Flavored with bourbon, brown sugar, and maple syrup, this no-corn syrup pecan pie is a holiday staple.

I don’t know why I love so much that this pie requires neither corn syrup or Lyle’s golden syrup, but I do. Flavored with bourbon and maple syrup, this pecan pie is the ideal finale (along with this one and this one) to a fall feast. A dollop of salted whipped cream, for me, is essential.

As with all the pies, galettes, and tarts, I make, this one calls for a simple, foolproof pie dough made in the food processor. This dough recipe is adapted from a David Lebovitz recipe, and it employs a tea towel-technique for shaping I learned from a French woman years ago. Details below:

How to Make Foolproof Pie Dough

Measure your ingredients.

A counter with a food processor and the ingredients to make foolproof food processor pastry dough.

First pulse the flour, sugar and salt together.

A counter with a food processor filled with the ingredients to make foolproof food processor pastry dough.

Add the butter and pulse 10 times (about).

A counter with a food processor filled with the ingredients to make foolproof food processor pastry dough: flour, salt, sugar, and butter.

The butter should be the size of peas (about).

A counter with a food processor filled with dry ingredients pulsed with butter.

Add ice water.

A counter with a food processor filled with dry ingredients pulsed with butter and ice water added.

Pulse again about 10 to 15 times or until the dough is still crumbly, but holds together when pinched.

A counter with a food processor filled with dry ingredients pulsed with butter and ice water.

Divide dough between two clean tea towels. I love these tea towels by Now Designs.

Two tea towels filled with just-pulsed food processor pastry dough.

Gather towel into a beggar’s purse, and squeeze to form a round.

A tea towel with a round of food processor pastry dough.

Transfer one to the freezer for a future use.

A round of food processor pastry dough in a ziplock bag with the date on it.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining round into a circle about 12- to 13-inches in diameter.

A floured board with a round of foolproof food processor pastry dough on it.
A floured board with a round of foolproof food processor pastry dough on it rolled into an 11-inch circle.

Fold dough into quarters to easily transfer to a pie plate or tart pan. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

A floured board with a round of foolproof food processor pastry dough on it rolled out and folded into quarters.

How to Make Bourbon Pecan Pie

For the pecan pie: toast the pecans till lightly golden and fragrant.

A skillet filled with pecans.

Then stir together the filling, pour it into a parbaked pie shell, and bake until set.

Ingredients for bourbon pecan pie.
An overhead shot of a slice of no corn syrup bourbon pecan pie on a plate.
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Bourbon pecan pie

Homemade Bourbon Pecan Pie (No Corn Syrup)

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Description

Flavored with bourbon, brown sugar, and maple syrup, this no-corn syrup pecan pie is a holiday staple.

Adapted from this David Lebovitz recipe.

Notes:

I love my Emile Henry pie plates (similar to this one).

Ingredients

For the pie crust:

For the pecan pie:

  • 2 cups (225 g) pecans
  • 1 cup (215 g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) maple syrup
  • 3 large eggs
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For serving:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • confectioner’s sugar to taste
  • flaky sea salt, such as maldon, if you have it, kosher or other salt if you don’t
  • vanilla

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. Place the pecans in a large skillet set over low heat.
  3. While the pecans slowly toast, make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. 
  4. When the pecans take on the faintest light brown color and smell toasty, transfer them to a cutting board. Let them cool for five minutes, then chop them. I prefer a finer chop, but you can chop them to the coarseness you like. Stir the pecans into the filling. 
  5. Place the parbaked pie shell on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake until the center of the pie seems just about set. It should still jiggle a little. Begin checking it at the 40-minute mark, but it may take 45 to 50 minutes (I find 50 minutes to be about right). Remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature.
  6. To make the salted whipped cream: Whip heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer until soft peaks begin to form. (You can do this by hand, too, with a bowl and whisk.) Add confectioner’s sugar — start with 1/4 cup and add more to taste. Add a big pinch of sea salt and the vanilla and beat to combine and until the peaks begin getting firmer. Taste — the mixture should be slightly sweet and the salt should be noticeable, though the whipped cream should not taste salty. You don’t want the whipped cream to taste too sweet because pecan pie is very sweet.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American