Such a decadent treat is this Bourbon Pecan Pie, y’all. A rich and gooey pecan pie filling that’s loaded with flavor and crunchy pecans. It’s the classic staple many of us know and love to serve around the holidays and beyond because it’s sooo dang good!

bourbon pecan pie with vanilla ice cream in white pie dish

Every Thanksgiving there are two pies that must grace the table. A sweet potato pie and a bourbon pecan pie, yes indeed. Those are my two holy grail pies that I commit to during the holiday season. Honestly, I’m a pecan lover through and through, they’re my favorite nut. So excited to share this pie offering with you during this season! It’s a must-make over here and I hope you fall in love, too!

Southern Bourbon Pecan Pie 😍

Pecan-loaded, a touch of bourbon, and plenty ooey gooey goodness is served up here. This bourbon pecan pie is beyond flavorful, y’all. Aside from that, you’ll love how it’s so easy to make as well. You might find this recipe to be just like a classic pecan pie, but containing a good ole Southern kick with a little bourbon.

Just like in most baked goods where alcohol is present, the bourbon evaporates during the baking process. It adds a lovely depth which leaves an unapologetically rich, intensely flavorful dessert. I don’t find it to have that cloyingly sweet vibe that some pies do, and I love the praline-esque flavor it has.

⇢ More recipes: smothered turkey wings, my stovetop mac and cheese, these reader-favorite southern collard greens, cozy louisiana red beans and rice, this classic southern potato salad, and my sweet potato cornbread– yum!

bourbon pecan pie in white baking dish

Ingredients Needed For This Recipe

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

  • Pie crust: Use any pie crust your heart desires…be it a favorite homemade pie crust or a super convenient frozen, store-bought pie crust. If using a frozen one, just be sure to thaw it out in the fridge prior to using.
  • Pecan halves: I usually grab a big ole bag of pecan halves from Costco, ha! You’ll need about 2 1/4 cups of pecans. If you live in Georgia and can easily access those Georgia-grown pecans, I’m not at all jealous 🙄.
  • Eggs: For structure, richness, and color…gotta have them.
  • Dark brown sugar: It’s imperative, that molasses richness is unmatched.
  • Light & dark corn syrup: This is what gives our pecan pie that super gooey, rich center. I don’t care what anyone has to say about corn syrup, it’s truly another unmatched staple. A traditional ingredient in most pecan pie recipes and for good reason. I use both, each adds a different flavor.
  • Bourbon: We can’t make bourbon pecan pie without dat bourbon now! 🥃
  • Maple syrup: A touch of maple flavoring, chef’s kiss.
  • Vanilla extract: Adds a lovely, vanilla-y fragrant baseline.
  • Salt: To provide balance among the other flavors.
  • Butter: For a pop of richness and flavoring, my greatest love 🧈!
slice of bourbon pecan pie with scoop of vanilla ice cream on white plate

How To Make Bourbon Pecan Pie

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Spread the pecans on the bottom of the pie crust. Then place the pie plate onto a parchment paper or foil-lined baking sheet. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, light and dark corn syrup, bourbon, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, and melted butter. Whisk the syrup mixture well to thoroughly combine.
  4. Pour the syrup mixture into the pie dish on top of the pecans, the pecans will float to the top as the syrup settles in nicely.
  5. Place the pie into the oven. Bake the pie until just set and slightly bubbling near the edges, about 50-60 minutes. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 4 hours- or more preferably overnight.
  6. Serve bourbon pecan pie with a topping of whipped cream or alongside vanilla ice cream, if desired. Enjoy!

⇢ This pie comes together with a quickness that you will appreciate! 🙌🏾

bourbon pecan pie in white pie dish with pecans on the side

What Does Corn Syrup Do?

