This is the BEST Gluten-Free Pecan Pie recipe ever! Flaky buttery crust with a rich brown butter honey maple filling, and no corn syrup!
Pecan pie has always been one of my favorite pies to serve at Thanksgiving. Unlike traditional pecan pie, this recipe is made with brown butter, maple syrup, honey, and no corn syrup, only natural sweeteners! It has a rich and decadent flavor, combined with a flaky gluten-free crust, flecks of sea salt, and vanilla bean ice cream, making this gluten-free pecan pie the ultimate indulgence.
For more dessert ideas to add to the Thanksgiving table, check out my Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie, Gluten-Free Chocolate Pecan Tart, and Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie.
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Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Pecans: I use a combination of toasted chopped pecans and halved pecans for texture.
- Butter: Browning the melted butter compliments the pecans and gives this pie a rich caramel-like flavor. For a dairy-free option, you can use melted dairy-free butter but do not brown. The flavor is not the same as regular butter.
- Honey & Maple Syrup: The honey and pure maple syrup combination replaces traditional corn syrup and gives this pie a delicious
- Coconut Sugar: Keeping this recipe refined and sugar-free, we use coconut sugar. If you are not concerned about the pie being refined sugar-free, dark brown sugar is also a great option.
- Eggs: The eggs help bind and set the custard pie.
- Vanilla Extract: You want to use a high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Salt: The salt helps balance the sweetness of the pie. Once the pecan pie has cooled, I like to sprinkle a few flecks of sea salt on top.
- Flaky Sea Salt (Optional): Adding flaky sea salt to the top of the cooled pie gives the perfect salty-sweet flavor combination. Add vanilla ice cream to each slice for the ultimate indulgence.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
The first step for the filling is to toast the pecans at 350°F for 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant.
In a large frying pan, brown the butter on medium-high heat.
Once browned, quickly add the maple syrup, bringing the mixture to a boil. Whisk for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the burner.
This will help some of the water to evaporate from the maple syrup and will thicken the pie.
Remove the pan from the burner and quickly whisk in the honey. Set the pan aside to cool for 10 minutes, to prevent the eggs from scrambling when combined.
Arrange the toasted pecans at the bottom of a 9-inch parbaked pie crust.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
Slowly pour the cooled butter-maple-honey- mixture into the large bowl, combining it with the whisked eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
Pour the filling over the top of the pecans. As the pecans start to rise through the filling, arrange the top of the pie in any design you please.
Place the pie in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes. Cover the crust with tin foil, at the 20-minute mark.
The filling should be set at the edges of the pie and only slightly jiggly at the center.
Remove from the oven and allow the pie to cool on a wire rack for a minimum of 3 hours. Serve.
Storage and Serving
When removing the pecan pie from the oven, allow it to rest a room temperature for 3 hours. The pecan pie should be completely cooled before storing or serving. After 3 hours you can serve the pecan pie the same day, or you can leave the pie in its dish, cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and refrigerate the pie until ready to use.
You can serve your pecan pie cold, straight from the refrigerator, but I find the best way to serve pecan pie is slightly warmed, or at room temperature. Pull the pecan pie out of the refrigerator an hour before serving, or add the cooked pie to a preheated oven at 300°F for 12-15 minutes.
You can also freeze pecan pie for up to 3 months. For this I recommend slicing the cooled pie into individual pieces, wrapping each piece tightly with aluminum foil, and then storing it in tupperware to avoid freezer burn. Remove the pie 24 hours prior to serving and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Expert Tips For The Best Pecan Pie
- Prebake the crust: Prebaking the crust allows for a buttery flakey texture and firms the bottom of the crust. Once the pecan pie filling is added to the parbaked crust, add a pie shield to avoid the crust from further browning. For this pie, I use my homemade gluten-free pie crust recipe.
- Toast the pecans: Toasting the pecans at 350°F for 5-7 minutes helps bring out the flavor. They really only need a couple of minutes, so make sure to watch them closely.
- Do not chop the pecans with a knife: An easy way to avoid dusty pecan pieces from getting in your pie is to snap the pecans in half with your fingers as opposed to chopping them up with a knife.
