I won't tell you that this pecan pie is healthy, but it's not unhealthy either! While it does have some brown sugar, it's naturally thickened and sweetened using Medjool dates instead of corn syrup! While it's great for Thanksgiving, I also love eating pecan pie all year long!
Don't like pie crust? You might like these pecan pie cookie bars with shortbread crust!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make the best pecan pie!
- Pie Crust - I use my homemade flaky pie crust for this recipe. You can check out this blog post for all my pie crust tips and tricks!
- Medjool Dates - The secret ingredient in this pecan pie is Medjool dates! They help sweeten and thicken the filling and add incredible flavor! Medjool dates have a rich, almost caramel-like taste and a soft, chewy texture. I love using dates as an alternative to corn syrup in the pie. You can find Medjool dates in the produce section at most grocery stores!
- Bourbon - This is optional, but I love the extra flavor it adds to the filling!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Par Bake Pie Crust
In order to get a super crispy, flaky pie crust I use a method call par baking. It literally means "partially bake" and it's a great way to get the crust to set before adding in a soupy filling like this pecan pie.
I use my perfect pie crust for this recipe, so you can also check out that blog post for all my pie making tips and tricks!
Chill the pie crust in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before baking (if you skip this step, the pie crust will shrink). While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place a piece of parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil inside the pie crust and fill with pie weights (uncooked rice or dry beans also work great).
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and pie weights then return the pie crust to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes until the bottom of the crust is just starting to brown.
Remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly while you prepare the filling!
Pecan Pie Filling
Roughly chop the pecans and the dates.
Combine the butter, brown sugar, bourbon, vanilla, and heavy cream in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine the ingredients and dissolve the sugar.
Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 3 minutes while stirring frequently. Carefully spoon about ¼ cup of the mixture into a glass measuring cup to temper the egg.
Whisk the egg in a small heat-safe bowl and slowly drizzle the ¼ cup of syrup into the egg as you continue to whisk (whisk continuously so that the egg doesn't scramble). Once the egg and ¼ cup of syrup are fully combined and smooth, then pour back into the syrup mixture and stir until combined.
Remove from the heat and stir in the Medjool dates, pecans, and cinnamon.
Pour the filling evenly over the par baked pie crust. If desired, add more pecans on top and arrange into a pattern.
Bake for 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. If the top begins to get too brown, loosely cover with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely to room temperature before slicing. Top with flaky sea salt if desired.
Tips for the Best Pie!
For all my pie recipes, I like to use my classic flaky pie crust! I have a whole blog post with tons of tips and tricks for perfect pie crust, but the most important are listed below. Be sure to check out the rest of our pie recipes too!
Keep it cold! The secret to a super flaky pie crust is keeping the dough cold at every step. Use cold butter and cold water while making the dough, and try to keep the dough as cold as possible while working with it. I often refrigerate my pies for at least 10-20 minutes after each step so that the dough stays as cold as possible. You want very cold dough going into a very hot oven for the best results!
Use a metal pie pan! Not all pie pans are created equal! Most pie pans on the market are either metal, glass, or ceramic. Overall, metal pie pans are the best of the best because they keep the crust very crispy and they're also the most durable and affordable. A fun alternative to classic aluminum pie pans that yields the same results is a cast iron skillet! I know ceramic pie plates certainly are pretty, but unfortunately the bottom crust just never gets crispy so I just don't recommend them.
Brush the crust with egg wash before baking! Brushing the crust with an egg was (just a beaten whole egg) before baking, gives a beautiful, glossy, golden brown appearance! For savory pies I like to sprinkle with flaky sea salt and for dessert pies I like to sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Par bake for extra crispy crust! For pies with more runny fillings (like a berry pie or custard based pie), par baking the crust before filling helps ensure a super crispy bottom! It also helps prevent overcooking the filling. Place a piece of parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil inside the pie crust and fill with pie weights. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and pie weights then return the pie crust to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is just beginning to brown.
Let it rest! Letting the pie rest for a bit after removing from the oven helps the filling thicken up and prevents a runny pie. For pies that you want to eat immediately while they're still hot, it's still best to let it rest for 20-30 minutes before cutting so that the filling can thicken up slightly. But for fruit pies or custard pies, letting the pie rest for at least 4-6 hours is ideal!
Recipe Notes
The most important step in making the pecan pie is tempering the egg. I know that sounds scary, but I promise it's not that hard! Tempering just means that you'll slowly add a small amount of hot liquid to the beaten eggs so that the temperature rises slowly and they don't scramble (trust me, you don't want scrambled eggs in your pecan pie filling).
Once the filling mixture begins to boil, you'll remove about ¼ cup and place it into a glass measuring cup (the best for pouring hot liquid) and then slowly drizzle the syrup into the beaten eggs while whisking. Then you'll add the warm egg mixture back into the rest of the syrup. Easy peasy!
Recipe FAQ's
Store covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Pecan Pie (with NO corn syrup!)
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pie crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 12-14 medjool dates, diced
- 2 ½ cups pecans, chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Prepare one half of my perfect pie crust recipe according to directions. Form a disk and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the pie dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to about ¼ inch thick and about 2 inches wider than your pie pan. Roll the pie crust into the pie pan and be sure to poke the bottom a few times with a fork to allow air to escape during baking. Cut away any undesired excess crust and crimp, curl, or decorate the edges however you like!
- Chill the pie crust in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before baking (if you skip this step, the pie crust will shrink). While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place a piece of parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil inside the pie crust and fill with pie weights (uncooked rice or dry beans also work great).
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and pie weights then return the pie crust to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is just beginning to brown.
- Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, bourbon, vanilla, and heavy cream in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine the ingredients and dissolve the sugar.
- Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 3 minutes while stirring frequently. Carefully spoon about ¼ cup of the mixture into a glass measuring cup to temper the egg.
- Whisk the egg in a small heat-safe bowl and slowly drizzle the ¼ cup of syrup into the egg as you continue to whisk (whisk continuously so that the egg doesn't scramble). Once the egg and ¼ cup of syrup are fully combined and smooth, then pour back into the syrup mixture and stir until combined.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the Medjool dates, pecans, and cinnamon. Pour the filling evenly over the par baked pie crust. If desired, add more pecans on top.
- Bake for 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. If the top begins to get too brown, loosely cover with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely to room temperature before slicing. Top with flaky sea salt if desired.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Sherri Muse says
There is Swerve brown sugar that can be substituted which will make this even healthier! Thank you so much. I've been looking for the perfect Date Pecan pie recipe!