get involved in. Even if your kids don’t help to make the whole thing they can dip in and out and help with a few steps along the way.
Kids can help to make the pastry by measuring and mixing everything together. Rubbing the butter in is a very tactile job which is fun for children to do. Your kids could also help to roll the pastry out, although you’ll need to make sure they roll it evenly.
The filling for the pecan pie is really simple to do so your kids might enjoy helping to make that. There’s lots of opportunities to practice cracking eggs which is a great skill for kids to learn.
Finally, even very young children can help to arrange the pecan in the base of the pie.
Can you use ready made pastry?
I’ve tried making pecan pie with shop bought pastry but it never seemed to work as well. You could try using a shop bought crust or sheet of shortcrust pastry, just make sure it is large enough for the tin so the filling doesn’t escape.
Don’t be put off making your own pastry though, it’s really not very difficult. And if you don’t want to make it by hand, pulse it in a food processor and add the egg yolk and water gradually, stopping mixing it as soon as it comes together.
Do you need to blind bake the pastry?
Yes. Some recipes don’t ask you to blind bake the base, but I find baking it first stops it from being too soggy.
If you find the edges start browning too quickly, you can cover them in foil.
How do you store a pecan pie?
You can keep the pie at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days.
Can you make it ahead of time?
If you want to make the pie ahead of time, you can get ahead by making the filling (minus the pecans), and storing it in the fridge for 1-2 days.
The pastry can also be made ahead of time. Either make it up to the point of putting the unrolled pastry dough in the fridge to chill. You can leave it there for a few days.
The pie itself can be made a day in advance. Once the baked pie has cooled down simply cover it and leave it to cool at room temperature.
How can you tell when a pecan pie is done?
It can be a bit tricky to tell when your pie is ready. It’s very easy to under bake the middle or overbake the crust. The best way of checking is to give it a little wobble. If the very middle gives a little jiggle but the edge looks more stable it should be baked.
If you need to stop the crust burning while the centre sets you can cover the edges in some foil.
Other delicious pies
If you liked this pecan pie you might like these other delicious but simple pies and tarts:
No bake banoffee pie
Jam tarts
Lemon curd tarts
Mince pies
No bake key lime pie
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this pecan pie:
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Hand held mixer
Rolling pin
Mixing bowl
Baking beans
23cm tart tin
Cake stand
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Ingredients
For the pie crust
175g (1 ¼ cups) plain / all-purpose flour
15g (1/8 cups) icing sugar
75g (1/3 cups) butter, diced
1 egg yolk
1 Tablespoon cold water (approx)
For the filling
25g (1/8 cups) butter
175g (1 cup) light muscovado sugar
3 eggs
200ml (¾ cup) maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g (1 ¼ cups) pecan halves
How to make pecan pie
Start by making the pastry
Get your kids to measure the flour, icing sugar and butter out. Chop the butter into small pieces then add it all to a mixing bowl.
Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Separate the egg by cracking the shell in half with a small bowl underneath. Tip the egg yolk from one half to the other letting the egg white fall into the bowl below. When you’ve done that a few times, you’ll be left with just the yolk which you can add to your mixing bowl.
Mix the egg yolk in so the mixture starts to come together. You’ll need to add some water to your bowl as well for it to come together fully. We added just over a tablespoon, but you may need a little less or a little more. Add it gradually while you mix it in, so you don’t add too much.
Knead the dough gently until it all comes together into a ball. Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill it in the fridge for at least half and hour.
Make the pie crust
Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 390 F and lightly grease a loose bottomed 23cm (9 inch) pie tin.
Get your kids to help roll your dough out on a lightly floured work surface until it is about 3mm thick.
When you’re rolling it out make sure you turn it 90 degrees between rolls. This will make sure it doesn’t stick, it ends up an even thickness and that you get a nice round piece of pastry.
Very carefully transfer the pastry to your pie dish. You can use your rolling pin to help you transfer it without ripping. If you have any gaps or rips, you can fill them in with any left over pastry.
Let the excess pastry hang over the edge of the tin as it will shrink when it bakes. Prick the base of your pastry with a fork.
