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.
If you love pie, you’ll be in heaven when you make my Southern Sweet Potato Pie and Million Dollar Pie recipes.
In This Post
I’m bringing my A-game with this pecan pie recipe. I have pulled out all the stops with new, intensely flavorful ingredients and kept things easy and simple using a store-bought pie crust.
You’ll Fall in Love with Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
- No Corn Syrup – 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.
- Bourbon – need I say more? A splash of bourbon amps up the flavor just a bit.
- Toasted Pecans – 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!
Everything You Need for the Ultimate Pie: Ingredients Breakdown
- Butter, salt, and eggs are the pie basics needed to make this recipe.
- Brown Sugar and maple syrup combined make the perfect replacement for corn syrup. And they are a bit healthier!
- Bourbon and vanilla add a flavorful punch. Any bourbon you like will work.
- Pecans absolutely need to be toasted for this pie. They add lovely, crunchy, warm notes.
- If you haven’t tried finishing desserts with flaky sea salt, you’re in for a treat! It enhances all the other flavors, making the pie out of this world good!
Recipe Variations
- Alcohol-Free: You can leave out the bourbon if needed. It bakes out, though, so the alcohol content is nearly non-existent. You can also substitute bourbon extract or extra vanilla for the bourbon if desired.
- Add Cinnamon: For a little more fall flair, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the pie.
- Homemade Pie Crust: You can also use your favorite pie crust recipe to make a completely homemade pie.
Step By Step Directions
- Toast the Pecans: 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.
- Make the Sweetener: Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and maple syrup and stir until smooth. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, then remove it from heat. Place in a bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
- Make the Pie: 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 filling. Place the pie on a baking sheet. Lightly spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and place it over the pie. Bake the 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 be set when cooled.
- Let it Cool: Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt. It’s best served at room temperature.
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 storing something sweet 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 ready to enjoy, place the pie in the refrigerator, let it thaw, and then serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lightly wrap the leftover pie in plastic or aluminum foil so you don’t crumble the crust. Store it in the fridge for up to four days.
Bake the pie in the middle to lower a third of the oven. If you bake it on the upper rack, you’ll risk getting too brown before the pie is done.
Always chill the pie before trying to slice it! This is how you get perfectly clean cuts.
Delicious Ways to Serve and Savor Every Slice
This pie is delicious; you can just eat it right out of the pie tin. But to make it a full dessert spread, try serving it with a Southern Pound Cake or fresh fruit and this Chocolate Fruit Dip.
Southern Classic Desserts You’ll Love
If you tried this Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
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.
Notes
- For leftovers: lightly wrap the leftover pie in plastic or aluminum foil so you don’t crumble the crust. Store it in the fridge for up to four days.
Nutrition
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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
I would recommend adding a little all purpose flour to your mixture vs gelatin.
This recipe does not have gelatin in it.
~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