This Amish pecan pie is incredibly easy to make and has the perfect balance of flavors. Unlike many pecan pies that are overly sweet, this creamy pecan pie has a smooth, custard-like filling with just the right amount of sweetness, a hint of salt, and crunchy pecans on top. It truly melts in your mouth.
Amish pecan pie is a classic dessert that shows up on our Thanksgiving table every year. Even after a big meal, I always find room for a slice with a cup of coffee. It's the final touch to a perfect holiday meal, and it wouldn't feel quite complete without it.
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Ingredients
- Eggs provide structure and help the pie filling set as it bakes. They also contribute to the custard-like texture and add moisture.
- Karo syrup is a key ingredient in pecan pie. It provides sweetness and helps create the characteristic gooey, sticky texture of the pie filling. It also contributes to the pie's signature flavor. (If desired, you can substitute some of the Karo with maple syrup.)
- Vanilla extract enhances the flavor.
- White Sugar and Brown Sugar add sweetness. Granulated sugar contributes to the smooth texture, while brown sugar provides a hint of molasses flavor and moisture.
- All-purpose flour serves as a thickening agent, helping the filling set and giving it structure. It prevents the filling from being too runny.
- Salt enhances the flavor and adds depth.
- Heavy cream contributes to the creaminess, giving the pie a luscious and smooth texture. It adds richness and a slight dairy flavor while also breaking down the overall level of sweetness.
- Butter adds a buttery richness and contributes to the smooth texture.
- Pecans are the star of the show, providing a nutty flavor and a delightful crunch. They are the defining ingredient that makes it a pecan pie.
- Unbaked 9" Pie Crust - The pie shell serves as the vessel for the filling. It provides a buttery, flaky crust that contrasts with the sweet and gooey pecan filling. It's both a structural and textural component of the pie.
When combined, these ingredients create a classic pecan pie, known for its rich, sweet, and nutty flavor, as well as its gooey, caramel custard-like filling. The balance of sweetness, creaminess, and nuttiness is what makes this pecan pie a beloved dessert.
Step by Step Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, and flour.
- Combine with Wet Ingredients: Add the beaten eggs, Karo syrup, and vanilla to the sugar mixture. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Add Cream and Butter: Pour in the heavy cream and melted butter, and stir until fully incorporated.
- Prepare the Pie Shell: Place pecans in the bottom of an unbaked pie shell, arranging them in an even layer.
- Pour the Filling: Carefully pour the cream mixture over the pecans, making sure they are evenly covered.
- Bake the Pie:
- Place the pie in an oven preheated to a high temperature for the initial bake to set the filling.
- After the first 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature and continue baking until the pie is mostly set. The edges should puff up a bit, and the center should have a slight jiggle.
- Cool and Store: Allow the pie to cool to room temperature, then store it lightly covered in the refrigerator.
Tip: Position the pie on a lower rack in the oven to help the bottom crust stay flaky and to prevent over-browning on the top edges.
Not So Sweet Pecan Pie
I absolutely love pecan pie, but some recipes are simply too sweet for my taste. However, this is a less sweet pecan pie and the only recipe I ever use.
A lot of pecan pie recipes are simply sugar, corn syrup, eggs, butter, and pecans. But this holiday pecan pie recipe has less sugar and syrup, with added cream, which helps to make it less sweet.
Pie Crust Recipe
Buying pre-made crusts is always a quick and easy option. However, it doesn't take very long to create a flaky pie crust from scratch either.
Use my easy recipe for Amish Never-fail Flaky Pie Crust.
Tip for Baking Pies
To make sure your bottom pie crust bakes well without the top getting too dark, place your pies in the oven just below the middle position. Adjust one of your oven racks to this level for the best baking results.
Grandma's Pecan Pie
Thinking about grandma's pecan pie takes me back to family Christmases around her table. She always made Amish pecan pies for Christmas, and they were quite delicious.
My grandparents were with the Old Order Amish church in the Lancaster County, PA area. We lived in the same house with them (they lived in the dauddy end - a small addition added to the main house for the grandparents, which is very common among the Amish).
Can I Bake Holiday Pecan Pies Ahead of Time?
When you are doing a lot of cooking for Thanksgiving or Christmas, it is nice to be able to prepare as much of the food as possible a day or two in advance. And I usually bake my pies the day before I want to serve them.
Pies are the best when they are fresh. But I also like to have them chilled, unless it's a pie that I want to serve warm with ice cream. So it works great to bake them a day ahead.
