Bourbon Pecan Pie
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Made with brown butter and a splash of bourbon, this bourbon pecan pie has a richer, more complex flavor than the typical pecan pie.
This is truly an outstanding bourbon pecan pie, and the recipe credit goes to longtime reader Jeff Winett of Sherman Oaks, California. Jeff is an avid cook and baker, so when he emailed me his “never-fails-to-thrill” pecan pie recipe, I knew I had to save it for the holidays. Made with dark brown sugar, golden syrup, brown butter and a shot of bourbon, the pie is richer with a more complex praline flavor—and also less cloyingly sweet—than your typical pecan pie. And the best part? It doesn’t take much more effort. The only extra step is browning the butter, which takes just five minutes but makes a world of difference in flavor. The payoff is totally worth it!
“I have made this pie several times and feel it is hands down the best pecan pie I have ever tried.”
What You’ll Need To Make Bourbon Pecan Pie
- Pie crust – I like to make a homemade crust for my pecan pies—it’s easy once you get the hang of it—but a store-bought crust will work well, too. It’s up to you!
- Unsalted butter – Browned, adds deep, nutty flavor and richness to the filling.
- Dark brown sugar – Brings sweetness and a deep, molasses-like flavor that complements the pecans and bourbon.
- Light corn syrup – Sweetens the filling and helps bind the ingredients, creating that classic gooey texture.
- Golden syrup – A thick, amber-colored sweetener with a slightly toasty, caramel-like edge. You can find it in the baking aisle of most large supermarkets near the corn syrup and molasses. The most well-known brand is Lyle’s, which is widely available in the UK (and sold at Whole Foods in the US) but King Golden Syrup is more common in the US.
- Eggs – Binds the filling together and provides structure as it bakes.
- Bourbon – Adds warmth and depth of flavor, enhancing the richness of the pie.
- Vanilla extract – Adds warmth and rounds out the flavors of the filling.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors of the filling and pecans.
- Pecans – The star of the pie, bringing crunch and nutty flavor to every bite. Reserve a few whole pecans for a decorative touch on top.
- Beaten egg, milk, or cream, for brushing the edges (optional) – Creates a beautifully golden, shiny crust.
- Unsweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving – The perfect creamy contrast to the rich, sweet pie.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Crust
If using a store-bought refrigerated crust that is already rolled, simply unroll it, and fit it into a 9-inch by 1½-inch deep-dish pie pan. If using a homemade crust, roll it out into a 12 to 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
Carefully lift the dough by draping it over your rolling pin, then transfer it to the pie pan.
Gently press the dough into the pan, ensuring it is smoothly eased into place without stretching. Trim the edges of the dough to extend about ½ inch beyond the pie pan’s lip. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute them with your fingers to create a decorative edge. Refrigerate until ready to fill, up to 1 day ahead of time.
Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the lower third position. Place a baking sheet on this rack to preheat as well. (This acts like a pizza stone, providing a hot surface to help the bottom crust of the pie crisp up effectively.)
Step 2: Make the Filling
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter smells nutty and is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Once you smell that nutty aroma, take the pan off the heat and pour the browned butter into a large heat-proof bowl to cool. (The milk solids will darken and settle on the bottom of the saucepan. When you transfer the brown butter to the bowl, try to leave as much of this sediment in the pan as possible but don’t worry about it too much.)
To the bowl with the brown butter, add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and golden syrup and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, bourbon, vanilla, and salt.
Sprinkle the pecans in the pie crust.
Pour the syrup mixture over top. If you’ve set aside a few whole pecan halves, arrange them on top in a decorative pattern, pressing them slightly into the filling before letting them rise back up to ensure they’re coated. Brush the edges of the pie crust with the beaten egg, milk, or cream, if using.
Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake until set and golden, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack, about 4 hours.
Serve at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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Bourbon Pecan Pie
Made with brown butter and a splash of bourbon, this bourbon pecan pie has a richer, more complex flavor than the typical pecan pie.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked homemade pie crust, or store-bought 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, chilled
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ⅔ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup golden syrup (such as Lyle’s or King)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups pecan halves (coarsely chopped, save 8 to 10 whole pecan halves to create a decorative pattern on the surface of the pie, if you like)
- Beaten egg, milk, or cream, for brushing the edges
- Unsweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, (optional, for serving)
Instructions
Prepare the Crust
- If using a store-bought refrigerated crust that is already rolled, simply unroll it, and fit it into a 9-inch by 1½-inch deep-dish pie pan. Press the dough gently into the pan to ensure it fits snugly without stretching. Trim the edges of the dough to extend about ½ inch beyond the pie pan's lip. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute them with your fingers to create a decorative edge. Refrigerate until ready to fill, up to 1 day ahead of time. If using a frozen crust, keep it in the freezer until you are ready to fill it.
- For a homemade crust, roll it out into a 12 to 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Carefully lift the dough by draping it over your rolling pin, then transfer it to the pie pan. Gently press the dough into the pan, ensuring it is smoothly eased into place without stretching. Trim the edges of the dough to extend about ½ inch beyond the pie pan's lip. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute them with your fingers to create a decorative edge. Refrigerate until ready to fill, up to 1 day ahead of time.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the lower third position. Place a baking sheet on this rack to preheat as well. (This acts like a pizza stone, providing a hot surface to help the bottom crust of the pie crisp up effectively.)
