Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Pie & Tarts Recipes Maple Pecan Pie 4.3 (30) 1 Review Rich maple syrup adds extra depth to this classic southern pie. By Anne Quatrano Anne Quatrano Anne Quatrano is an award-winning American chef and restauranteur and is a pioneer of the farm-to-table cuisine philosophy for sustainable dining. Quatrano co-owns and operates some of Atlanta’s most acclaimed restaurants, including Bacchanalia, Star Provisions, Floataway Cafe, and W.H. Stiles Fish Camp. Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 24, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Brie Goldman Prep Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 25 mins Total Time: 5 hrs 35 mins Servings: 12 Jump to recipe This recipe for maple pecan pie has all the elements of classic pecan pie that you love but gets extra depth and dimension from a generous cup of maple syrup. The result is a sweet, deeply flavored filling baked in an unbelievably flaky pie crust. It makes a delicious addition to any holiday table or dessert bar and just might become a new fall favorite. Like most pie recipes, you’ll need to factor in a bit of extra time for the homemade dough to chill before it can be rolled, and then again before being filled. This recipe though doesn’t require you to blind bake the crust, so once it’s filled and in the oven, your work is done. Serve this buttery, nutty pie on its own or pair it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream for an out-of-this-world dessert. Do Nuts Expire? Here's How to Tell if Yours Are Still Good Top Tips for Making Maple Pecan Pie Chill your butter: For an extra flaky finished crust, it's essential to use butter that's thoroughly chilled (but not frozen). We recommend always cutting the butter into small pieces, then popping it back in the fridge for a few minutes before using. This will give it a chance to firm back up if the heat of your kitchen—or hands—caused it to soften. Don't overwork your dough: As with most pie crust recipes, you'll want to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture just enough to form small pieces but not much more than that. (You're looking for the texture of coarse sand.) As the crust bakes, the moisture in the butter turns to steam, which creates those heavenly, flaky layers. Overworking the dough can also cause too much gluten to form, which can result in a tough, brittle crust. Use room temperature milk and eggs: Letting your milk and eggs come to room temperature before working them into the filling will help them blend more seamlessly with the warm butter-sugar mixture. Letting the butter mixture cool for a few minutes before whisking it in is also essential for better blending. Opt for real maple syrup: Besides the pecans, this recipe is all about the maple syrup. Since you're using a full cup in the filling, it's important to use real maple syrup—and not maple-flavored pancake syrup. How to Toast Pecans for This Recipe Toasting pecans deepens their flavor, adding an extra layer of dimension to the pie. Since they'll continue to bake later on, it's best to toast them gently at a lower temperature just until they're fragrant and slightly darkened in color. To do so, scatter them on a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until they're just crisp and smell buttery and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes, stirring midway through. When measuring the flour for the crust, be sure to lightly spoon it into your measuring up rather than scoop the cup into the container. Spooning it in will keep the flour from becoming too tightly packed, which can impact the amount that ends up in your dough. How to Make Maple Pecan Pie Ahead You can refrigerate the pie dough for up to two days before you plan to bake. You can also make the pie all the way through, let it cool completely, and then refrigerate it, covered, for up to one day. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving for the best texture and flavor. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Dough 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting ½ teaspoon granulated sugar ½ teaspoon coarse salt 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 3 tablespoons ice water Filling 1 stick unsalted butter 1 ½ cups packed dark-brown sugar 1 cup maple syrup, preferably grade A 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup whole milk 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 ½ cups toasted pecan halves Directions Brie Goldman Whisk dry ingredients for crust: Dough: Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Incorporate butter using your fingers: Add butter, tossing to evenly coat. Rub butter between fingers and thumbs, continuing to toss with flour until mixture has texture of coarse sand. Brie Goldman Work in ice water to form a dough: Sprinkle evenly with ice water and stir with hands, gently kneading a few times, just until a dough forms. Form into a disc; wrap and chill: Flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Brie Goldman Roll out dough and place in dish; trim edges and fold: Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Trim excess, leaving a 1-inch overhang, then fold edges under. Brie Goldman Crimp crust; freeze until firm: Crimp edges as desired. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Brie Goldman Cook butter mixture for filling: Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, syrup, and flour and cook, stirring constantly, just until mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Brie Goldman Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt; whisk in butter mixture: Whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add warm butter mixture, whisking constantly, until smooth. Brie Goldman Brie Goldman Add filling to shell and add pecans: Pour filling into pie shell, then arrange pecans evenly on top. Brie Goldman Bake pie, covering loosely if needed: Bake until pie is puffed and set along edges but still wobbly in center when gently shaken, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. (Loosely tent pie with foil if top darkens too quickly.) Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Brie Goldman How to Store Leftover Pie Leftover maple pecan pie can be refrigerated for three to four days. Be sure to cover it tightly or store it in an airtight container before refrigerating. How to Serve Maple Pecan Pie This sweet, buttery pie is delicious served on its own but would also be fantastic accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (If you decide to make your own, we've got recipes that call for an ice-cream maker as well as a no-churn option.) A dollop of freshly made whipped cream would also be a perfect topper—try whisking in a few dashes of cinnamon or nutmeg or a small splash of vanilla after whipping for even more flavor. Five More Thanksgiving Pie Recipes to Try: Deep-Dish Pumpkin-Meringue Pie Coconut Custard Pie Cinnamon-Swirl Apple Slab Pie Brown-Butter Apple Pie Indiana Sugar Cream Pie This recipe was adapted from Anne Quatrano's book Summerland: Recipes for Celebrating With Southern Hospitality. Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, November 2014 Rate It PRINT Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.