Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
This is a classic pecan pie but made without corn syrup. It’s sweet and gooey with a perfect pecan crunch, encased in buttery, flaky pastry.
For those who don’t want to use corn syrup, this pecan pie is made without corn syrup and tastes amazing!
Fun fact, the first pecan pie printed recipes were in cookbooks from Texas back in the 1880s and they were made without corn syrup too. It was even before Karo corn syrup (the most common pecan pie brand) was created. Corn syrup pecan pie only became popular around the 1930s when Karo began printing a recipe for pecan pie on the back of their cans of syrup.
The filling for this pecan pie is sweet but not cloyingly so. There is a mixture of chopped pecan nuts and whole pecans on top of the pie. This brings a great variation in texture throughout the pie that really compliments the gooey custard filling. The chopped pecans bring a softer crunch than the toasted pecans on top.
I use my all-butter pie crust recipe for the base. It makes a very tender crust with excellent flavor. You can use a store-bought pie crust if you’re short on time though!, or make your own.
Let’s see how it’s made!
- You can use store-bought or homemade pie crust for this one. If you’re making your own, allow an extra time to let the pastry chill.
- Roll your pie crust and add it to your pie dish, tuck in the excess to create a thick border.
- Flute the dough around the edges, then chill it while you make the filling.
- Mix the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, flour and salt
- Add chopped pecans to the pie shell and pour over the filling. Top with pecan halves.
Bake until the filling has just set, with a slight jiggle to the center of the pie.
Let it cool to room temperature before serving.
Storing
Leftover pecan pie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Remove it from the fridge at least an hour before serving.
Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
Ingredients
Filling
- 190 g pecans
- 3 large eggs
- 150 g soft brown sugar
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface into an 11-inch circle. Drape it over a 9-inch pie pan.
- Trim off any excess dough with scissors or a sharp knife but leave about ½ an inch excess all around.
- Tuck this excess dough under and flute the edges by pushing an index finger from one hand into the dough edge in between the thumb and index finger of the opposite hand. Continue this all around the dough edges.
- Place the shaped pie crust in the fridge while the filling is made.
Filling and baking
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and place an oven rack in the middle of the oven.
- With a large knife, chop up around 1 cup of the pecans. Save the rest for decorating the top of the pie and set them aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugars until well combined. Beat in the vanilla, salt, melted butter, and flour.
- Remove the pie shell from the fridge and sprinkle in the chopped pecans. Pour over the filling.
- Decorate the top of the pie with the remaining pecans halves.
- Bake the pie at 400°F/205°C for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven to 350°F/180°C and bake for a further 35-40 minutes until the filling has set.
- If the edges of the crust are browning too fast you can tent the pie with a piece of foil while it bakes. There should still be a slight jiggle to the center of the pie once it has finished baking. It will firm up as the pie cools.
- Let the pie cool to room temperature before serving.
The pie turned out wonderful. You really don’t need corn syrup! The texture was moist, not too dry and not too runny. I added a Tbsp. of bourbon… great pecan pie recipe!
Why get rid of corn syrup? It is better than sugar. High fructose corn syrup is not the same as corn syrup. Corn syrup is less sweet and 100 percent glucose. Less calories and no fructose.
Some people have allergies, or some countries don’t have corn syrup available. It’s good to have options 🙂
Or some people are diabetic but still want a familiar, loved dessert.
I’m not sure why but mine cooked way faster than 10+35 minutes ! It was done after 10+20.
The taste was great (Birthday person who I made this for yesterday said she had two pieces for breakfast!) , but the custard barely covered the chopped nuts and only went halfway up the pan … So there was a lot of “naked” crust. I had large eggs, but wondering if I did 5 next time if I’d have to adjust the rest of the ingredients.
Perhaps your pie dish is deeper than mine. You could then increase all the filling ingredients except for the nuts by 1/3 to make more 🙂
I would make pecan pie for my mom,she’s a diabetic. I’d use corn syrup but no sugar cause corn syrup is sugar. It’s still sweet enough but without extra sugar.
My wife came unglued when I said I saw this recipe without corn syrup. She thought I “loved” her pecan pie with corn syrup. It was blasphemy that I even suggest such a thing as it would be “grainy” without the corn syrup! Well is it? Sometimes the syrup makes them too runny and ì would like her to try this.
It’s not grainy 🙂 Hope you give it a go!
I’d rather have it without corn syrup. I make the tarts all the time and don’t put corn syrup in the recipe.
Professional pastry chef here…
Or you can do what I do and use coconut sugar and coconut syrup.
Simple and even works a little extra fiber into the mix.
Keep baking y’all!
Does it reduce overall sugar carbs by using coconut sugar and syrup instead? Husband is a diabetic.
Also, I’ve always struggled making pecan pie with Karo syrup because it typically turns out runny rather than set. Interested to try this recipe out! Thank you!
I’m wondering if GF flour can bee used in the custard worth the same results? I can make a GF pie crust without any problem, but uncertain if the GF flour would have the same impact on the custard is regular wheat flour.
I was wondering the same thing, I have celiac disease and need all things gf and I had thought about using cornstarch in the filling since it makes such smooth gravies.
Amazing!!! I made this a few days ago to test it and am going to make it again for Thanksgiving
i used this recipe and added 1 cup of high quality bourbon maple syrup. the corn syrup old recipe just was always too sweet and grainy. this with the maple added got rave reviews at thanksgiving!
Hi! Does it matter if I use light or dark brown sugar?
Nope either works ☺️
I made your pie for Thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit! I had a small-ish tart pan, so I used a different press-in kind of crust and had to guesstimate doing the recipe for the filling at about 2/3s. It was SO GOOD! Everybody raved. My only regret was that I forgot to take a photo. I loved having the broken-up nuts under, and then the pretty layer of arranged nuts on top. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
First time baking a pecan pie. Wished the instructions mentions to poke holes in the bottom of the crust. What a waste!
Hey sorry it didn’t work for you! I never poke holes in the bottom of my crust and have no issues with it so I’m not sure what happened to yours