But this Amish pie can easily be made at least two days before your event. They will still taste great. Refrigerate your pecan pie, loosely covered with a tea towel as the crust will get soggy if it is tightly covered.
Can I Freeze Creamy Pecan Pie?
Pecan pies made with a cream-based filling can generally be frozen, but there are some considerations to keep in mind for the best results:
- Cool: Allow the pecan pie to cool completely at room temperature before freezing. This will help prevent condensation and ice crystals from forming when you freeze it.
- Protect: Wrap the pie securely in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to minimize exposure to air, which can cause freezer burn. You can also place the wrapped pie in a resealable plastic freezer bag for an extra layer of protection.
- Label and Date: It's a good practice to label the package with the date of freezing so you can keep track of how long it has been in the freezer.
- Freeze Quickly: Place the wrapped pie in the freezer as soon as it has cooled to room temperature. The quicker you freeze it, the better it will preserve its quality.
- Thawing: The day before you're ready to serve the pie, remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw, loosely covered, in the refrigerator overnight. This slow thawing process will help maintain the pie's texture and flavor.
While freezing pecan pies with cream-based fillings is possible, I recommend serving them fresh.
However, while the texture of the filling might change slightly after freezing and thawing, I'd rather freeze my pecan pie for a later date than have to throw it out.
What is America's Favorite Pie?
What's your favorite kind of pie? I honestly cannot remember ever eating any pie that I didn't like because pies are just that amazing! However, I have to say that Amish pecan pie is among my top favorites.
If I had to choose one favorite, it would be a close battle between Pumpkin Custard (recipe here), Dutch Apple Pie, Rhubarb Custard, and this creamy pecan pie. Although, there are just so many other pies that I absolutely love as well, such as peanut butter cream pie and so many more.
I think pecan pie is probably one of the most popular holiday pies in the USA, along with apple, and pumpkin, for Thanksgiving. It appears in the top ten favorites. But, according to votes taken, apple pie has won the number one spot for being Americans' favorite pie.
I hope you enjoy pecan pie as much as I do! If you get to try this Amish recipe for creamy pecan pie, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
And...if you love pecan pie, you may also like these delightful pecan pie bites. Or try my oatmeal pie, which is a cheaper version of pecan pie.
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📖 Recipe Card
Amish Pecan Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 eggs, beaten
- ¾ c. Karo syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ c. sugar
- ¼ c. brown sugar
- 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ½ c. heavy cream
- 2 Tbs. melted butter
- 1 ½ c. pecans
- 1 unbaked 9" pie shell
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Whisk the sugars, salt, and flour in a bowl.½ c. sugar, ¼ c. brown sugar, ⅛ tsp. salt, 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- Add the beaten eggs, Karo, and vanilla. Mix well.3 eggs, beaten, ¾ c. Karo syrup, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Add the cream and melted butter and mix to combine.½ c. heavy cream, 2 Tbs. melted butter
- Place pecans into the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. You can use halved pecans or chopped, whichever you prefer.1 ½ c. pecans, 1 unbaked 9" pie shell
- Pour the cream mixture over top of the pecans.
- Bake immediately, at 400° for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 350°, and bake for an additional 35 - 40 minutes. It's ok if the center has a little jiggle, but it should seem stable, and the outer edges of the pie should be puffed up a bit.
- Cool at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator lightly covered.
Sara
Hello from South Texas.
Could this recipe be used in pecan pie bars?
Anna
I've never tried making bars with it. You would pat a crust into a 9" square pan and pour the filling over top? That could probably work.
Sara
Ive made this one and its delicious and so creamy. Its my go to recipe.
Question: could filling be used for pecan pie bars? Appreciate any info.
Hopeful in South Texas,
Sara
Anna
I don't see why not. Never tried it though.
Jennifer Smith
One of the best pies I ever made. Just sweet enough. My husband is type 2 and he can enjoy it in moderation. Thank you for sharing. I make this at least 3 times a month lol. I tell everyone about this pie all the time. Definitely a great recipe and game changer. Thanks a million.
Anna
So glad you enjoy it!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Cindy
I’ll be making your Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving and wanted to ask if you use light or dark Karo syrup. Thanks
Anna
I use light. Don't know that it really matters though. Enjoy!
Paula
My pie turned out really runny. I cooked it according to directions exactly. What do you recommend I do?
Anna
I'm sorry this happened. Not sure what you may have done wrong? Did you use heavy cream? Maybe it was not baked long enough? Ovens vary, that's why I added the fact that the pie should seem stable and edges puffed.