Great question! So, corn syrup contributes to a level of sweetness, flavoring, and moisture. Have you ever had a pecan pie that was super dry and/or had heavy crystallization (crunchy sugariness)? Ugh, it’s truly awful. Well, corn syrup ensures that your bourbon pecan pie will have a silky smooth, gooey center. You’ll enjoy the caramel-like, cozy richness with no dry patches of crystalized sugar anywhere in sight. I’m #teamcornsyrup all the way! 👌🏾

Tips + Tricks, Notes, & FAQs For The Best Bourbon Pecan Pie You Will Ever Have

You may have additional questions about this bourbon pecan pie recipe. Like other recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the recipe card directly below. However, here’s some extra info:

  • Can I leave out the bourbon? Absolutely! Feel free to leave out the bourbon if that’s not your thing, you’ll still have a bomb pecan pie!
  • Toast the pecans. I don’t call for the pecans to be previously toasted, however, it would be nice for an extra nutty, fragrant touch. You can toast ’em up in a skillet or place on a baking sheet in the oven for a bit.
  • Room temperature eggs. This is necessary for setting your pie.
  • Adding flour. Some pecan pie recipes call for flour to be added to the mixture as an additional element to help set the pie even more. I don’t find it absolutely necessary as I like the gooey nature that is pecan pie. But if you prefer a more structured filling, I recommend adding about 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour (or gluten-free ap flour) to the filling in step #3.
  • Measuring corn syrup. It helps to spray your measuring cup with a bit of nonstick spray that way the corn syrup will slide right on out.
  • How to check for doneness. With most bakes, you can easily check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. With pecan pie, that method doesn’t work because of the gooey center, ha. However, you’ll check by gently nudging the pie. If it gives too much of a wobble (with lots of liquid movement), continue baking. If it gives a slight wobble, it’s good.
  • Salty finish. Garnish the pie with a little flaky sea salt if you’d like!
black hands holding the side of bourbon pecan pie in white baking dish

Yasss, you’re gonna love this Bourbon Pecan Pie, peeps. Richness galore, pecans all throughout, and so scrumptious! Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

Other delicious desserts you might enjoy:

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bourbon pecan pie with vanilla ice cream in white pie dish

Bourbon Pecan Pie

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  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Desserts & Sweets
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Southern
Print Recipe

Description

Such a decadent treat is this Bourbon Pecan Pie, y’all. A rich and gooey pecan pie filling that’s loaded with flavor and crunchy pecans. It’s the classic staple many of us know and love to serve around the holidays and beyond because it’s sooo dang good!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (9-inch) deep pie crust, homemade or store-bought
  • 2 1/4 cups pecan halves (coarsely chop half & leave the rest whole)
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled

Instructions

  1. Position a rack at the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Spread the pecans on the bottom of the pie crust. Then place the pie plate onto a parchment paper or foil-lined baking sheet. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, light and dark corn syrup, bourbon, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, and melted butter. Whisk the syrup mixture well to thoroughly combine.
  4. Pour the syrup mixture into the pie dish on top of the pecans, the pecans will float to the top as the syrup settles in nicely.
  5. Place the pie (with baking sheet underneath) into the oven. Bake the pie until just set and slightly bubbling near the edges, about 50-60 minutes. The pie should give the slightest wobble when nudged, no worries as the pie will continue setting as it cools. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 4 hours- or more preferably overnight. You can also cover the cooled pie with foil and transfer into the refrigerator if you don’t plan to serve right away.
  6. When ready, serve this pie at room temperature. For best results, use a serrated knife to gently work through cutting the pecan pie into slices. Serve bourbon pecan pie with a topping of whipped cream or alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Baking time can vary depending on if you’re using a store-bought aluminum pie plate or your crust is in a ceramic/glass pie plate. For aluminum pie plates, the pie will likely be done quicker. If using a ceramic/glass pie plate, I find them to take a bit longer. As such, I recommend you start checking in on your pie at the 50 minute mark.
  2. Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.

Keywords: bourbon pecan pie, pecan pie, thanksgiving, southern bourbon pecan pie, thanksgiving desserts

bourbon pecan pie in white pie dish with small white plates on the side