Pecan pie is one of the first things we head for when it comes time to hit the Thanksgiving dessert table. This nut-filled classic is the very definition of ooey-gooey decadence, and always has been. Our version is just as rich and sugary as ever, but with one small change: we ditched the corn syrup.
Of course, pecan pie was around long before corn syrup was even dreamed of. We've seen other versions of corn-syrup-free pecan pies that use maple syrup, honey, or cooked brown sugar. In our great-grandmother's oldest church cookbook, there's a recipe for Praline Pecan Pie that simply mixes brown sugar with eggs to make a basic custard base.
We prefer using an all-purpose cane sugar syrup that we've been playing with lately. This syrup makes a perfectly gooey pie with a deep caramelized flavor and a crunchy nut topping. Honestly, we'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this pie and the corn syrup versions we've made and loved in the past. In our minds, that's a win all around.
It hardly needs to be pointed out, but a slice of pecan pie pairs brilliantly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. We also like a cup of strong black coffee to sip between sugary bites.
Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Make one 9-inch pie
1 9" unbaked pie crust
1 cup (370g / 13 ounces) cane sugar syrup
1 cup (220g / 7.75 ounces) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, lightly whisked
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (225g / 8 ounces) halved pecans
Pre-heat the oven to 350° with an oven rack placed in the middle of the oven.
Roll out the pie crust and transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and freeze for 15 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Microwave the cane sugar syrup in 30 second bursts on HIGH (about 1 - 1.5 minutes total), or set in a saucepan of simmering water, until the syrup is pourable.
Combine the syrup, sugar, eggs, salt, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Stir gently until the mixture is smooth and all the ingredients are evenly combined. Stir in the pecans.
Remove the pie crust from the freezer and pour the filling into the shell. Use a spoon to make sure the pecans are distributed evenly. Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 50-55 minutes. The pie is done when it reaches an internal temperature of about 200°, and when the top crust turns deep golden-brown and feels firm when gently tapped.
Allow to cool completely and keep loosely covered with plastic in the refrigerator. Keeps one week.
Related: Trader Joe's Pantry: Trader Joe's Frozen Pie Crust
(Images: Emma Christensen)
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I know why HFCS is bad, and I know why too much sugar in food is bad... but what's the evil of plain corn syrup? Is it just about not supporting the nasty big corn industry?
To be honest the corn syrup has always kept me from baking pecan pie. Who wants to have the shame of a whole bottle of corn syrup sitting in their fridge?
I'm really excited to finally have homemade pecan pie without the sticky bottle of karo.
ZOMG. Must have pecan pie.
I don't think I've ever used corn syrup...
Another alternative: I followed this recipe last year http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/journal/2008/11/24/perfect-pecan-pie.html it uses golden syrup --- which is quite common in the UK to put in porridge (oatmeal)? I think it should be available in the US, last time I was there I saw it at Whole Foods. By the way the pie turned out wonderfully, people loved it.
@Abigail, who keeps corn syrup in the fridge? It's pure sugar, it doesn't need refrigeration any more than granulated does. And if you bake, it's pretty indispensable. It's crucial in a lot of candy as well because the chemical composition is slightly different than that of granulated sugar and helps prevent crystalization (yay for supersaturated mixtures!). What's the shame for?
Irrelevant but true story:
I never understood the allure of pecan pie because... I was well into my 20s before it was explained to me that pecan pie was more than just pecans in a shell.
@Tiamat. Thanks for the part about the different crystal structure. It does make corn syrup very useful in applications like whipping up some fudge.
It's HFCS that you should watch for. Who keeps THAT in their pantry?? :-)
Old-Fashioned with hydrogenated vegetable shortening in the crust?
@QueenOfTheFall, I actually don't think HFCS is any particular threat; the science just isn't there (the one study that showed a clear problem has been questioned for methodology and hasn't been repeated yet). That said, can you even buy it? I've never seen it in the stores except in other things.
Just an FYI - some brands of commercially available corn syrup do have HFCS as one of their ingredients. Karo used to (as evidenced in the photo I took for this post). I just checked a more recently-purchased bottle of Karo, though, and HFCS wasn't listed, so maybe they stopped using it.