Make the Filling
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter smells nutty and is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Once you smell that nutty aroma, take the pan off the heat and pour the browned butter into a large heat-proof bowl to cool. (The milk solids will darken and settle on the bottom of the saucepan. When you transfer the brown butter to the bowl, try to leave as much of this sediment in the pan as possible but don't worry about it too much.)
- To the bowl with the brown butter, add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and golden syrup and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, bourbon, vanilla, and salt.
- Sprinkle the pecans in the pie crust and then pour the syrup mixture over top. If you've set aside a few whole pecan halves, arrange them on top in a decorative pattern, pressing them slightly into the filling before letting them rise back up to ensure they're coated. Brush the edges of the pie crust with the beaten egg, milk, or cream.
- Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake until set and golden, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack, about 4 hours. Serve at room temperature, plain or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
- Make Ahead: The pie can be made one day ahead of time and stored, loosely covered, at room temperature.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: To freeze the pie, after it has cooled, wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before you plan to serve it.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 731
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 79 g
- Sugar: 41 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 363 mg
- Cholesterol: 112 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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We love pecan pie at our house, this was a nice twist on regular pecan with the bourbon. Decadent and delicious!
Made just as per the recipe. My daughter said it was the best pecan pie she had ever tried. I fully agreed! Pre – baking the crust is something I had never done but is certainly a new addition to my bag of tricks.
Hi Jenn!
I’m in love with your website and use it on the regular 🙂 Really enjoying working through all your recipes!
I’m not sure if this has been addressed, but, I’m having the opposite problem to most who’ve posted… I live in Australia and it’s really hard to find corn syrup. Golden syrup, on the other hand, is readily available. Is there a good substitute for the corn syrup? It’s the only ingredient I’m struggling to find.
Thank you for any suggestions!!
Thank you for the kind words, Katrina! So happy you’re enjoying the recipes 😊. I think it’s fine to replace the corn syrup with more golden syrup – won’t make much difference at all. I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it that way.
For those of you like me who do not live in a place where golden syrup is in grocery stores, it is very simple to make. Just search the internet for a recipe.
Hi Jenn, I posted this to your instagram page. I see you haven’t posted anything yet! Get busy! I have found any great chefs and recipes there. It would be my pleasure to post and list your @jennsegalchef
Thanks again!
Hi Eric, You can find me on instagram at @onceuponachef. I didn’t even realize I had another unused account but just checked and that is indeed me!?
Oh Great!
I just searched your name and the one i sent came up. I’ll go back and add the correct one. Being a tech/marketing guy, I’d recommend another way to get followers and move them to your webpage. So, In addition to @onceuponachef, do one with a hashtag #onceuponachef. This is a business account, which you can have more than one account. My daughter has like 5 and I have 2. use the # one linked to your webpage. When you have cookbooks and some of your giveaways, this is probably a great way to do that. You may already have that.
Thanks so much for the advice Eric – I’m going to look into doing that!
Happy to help! You’ve helped me, quid pro quo!
BBPP- Amazing recipe again! Thanks Jenn. This was actually pretty simple to put it together. I went back to a pie crust mix. It’s good and saved me hours that it took to make the crust here. Instead of waiting 4 hours to eat, I set it on the old school window sill. Yum. Everyone loved it. It was half gone after 3 people attacked it! Jenn, not sure if this is expected but cutting it was like cutting glass! I broke a plastic serrated pie cutter. Is that expected? I’ll be making this again for the family christmas meal coming up. Thanks
So glad you enjoyed it, Eric! The pecans do make it difficult to slice – next time you can chop them all coarsely. The pie won’t look as pretty but it will be much easier to cut.
I am not really a big pecan pie fan — too sweet without any depth of flavor. But I made this one for Thanksgiving. My husband, who is a big pecan pie fan, said it was the best one he’d ever had! And I loved it, too! In fact, we nearly came to blows over who got the last piece. 🙂 I’m making it again for Christmas. Didn’t find the golden syrup so I used Jenn’s suggestion of substituting 1/4 c. corn syrup and 1/4 c. brown sugar. Used frozen pie crust.
same issue on the golden syrup so i used the light corn syrup and lite syrup. Came out very well.
Delicious! Finally found the golden syrup ay Cost Plus World Market. They carry it as a regular stock item if anyone is looking for it
Filling was a bit runny, but I attribute that to my erratic oven. Regardless, it was the only food at our Christmas party last night that was totally consumed!
I will definitely make this again
Hi Jen. I’m going to make this for a dinner party next week. Having trouble locating the golden syrup. Is it ok to sub honey? Thanks much! I have made quite a few of your recipes and my husband and I have enjoyed them all
Hi Judi. So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. If you can’t find golden syrup, I’d sub 1/4 cup light corn syrup and 1/4 cup brown sugar (in addition to the amounts already called for in the recipe). Hope that helps!
I’ve been baking pecan pie and apple pie for Thanksgivings for over 10 years. I just discovered Jen’s site before Thanskgiving this year and at the last minute decided to try her recipes for both. Hands down both the pecan and apple pie were the best I’ve ever made!!! The brown butter, burbon, and golden syrup made it the perfect flavor for gooey goodness with the pecans. This will be my go to recipe for pecan pie!!! Thank you!!!! OH and the apple pie recipe… perfect!!! No watery mushy crust! It was amazing!!!