Line your pie crust with baking or parchment paper then weigh it down with baking beans, uncooked rice or dried lentils.
Blind bake the pie crust for 15 minutes then remove it from the oven. Take out the baking beans and baking paper, then bake it for a further 5 minutes. Remove it from the oven.
Turn the oven down to 180C / 160C / 350F.
Make the filling
Get your kids to measure out the butter and sugar. If your butter isn’t soft (we always forget to remove ours from the fridge beforehand) pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so.
Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer, and beat it with the k-paddle of your mixer, a hand held mixer or wooden spoons.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl, just in case any shell goes in. If it does, simply fish it out with a larger piece of shell – it will stick to that better than it will your finger. Add the eggs to your mixing bowl.
Measure the maple syrup into a small bowl or jug, then add it to your mixing bowl. The easiest way of doing this accurately is to use the ml setting of digital scales if you have them.
Finally, add the vanilla. To help younger children you can hold the measuring spoon while they pour in the vanilla or vice versa.
Mix everything together until it is all well combined. It’ll be quite a runny mixture.
Make the pecan pie
Get your kids to arrange the pecan halves over the pie base. We started in the middle and worked our way out in a pattern so that it looked pretty but you can place them in any way you like.
Carefully pour the filling in over the top of the pecans.
Bake the pecan pie
Bake the pie for 30-35 minutes. It’s ready when the filling has browned and set. To check if it’s set give the pie a little wobble. The centre should have a little jiggle, but away from the middle, the filling should be more stable. While it’s baking the filling will rise up so don’t worry when it sinks back down as it cools. It might also crack a little as it cools.
Remove the pie from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin. If you like, you can trim any excess pastry from the edges with a sharp knife.
Carefully remove the pecan pie from tin, serve and enjoy.
Pecan pie
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Measure the flour, icing sugar and butter out. Chop the butter into small pieces then add it all to a mixing bowl.Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Mix the egg yolk to your bowl and then start to mix it in. You'll need to add some water to your bowl as well for it to come together fully. We added just over a tablespoon, but you may need a little less or a little more. Add it gradually while you mix it in, so you don't add too much.
- Knead the dough gently until it all comes together into a ball. Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill it in the fridge for at least half and hour.
- Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 390 F and lightly grease a loose bottomed 23cm (9 inch) pie tin.
- Roll your dough out on a lightly floured work surface until it is about 3mm thick.Very carefully transfer the pastry to your pie dish. You can use your rolling pin to help you transfer it without ripping. If you have any gaps or rips, you can fill them in with any left over pastry.Let the excess pastry hang over the edge of the tin as it will shrink when it bakes. Prick the base of your pastry with a fork.
- Line your pie crust with baking or parchment paper then weigh it down with baking beans, uncooked rice or dried lentils.Blind bake the pie crust for 15 minutes then remove it from the oven. Take out the baking beans and baking paper, then bake it for a further 5 minutes. Remove it from the oven.
- Turn the oven down to 180C / 160C / 350F.
- Measure out the butter and sugar. If your butter isn't soft (we always forget to remove ours from the fridge beforehand) pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so.Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer, and beat it with the k-paddle of your mixer, a hand held mixer or wooden spoons.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl, then add them to your mixing bowl.Measure the maple syrup into a small bowl or jug, then add it to your mixing bowl. Finally, add the vanilla.
- Mix everything together until it is all well combined. It'll be quite a runny mixture.
- Arrange the pecan halves over the pie base. We started in the middle and worked our way out in a pattern so that it looked pretty but you can place them in any way you like.
- Carefully pour the filling in over the top of the pecans.
- Bake the pie for 30-35 minutes. It's ready when the filling has browned and set. To check if it's set give the pie a little wobble. The centre should have a little jiggle, but away from the middle, the filling should be more stable. While it's baking the filling will rise up so don't worry when it sinks back down as it cools. It might also crack a little as it cools.
- Remove the pie from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin. If you like, you can trim any excess pastry from the edges with a sharp knife.
- Carefully remove the pecan pie from tin, serve and enjoy.
Notes
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