Back home in Louisiana, it is understood that the best pecan pie is made with cane syrup. I definitely recommend Steen's cane syrup, cooked in small kettle batches right in Cajun country! Check it out...you won't be disappointed.
http://www.steensyrup.com/
for many years i've made pecan pie with half honey and half maple syrup. i enjoy the maple-y pecan flavor, and everyone at thanksgiving seems to like it too!
Last year, I swapped the corn syrup in my mom's pecan pie recipe for a mixture of maple and brown rice syrups, and the result was delicious and had the texture I wanted. I like how brown rice syrup is a little less sweet than maple syrup or honey.
Hey, so I learned something new today. Evidently glucose syrups (like corn syrups) have been around since at least 1811, probably earlier, because all you have to do to make it is add an acid to the starch then heat it for a long, long time.
It's a holiday treat. Lighten up! Enjoy the pie, you know, Grandma's recipe with the Karo. Next week just skip the Super Size Mr. Misty Slush down at the Dairy Queen and bask in your righteous, self-control.
I second phoxx! twice :)
For those who wonder why corn syrup is bad- any food that is multiple steps away from it's natural state is not best for your health.
What phoxx said. And besides homemade pie with Karo syrup is still going to be better than a store bought pie.
kitsunerach, or anyone else familiar with Steen's cane syrup -- how does the flavor and sweetness compare with pecan pie made with Karo?
THX!
I have organic light corn syrup by Wholesome Sweetners in my pantry. Will that work as a substitute?
I hate anything derivative of corn syrup, but surely it's better than HFCS?
My father-in-law is allergic to corn (I have a mild allergy, too), so one year for Christmas, I made batches of mini pies with all sorts of substitutions for the corn syrup. I had my husband taste test them, then I made the winner (honey) as a Christmas present, along with the recipe.
Brown rice syrup - also wonderful in pecan pie.
I agree that hot black coffee is the perfect beverage to go with pecan pie. Myself, it's almost the perfect breakfast. Perfect breakfast? Uh, that would be Pumpkin Pie and hot black coffee :)
HFCS is bad because its not like, or a sugar. when it comes into the body it does not stimulate insulin production, like sugar would. It cannot be fully digested by the body so most often it collects as fat, and in other instances behind the eyes causing blindness in diabetics.
My mother and daughter are allergic to corn. Some people think that they shouldn't react to the syrup, that it shouldn't contain the corn protein. Unfortunately, they both react to the syrup as well as the protein found in the kernel and in the starch. I am constantly looking for recipes that substitute the corn syrup in pies and candies. I am going to try this!
I don't know, without referencing my cookbook, but Bittman also has a fabulous non-corn syrup pecan pie recipe. The recipe also includes the best thing I've ever read about CS. Taste it on it's own. Does it taste good? No, it's really bad. I don't know how it creates the sweet in foods, and based on how it tastes on its own, I don't really want to know. I'm good with sugar.
Oops, I meant, I don't know how this compares to Bittman's recipe without referencing my c-book.
Hmm, my pecan pie is a non-corn-syrup version, but it certainly doesn't call for cane sugar either, I think just copious amounts of brown sugar (much easier to find). It convinced my FIL that pecan pie was worthwhile and won the approval of two other traditional pecan pie lovers.
I have never used syrup. My recipe is from the late 1800's giving to me by a black cook who worked on a plantation..and it was her mothers...many things man made are basic lazy way of cooking..such as corn syrup...
'real' pecan pie is made with cane syrup. Not really really thick simple syrup. I mean the kind that looks like molasses.
Becster.Henrich, brown sugar IS cane sugar. Brown sugar is either partially refined white sugar with some of the molasses (by-product of refining) left in, or white sugar with molasses added.
HFCS are also manufactured from GMO corn. I believe GMO franken-foods have not been thoroughly tested and contribute to a number of health maladies the US population is suffering today including obesity. That is just part of the issue I have with HFCS. Sugar is to be consumed with caution as well but you can't quit enjoying the holiday feasts all together or life would be drudgery! I just don't think you need to further damage your health when we are blessed with other options like making your own cane sugar syrup.