- Brown the butter: Brown butter is an essential ingredient that gives depth and flavor to this delicious pecan pie. It's definitely worth the extra effort.
- Watch the pie closely: If the pecans look like they are toasting too quickly on top, add a piece of tin foil about halfway through.
- Let the pie cool: Let the pie cool at least 3 hours before serving. This allows the whole pie to be properly set. Add whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or flaky sea salt to the top.
FAQs
This is a common problem that happens when the maple syrup is not cooked long enough or the pie is not baked long enough.
Pecan pie should be set at the edges with a slightly puffed, jiggly center, with an internal temperature of 190-200 degrees.
In this recipe, I substitute corn syrup with a combination of honey and maple syrup. You could also use brown rice syrup or agave nectar.
Yes! Prebaking the pie crust for pecan pie allows for an even flaky crust, with no soggy bottom. Adding a pie shield once you add the pecan pie filling, will protect the crust from over-browning.
Most pecan pie recipes do contain gluten, however, this recipe is 100% gluten-free.
Pecan pie will hold well in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Because of the eggs in the filling, it is not recommended to store pecan pie at room temperature.
Recipe
Gluten-Free Pecan Pie - No Corn Syrup
Ingredients
Par-baked pie crust
- recipe for a single 9-inch pie crust, par-baked
Pecan Pie Filling
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned
- ½ cup maple syrup, (120 grams)
- 6 tablespoons honey, (126 grams)
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cup pecan halves, (180 grams)
Instructions
Gluten-Free Crust Recipe
- Make the crust. Roll a disk of pie dough into a 12-inch circle, line a 9-inch pie dish, crimp the edges, and freeze the crust for 30 minutes.
- Par-bake. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line the pie crust with crumpled-up parchment paper filled with pie weights. Place the pie plate on a lined baking sheet, on the bottom oven rack, and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights, and place them in a nearby bowl to cool.
- Apply egg wash. In a small bowl whisk together 1 egg and a splash of milk. Brush the edges and center of the pie crust with the egg wash for a golden crisp color. Return the crust to the oven to bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust is pale, dry, crisp, and flaky.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. The crust will need to brown a bit further in the oven once the filling is added, but if there are any dark spots you can tent the edges with a few strips of foil folded in half lengthwise or use a pie shield.
Pecan Pie Filling
- Toast the pecans. On a fully lined baking sheet, spread out the pecan halves evenly, and toast at 350°F for 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove the pecans from the oven and set them aside to cool.
- Brown the butter. In a large frying pan, brown the butter on medium heat. Once browned, quickly add the maple syrup, bringing the mixture to a boil. Whisk for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat. The heat will help some of the water to evaporate from the maple syrup and thicken the pie filling.
- Add the honey. Whisk in the honey. Set the pan aside to cool for 10 minutes. (It's important to allow the mixture to cool to prevent the eggs from scrambling when combined).
- Add the pecans to the par-baked pie crust. Arrange the toasted pecans at the bottom of the prepared pie crust.
- Combine the eggs and brown butter mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Slowly pour the cooled browned butter mixture into the large bowl, and whisk to combine.
- Add the filling to the pie crust. Pour the filling over the top of the pecans.
- Bake. Place the pie on a lined baking sheet, on the bottom oven rack of the oven, and bake for 45-55 minutes or until the pie is just set. Add a piece of aluminum foil to tent the pie at the 20-minute mark. The middle of the filling should reach 190-200°F in temperature with a slight jiggle, and the edges will be puffed.
- Cool the pie. Remove the pie from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 3 hours.
Lindsey says
My mom's favorite pie is pecan. I made your recipe without a crust, as my mom is allergic to both corn and wheat. She said this was the BEST pecan pie she's ever eaten. For those who want to make a crustless pie, I followed this recipe exactly, except I poured it straight into the pie plate instead of into a crust. It was a huge hit with everyone at Thanksgiving, and I had multiple requests to make it again for Christmas.
Rebecca Taig says
Lindsey,
Thank you for leaving such a detailed and thoughtful review, I so appreciate you. I love the idea of making it crustless!
Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday.