Brown Butter Pecan Pie

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This brown butter pecan pie recipe features toasted butter for incredible nutty depth, flaky all-butter crust, and foolproof techniques for perfect results every time. The best Thanksgiving pecan pie you'll ever make.

Yield: 9-inch pie

Prep Time35

Cook Time1

Cooling Time4

Total Time5 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Author: Maryanne Cabrera

Ingredients

All Butter Pie Dough:

2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (300 g)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup granulated sugar (50 g)
1 cup unsalted butter (227 g) cold
2 large egg yolks cold
5 Tablespoons ice cold water

Brown Butter Pecan Filling:

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (85 g)
1 ½ cup pecan halves (160 g)
½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
¾ cup dark brown sugar (150 g) packed
½ cup light corn syrup (150 g)
4 large eggs room temp
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Pie Dough:

Pulse together flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add cold butter one tablespoon at a time with the food processor running. Stop the machine once mixture is crumbly and like coarse sand in texture.
Add yolks and water. Pulse for a few seconds until dough begins to come together in shaggy pieces. Remove dough from food processor bowl, dump onto a lightly floured surface, and finish kneading together by hand just until it comes together (don't overwork it).
Divide dough into two equal portions. Flatten each into a disc or rectangle shape. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or in the freezer for 10 minutes. Alternatively, refrigerate for up to 2 days before using.

Brown Butter:

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan (light-colored is best), melt butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted completely, continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally to ensure even heating.
The mixture will bubble and foam vigorously as the water evaporates—this is normal. Continue cooking. The bubbling will subside. Keep cooking until the butter smells distinctly nutty and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn a rich golden brown color.
Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl, being sure to scrape out as much of the browned milk solids as possible (they're flavor gold!). Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the crust.

Pie Crust Assembly:

Remove one portion of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter and ¼-inch thick. (Tip: Place your pie plate upside down over the rolled dough to ensure it's the correct size with overhang.)
Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, gently pressing it into the bottom and up the sides. Trim excess dough, leaving about ½-inch overhang all around the rim.
Crimp, flute, or decorate the edges as desired. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats.

Par-Baking (Blind Baking):

Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove chilled pie crust from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.
Par-bake for 10 minutes. Remove parchment and weights. Return pie crust to oven and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Filling and Final Baking:

Roughly chop 1 cup of the pecans. Scatter the chopped pecans evenly over the bottom of the par-baked pie crust. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, salt, vanilla extract, and the cooled brown butter until smooth and well combined. Pour this mixture over the chopped pecans in the crust.
Arrange the remaining ½ cup pecan halves decoratively over the top of the filling.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and place a pie crust shield (or a ring of aluminum foil) around the edges to prevent the crust from browning too quickly.
Return to oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the pecan topping is deeply toasted and fragrant and the filling has a slight jiggle in the very center but is set around the edges.
Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely to room temperature before slicing (at least 4 hours, overnight is ideal). The filling will set as it cools.

Notes

Pie dough recipe makes enough for two single crust pies or one double crust pie. Store extra portion in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or keep in the freezer for up to a month. Defrost frozen dough in the fridge overnight before using.
Use a store-bought pie crust shield to protect the crust edges from over-browning, or create your own shield from aluminum foil by cutting out a circle in the center of a square of foil.
Don't substitute other liquid sweeteners (honey, agave, maple syrup) for the corn syrup. The filling won't set properly.
Light vs. dark corn syrup: Both work, but light corn syrup lets the brown butter flavor shine more. Dark corn syrup adds molasses notes and deeper color.

Storage:

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days
Refrigerated: Store covered for up to 4 days (bring to room temperature before serving)
Freezing: Not recommended

Nutrition