Bourbon-Brown Butter Pecan Pie

From the kitchen of Carly

Nutty brown butter meets bourbon in this deeply caramelized pecan pie. Honey and cane syrup create a glossy, not-too-sweet filling that lets toasted pecans shine. A buttery, hand-crimped crust seals the deal. This is pecan pie grown up.

Bourbon-Brown Butter Pecan Pie

Brown butter is the sleeper move that lifts pecan pie above the sweet and flat. Nutty, toasted, it tangles with bourbon and honey to create something richer and more complex than the standard holiday version. The cane syrup (or dark corn syrup if that's what you have) keeps the filling from being too dense, while the pecans stay whole and crack under your teeth. This is the pie that makes people ask for the recipe before they've finished their slice.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1/2 tspkosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cupall-purpose flour, plus more
  • 3/4 cupvegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cupunsalted butter
  • 3 largeeggs
  • 1 cuplight brown sugar
  • 1/2 cuphoney
  • 1"1/2 cup pure cane syrup or dark corn syrup", 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 2 tbspvanilla extract
  • 1 pinchfreshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 pinchground cinnamon
  • 2 cuppecans
  • 1chopped

Instructions

  1. Whisk the salt and 1 1/2 cups flour together in a medium bowl. Use a fork to work in the shortening until the mixture turns crumbly, then stir in 2 tablespoons of cold water and knead just until the dough holds together.

  2. Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough out to roughly 1/4 inch thick. Fold it in half, then in half again into quarters, and roll it out into a 12 inch round. Lay it into a 9 inch pie dish, lifting the edges so the dough slumps naturally into the dish. Trim it down to about 1 inch of overhang, fold those edges under, and crimp. Slide the dish into the freezer while you make the filling.

  3. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter, stirring often, until it foams and then turns a deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour it into a large bowl and let it cool briefly. Whisk in the eggs, brown sugar, honey, cane syrup, bourbon, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon until smooth, then fold in the pecans. Scrape the filling into the frozen crust.

  4. Bake the pie for 10 minutes, then drop the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Continue baking until the crust is golden brown and the filling has just a slight jiggle at the center, 40 to 45 minutes more. Set the pie on a wire rack to cool completely.

  5. Once cooled, refrigerate the pie until the filling is firm, at least 4 hours.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Brown the butter slowly and watch it like it owes you money, it'll go from golden to burnt in about 30 seconds. You want a deep hazelnut color and that nutty, toasted smell.
  • Don't skip the freeze step on the crust after crimping, it helps prevent the edges from shrinking and sliding down the pie dish during baking.
  • The filling will jiggle slightly in the very center when you pull it out, that's right. It'll firm up as it cools and you'll have a set but tender filling instead of a dense, cracked one.
  • Fold the pecans in gently after the filling is mixed so they stay whole and distribute evenly instead of breaking down into the filling.

Variations

  • Skip the bourbon and use 2 tablespoons of strong coffee or espresso powder mixed with a splash of water for a deeper, less spirited version.
  • Swap half the pecans for toasted walnuts or a mix of both for a different texture and slightly less buttery flavor.
  • Use all honey instead of the honey and cane syrup combo for a lighter, more delicate filling that's less sticky.
  • Toast the pecans lightly in a dry skillet before folding them in to intensify their flavor.

Make ahead and storage

Pie keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing isn't recommended because the filling tends to weep and separate once thawed, but room temperature storage for up to 8 hours is fine.