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Decadent Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie is pure perfection and so easy to make! This no corn syrup recipe combines rich maple syrup with the deep flavor of bourbon and pecans to make a pie that’s sure to be the star of any holiday gathering.
I’m bringing my A-game with this pie recipe. Not only have I pulled out all the stops with new, intensely flavorful ingredients, but I’ve also kept things easy and simple using a store-bought pie crust.
There are several things that make this pie so special. I’ve switched out the over-processed corn syrup for real maple syrup and white sugar with brown. The combination of those two gives this pie just the right amount of sweetness. Then to amp up the flavor just a bit, a splash of bourbon is just the thing.
Last but not least, I lightly toasted the pecans making them extra crunchy, and then added a sprinkle of flakey salt to balance out the sweetness. This indulgent, delicious pie is destined to become a classic!
This Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Is
- gooey on the inside with loads of toasted pecans on the top.
- rich and sweet from maple syrup.
- has a little “something extra” thanks to warm, comforting bourbon.
- is pecan pie taken over the top!
Ingredients For This Recipe
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Maple Syrup
- Salt
- Eggs
- Bourbon
- Vanilla
- Pecans
- Flaky Sea Salt
Tips For Making Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
The ingredients and instructions for this recipe are really simple. There are just a few things to keep in mind:
- Bake the pie in the middle to lower third of the oven. If you bake it on the upper rack, you’ll run the risk of it getting too brown before the pie is done.
- You can substitute bourbon extract or extra vanilla for the bourbon if desired.
- To make slicing easier, chill the pie beforehand.
How To Make This Pie Ahead Of Time And Freeze
This recipe is super easy to double and these pies freeze beautifully. I don’t know about you but I love having something sweet stored away in my freezer!
Bake the pie according to the directions and let it cool completely. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap then slide it into a zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy, place the pie in the refrigerator, let thaw then serve.
More Holiday Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Southern Pound Cake
- Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Fruit Dip
- Eggnog Pound Cake
- Banana Pudding Trifle
- Coconut Date Balls
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 11/2 cups pecans
- 1 9 inch prepared pie crust
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 3-4 minutes until brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
- In a medium-size saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar and maple syrup and stir until smooth. Bring the mixture up to a simmer then remove from heat. Place in a bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
- Whisk eggs and add to the butter-sugar mixture. Add in bourbon, vanilla, and salt whisking together until well blended. Pour mixture into uncooked pie shell. Place toasted pecans on top of the sugar fulling. Place pie on a baking sheet. Lightly spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and place over pie. Bake pie in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until the edges of the pie are set. The center will be slightly jiggly but will set when cooled.
- Remove pie from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt. Best served at room temperature.
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I’ve been buying maple bourbon pecan pies for about 10 Thanksgivings, and they are delicious. This year I decided to try my own, using this recipe. OMG. This is better than the pies I’ve been buying–much better, and that’s saying something. This maple bourbon pecan pie is easy to make, too. It’s decadent and delicious. I’m pretty sure the angels in heaven greet you with a slice of this when you arrive!
Hi Donya!
Quick question. I’m in recovery and need a substitute for the bourbon. I saw another poster asked a similar question, but OP was talking about bourbon extract. 3 Tablespoons of vanilla sounds like a lot. What could I use instead?
Thanks in advance!
Hey there Nonn!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe and for your amazing rating, I promise you won’t be disappointed, this pie is absolutely fantastic! If you need to omit the alcohol in this recipe, you can either add a little extra vanilla extract or simply leave out an alcohol-substitute all together. On occasion when I’m out of bourbon, I simply leave it out completely and don’t use a substitute, and it doesn’t change the texture of the pie filling at all. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out when you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
The recipe says “11/2 cups of pecans”. Is this 1.5 cups? or 11/2 aka 5.5 cups?
Hey there Tony!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re really going to love it! The recipe calls for 1.5 cups of pecans, but really you can add as much as you’d like, it’s all up to your personal preferences. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out, I really hope you enjoy!
~Donya
Can I just say, I just took this pie out of the oven and my house smells HEAVENLY. I can smell every component, the butter, the maple syrup, the bourbon. I splashed a little extra bourbon and sampled the sugar mixture before I added the eggs and it was warm, sweet, and rich. I cannot wait for my family to try at our Thanksgiving dinner.
Hey there!
Wow! I am absolutely thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and that you’re making it for Thanksgiving! This pie is a treasured family-favorite so I’m really glad to hear you’re enjoying it as well! Thank you so much for your kind words of support and your fabulous rating, please let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
je ne connais pas le bourbon pouvez vous me renseigner merci
Bonjour Marie!
J’utilise google translate pour répondre à cette question, donc je m’excuse si quelque chose est grammaticalement incorrect. Merci beaucoup pour votre intérêt pour cette recette, je pense que vous allez vraiment l’aimer! Le bourbon est un type de whisky qui est très couramment utilisé en pâtisserie et en cuisine ici aux États-Unis. Si vous ne trouvez pas de bourbon chez vous, vous pouvez remplacer le whisky ou même le scotch dans cette recette et elle sera délicieuse. Faites-moi savoir si vous avez d’autres questions, j’espère que vous apprécierez la recette !
