Classic Pecan Pie

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges.
2. Whisk the filling ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
3. Pour the filling into the crust.
4. Bake for 50–60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles only slightly when the pan is nudged.
5. Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before slicing.

The Tale of Classic Pecan Pie

Story updated September 19, 2026

Pecan pie is an American dish from the pecan-growing South, with its exact birthplace debated. An 1886 Harper's Bazar item praising pecan pie is among the earliest mentions, and recipes appeared in regional cookbooks in the following decades. The corn-syrup version most people know is tied to Karo syrup, launched by the Corn Products Refining Company in 1902; the company printed a pecan pie recipe on its labels, a move commonly dated to the 1930s, and a story credits it to a sales executive's wife. By the 1940s pecan pie appeared in cookbooks such as Joy of Cooking and Fannie Farmer, and it became a Thanksgiving staple nationwide.