Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie

Indulge in the sweet and rich flavours of maple, bourbon, and pecans with this delicious pie recipe. With a flaky, buttery crust and delicious filling, pecan pie is perfect for holiday gatherings or any special occasion.

If you are looking for a different treat to enjoy over the holidays, take a look at our Thanksgiving Desserts for inspiration and menu planning. 

Are you team Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie or Apple Pie during the Thanksgiving festivities? Or perhaps you are team All The Pies? My husband definitely fits in the latter category while my son is a die hard pumpkin pie fan. 

But how can anyone not love Pecan Pie? The perfect blend of sweet and nutty, made with a perfectly flaky and buttery crust, it really is something special.

Best pecan pie recipe

Let me tell you a little secret. An all American pecan pie bears a striking resemblance to a Canadian treat with a cult following: Butter Tarts.

They are as Canadian as hockey and maple syrup and they are surprisingly similar to a pecan pie. The main difference is the use of walnuts instead of pecans and the addition of raisins. 

I happen to have a killer recipe, so I thought I’d share with you my secrets, tips and tricks on how to take your pecan pie to the next level of sublime. As you’ve probably guessed it already, I added maple syrup to my recipe.

I can’t help it, it’s the Canadian in me. Then I spiked it with Bourbon, which safely brought it back to America!

I also can’t wait to share the tastiest pie crust you can imagine. Buttery, flaky, slightly sweet but not enough to make it overwhelming. This shortcrust is a real winner. Just look at the edge of that pie!

What goes into pecan pie anyway?

Pecan nuts, obviously, but they are not the only ingredient, that makes this pie so special. Traditionally made with eggs, butter, vanilla extract, brown sugar and corn syrup, the filling is slightly gooey and very smooth, interspersed with the crunch of the nuts. 

The corn syrup is necessary for that classic texture. However, it can be substituted with This is an affiliate link.maple syrup or golden syrup in case you want to make it in the UK. I actually use both corn syrup and maple syrup in my recipe. 

All that goodness is encased in a buttery pie crust, and every baker has her/his own recipe. Mine is a classic shortcrust with a tiny pinch of sugar just because I believe it really adds something special. 

Shortcrust Recipe

The basic shortcrust recipe could be used for both sweet and savoury pies as well as tarts and quiches. To make mine more suitable for the pecan pie I added 1 tablespoon of sugar. 

The classic shortcrust recipe usually calls for double amount of flour to the amount of butter. Sometimes the proportions are not exact as adding a bit more flour makes it easier to work with the dough. 2-3 tablespoons of ice cold water are added to help the dough come together. 

The images above demonstrate the process. The pastry is very easy to make but because of the flour to butter ratio, it will look like you’ve got a bunch of crumbs.

Don’t worry and don’t increase the amount of water. Otherwise, the pie crust will be hard instead of flaky. 

As long as you’ve got clumps of dough when you squeeze the crumbs with your hands, as the picture above shows, you are on the right track. I always use my This is an affiliate link.food processor to combine the flour and butter. It’s fast, easy and eliminates the use of hands, which warm up the butter too much. 

If you don’t have a food processor, use a This is an affiliate link.pastry blender to achieve the same thing. It is absolutely necessary to refrigerate the shortcrust after it’s been made for at least 1 hour. This helps the gluten in the flour to relax and minimises shrinkage when baked. 

To Blind Bake or Not to Blind Bake

There are many pecan pie recipes on the internet which skip the blind baking. I am not going to lie – they are much easier and faster. However, I absolutely cannot stand soggy bottoms in pies, so for me blind baking is a must. 

If you are not sure what blind baking is, let me quickly explain. You partially pre-bake the pie crust with the pie weights in it to prevent it from shrinking.

It also partially bakes the crust so you aren’t left with a soggy bottom when the completed pie is taken from the oven. The crust will take longer to bake than the filling, so this allows for both to have the right amount of time.

You can either purchase pie weights or use dried beans or even rice. As the photos show, I use a combination of all three to fill my deep This is an affiliate link.9 inch pie pan. Don’t forget to line your unbaked and chilled pie crust with parchment paper to protect it. 

Serving suggestions

Pecan pie is generally served at or close to room temperature, but it’s also possible to serve it chilled or slightly warm. Just avoid serving it hot as the filling loses its shape and turns to lava.

With that in mind, the pie should be left to rest after baking and before serving. This will allow the pecan filling to set.

A pecan pie slice all on it’s own is almost as good as it gets, and you’ll make no enemies by serving it alone. But if a little extra seems right, try a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Storage and leftovers

It’s the eggs in pecan pie that determine how long it can be kept. In this case, it should be eaten within 3-4 days. Store it in a refrigerator after it has been baked, covered in plastic wrap, aluminum foil or in a pie container if you have one.

The good news is that this is a pie that doesn’t have to be hot to taste good. There’s no need to heat it up before digging into leftovers, so enjoy your pie straight from the fridge!

If you want to make your pie even further ahead, a baked pecan pie can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cover it will with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and take it out far enough in advance so it thaws completely before serving.

More Exciting Thanksgiving Desserts

• Pumpkin Mousse Trifle (No Bake)
• Salted Caramel Pear Tarts (Very Easy)
• Spiced Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake with Mascarpone Frosting (For Serious Bakers)
• Dulce de Leche Apple Pie