~Donya
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and want to make it again for a Christmas party coming up. Everyone loved the taste, but the problem I have is on one hand you say it’s easier to serve the pie if it is refrigerated and on the other hand you say best if served at room temperature! Which is it? I think refrigerated because I served it at room temperature and the insides were all runny – very hard to serve. Can you add a couple tablespoons of gelatin to it to make it more firm? I do not recommend serving at room temp — it looks very sloppy.
Hey Carol!
Sorry for any confusion. I chill the pie then, before serving, I take it out of the fridge about half an hour to an hour before serving. That’s just how I like it. Serving it cold is great, too.
Merry Christmas!
~Donya
Hands down the BEST Bourbon Pecan Pie!!!! Everyone loved them!!! Thank you!!!!!
Hey there Lisa!
Wow! I am thrilled to hear that everyone enjoyed this dish! I’ll be honest, this is one of my absolute favorite recipes of mine, who doesn’t love a good pecan pie? If you liked this recipe, you should check out my Chocolate Chess Pie recipe, it’s another classic. Thank you so much for your support and your fantastic rating, I appreciate it! Happy Holidays!
~Donya
Is it best to make the day of thanksgiving or can I make it the night before?
Hey there!
That’s a really great question! I usually make it a day or two ahead, and then warm it in the oven, but you can absolutley make it day of and it’ll still turn out well!
I hope this helps, let me know how it turns out! Happy Thanksgiving!
~Donya
Hello, the filling didn’t turn out as expected everything tasted great but the texture of the mixture was not very appetizing. I’m sure it’s something I did wrong, it was a little too .. eggy? Congealed? Any thoughts on how to improve it?
Hey there Richard!
That’s a good question! Sometimes the eggs will coagulate if they’re added to quickly to the warm butter-sugar mixture. I would recommend letting the butter-sugar mixture sit for about 15 minutes to cool after it’s been on the stove, and then add the eggs in individually, whisking between each egg, so that the eggs won’t curdle. I hope this helps, let me know how your next pie turns out!
~Donya
In the picture the pie has pecan halves. Would it make a difference in quantity to use pieces? It is prettier but I have pecans bought in quantity as pieces
Hey there.
You can use whatever kind of pecans you have. I’ve made the pie with halves and pieces and it turns out great either way.
Have a great day!
~Donya
Thanks a bunch!! Happy Thanksgiving!
You are so welcome. I hope you enjoyed the recipe and had a great Thanksgiving.
~Donya
Hope I didn’t mess this up! I did not toast my pecans! Oh well….the recipe looks great and was easy to put together.
Hey Lynn,
Sorry for the delay. I took a few days off.
You did not ruin the pie. I hope you let me know how you liked the recipe.
Merry Christmas!
~Donya
I just put the pie in the oven for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I’ll report back to let you all know how it went over with these Yankees up here in Wisconsin. Is it okay to sip on some of the bourbon while the pie bakes? 😉
Hey Deacon!
This was my favorite comment this season. Of course, it’s ok to start sipping while you’re cooking. That’s how I roll, too.
Let me know how the recipe turned out and if those folks approved.
Merry Christmas,
~Donya
Can you use dark brown sugar instead of light?
Sure! Enjoy the recipe.
Have a great day,
~Donya
I just made a double batch for thanksgiving (one pie gets delivered contact free! And one for my husband 😁). They look incredible and came together so easily! Thank you for putting this recipe together, because I was out of corn syrup, but I never run out of maple syrup! I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! Happy thanksgiving!!
Hey Kristin!
Sorry for the delay. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed the pie. It was a hit with my people. 😉
Merry Christmas,
~Donya
LOVE this pie recipe! Especially that it does not use corn syrup. Made this for Thanksgiving and 3 out of 4 people preferred this to the other desserts. Making it again today. 🙂
You’ve made my day! I’m so happy you like the pie and the maple syrup makes it for sure.
have a wonderful day,
~Donya
I don’t have bourbon extract so what can I use in its place.
Is it a deep dish pie crust or regular pie crust. Thanks
Nancy,
Just use more vanilla if you don’t want to use bourbon or have bourbon extract. I make my pie in a 9-inch pie pan, not a deep dish.
~Donya
The pie looks delicious. The plate you’ve served it on is beautiful. What is the pattern? Wishing you and your family a Happy (and safe) Thanksgiving.
Hey there!
Thanks so much. I’m not sure of the pattern. I have several different blue patterned plates that I bought on Esty. They work well for desserts.
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
~Donya
Do you bake the crust a bit before or use it raw?
Hey Mary.
Do not bake the pie crust before filling it with the pecans pie mixture. It will bake up beautifully as the pie cooks.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
~Donya
Did you use a deep dish pan?
Hey there Casey!
Yes I did! I always prefer a deep dish crust because you can just get so much more out of it! I hope you enjoy, have a Happy Thanksgiving!
~Donya
I would love to make this recipe for my family for Thanksgiving (our fav) will bw my 1st “homemade” pie!! Which store brought crust did you use it didn’t say?
Hey there.
I use the pie dough that comes in a box that you find in the refrigerator section at the grocery store.
Enjoy the pie,
~Donya
WOW! Can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving. Thanks.