Carriesharing
I just placed mine in the oven so I can only say from my experience with other items that must be watched over carefully to insure they set up . Pumpkin pie is one of these type of pies if the center looks wiggly, wet , soft or different from the rest of the pie it probably needs a few more minutes of baking. Near the end of a custard type pie you have to check and recheck . Custard pies tend to make a slight dome when they are ready. You don’t want to over cook them so you have to remember items, pies, roasts, casseroles all continue to cook a few minutes outside the oven while cooling. Almost anything you cook short of cake or soufflé can be placed back into the oven for additional heat.
Colleen
This is the perfect pecan pie recipe There is no need to look any further for a recipe.
Love that it has the creamy not too sweet texture.
Thank you Anna for sharing your recipe.
Anna
Thank you so much for the kind feedback! Glad you enjoy it!
Vera
This pie looks delicious!! I was hoping to add this to our Thanksgiving menu but I don’t have corn syrup and all the stores are closed tomorrow, of coarse:(
Is there anything I could substitute for the syrup, by chance?
Anna
I'm sorry, I'm probably too late to answer your question. I've never tried it with no corn syrup, but I have mixed corn syrup and maple syrup before.
Anna
By far my favorite pecan pie!
Tamara R
Love this pecan pie recipe. Comes out perfect and creamy texture. Not too sweet.
Anna
I'm so glad you enjoy it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Mary Egan
This pie is fantastic… one of the best pecan pies I’ve ever had. What I love about it is that it isn’t real sweet and rich like some are. Its sweet but not so overly sweet that you can only eat a sliver. It’s easy to make. Absolutely recommend this pie!!!
Anna
Thank you for the kind comment. Less sweet is exactly why I love it so much too.
Jeanette
I was looking for a pecan pie recipe to make along with the other traditional pumpkin pie. I looked at several. I found this one because it said it wasn't too sweet and by the look of the picture. it's the kind of pecan pie I was looking for. So, I made it and followed the recipe exactly. I did use 4 5-inch pies crusts that I had on hand. I'm SOOO glad I found this recipe. It is exactly what I was looking for. This is a keeper. I waited till it was pretty much done jiggling to make sure I didn't pull it out to soon. Oh yes, I did add chocolate chips to 2 of the pies. Oh Ya! Not losing this recipe. Thank you Anna. Happy Thanksgiving!
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a nice comment.
Linda
I just made this pecan pie sure hope it turns out!!
I have a recipe that I have used for years, just needed a change!
Anna
I hope it worked for you.
Jim
Place pecans into the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.
Pour the cream mixture over top of the pecans.
Do the pecans float when you pour the mixture over them ??
Anna
Yes. They will rise to the top.
Debby
I add some shredded coconut to it. My family loves it. Thank you for the recipe!
Anna
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.
Rita
If I use a store bought crust do I need a deep dish or traditional.
Anna
Truth be told, I have never used a store-bought crust. They nicely fill my 9" glass pie plates. I am guessing store-bought ones might be a touch smaller, so maybe deep dish??
Sara
I have never been a good pecan pie baker. The one time I tried it was hard, probably from over baking. I Google creamybpecan pie and yours popped up. This recipe was so easy and so creamy. It came out delicious! Thank you so much.
Anna
So glad it worked for you!
Judy
I’m excited! I made this today and look forward to trying it. It was super easy to make. thank you!
Anna
I hope it turned out perfect for you.
Antoinette Sparano
Anna this pie looks incredible; however, the picture of the finished baked pie shows the pecans on top and what looks like the brown sugar layer in between...I am curious, do the pecans rise to the top layer to achieve this look and taste ? I am dying to try this for Easter 2025...thank you...
Anna
Yes, I put the pecans into the bottom, but they always rise to the top. Hope it turns out perfect for you!
Karen s kibler
I can't believe I found this recipe. It is the one I have been looking for. I come from pa dutch country as well and these are the ingredients I remember as a kid so I wanted to make my extended family for Thanksgiving this pecan pie. This is what I call pecan pie and NO other can top this!! Thanks so much for sharing
Anna
Thank you, and I hope it turns out perfect for you!
Anne Marie
I have been trying different pecan pie recipes for over 10yrs!!! This pecan pie is by far the BEST one I have ever made!! It is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing! It’s the only pecan I will ever make going forward!
Anna
Thank you for the feedback! It's my favorite too!