No Corn Syrup Pecan Pie

Okay. It’s finally here. It’s finally making its debut. Pecan pie!!! Never before seen on the blog.

I mean, I’ve posted pecan pie bars in the past. Which, by the way, are so damn good and are some of my favorite bars ever.

But an actual pecan pie recipe. This I’ve never shared with you before.

Honestly, I’ve been pushing the whole pecan pie thing off. Every year, when Thanksgiving time creeps up, I think, “I should really get around to posting a pecan pie recipe on the blog.”

But then I get overwhelmed. Because thoughts such as “How am I going to develop the best pecan pie recipe” and “I don’t want to use corn syrup though” and “Pecan pie is such a pain in the buttocks to test out countless times because I gotta wait for the filling to set for 4 billion hours” arise.

First world problems, I tell you.

But this year I took the plunge. And I set out to create a pecan pie that was corn syrup free whilst still being the best pecan pie I’d ever had.

I had some rules.

The pecan pie had to be rich. It had to be indulgent. It had to be gooey and sticky but still firm up nicely. It had to be not overly sweet. It had to have the flakiest, all-butter pie crust. It had to have the most bomb flavor. And it had to have chocolate in it, somewhere, somehow.

These were my guidelines. These were the elements I sought. And behold is the pecan pie that resulted from my all-important, finicky quest.

This corn syrup free pecan pie is all the above-mentioned things. And more.

Let’s start with the crust. It’s my go-to pie crust whenever I’m making a pie or galette.

It’s all-butter, it has vodka in it, it uses a unique mixing method, and it yields the most flaky, crispy, buttery, tender pie crust.

This pie crust has my heart. I’d happily eat it plain. Without any fillings or toppings or extras. It’s the best.

And the filling.

First, it’s got pecans in it. Obvs. I like my pecans on the larger, almost-whole side when it comes to my pecan pies. So I VERY coarsely chopped the pecans here.

And then. Chocolate chips!!!! While I do suppose they can be skipped if you’re seeking the most classic version of pecan pie, I think the chocolate chips add the most amazing flavor and texture and subtle crunch to the pecan pie and I would highly, highly suggest including it, if only for my own sanity’s sake.

Then, the rest:

• a mixture of brown sugar and granulated sugar (mostly brown), for the richest flavor and most ideal texture and density

• a mixture of maple syrup and honey (mostly maple syrup), for the lovely, deep flavor maple syrup provides and the gooeyness and stickiness and thickness honey graces us with

• melted butter, because hello rich, buttery flavor

• coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt (yes coffee. yes it’s subtle. yes it brings out all the other flavors and is the most wonderful and unexpected addition to pecan pies the world over. and vanilla because vanilla. and cinnamon, just a tiny bit, for an extra depth of flavor. and salt, you know how it is)

• eggs, because pecan pie filling needs eggs to help it coagulate and firm up and not be a runny mess

• flour, just a tablespoon, for thickening purposes, only because we’re not using corn syrup, which is naturally a lot thicker than maple syrup

It’s got such a flaky, crispy, buttery crust. It’s got a filling that’s so rich and gooey and deep and indulgent and crunchy and chocolaty and nutty and filled with so many special and unexpected yet very necessary flavors.

No corn syrup pecan pie - I’ve finally found you, I finally have you, and I will never let you go.

No Corn Syrup Pecan Pie

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Yield: 8-10 servings

Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cubed
2 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons cold vodka

Filling:
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional, but highly recommended)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Crust: In a food processor, pulse together half the flour and all the sugar and salt. Sprinkle in the cubed butter and pulse till all the flour is coated in butter, you have cottage cheese-like clumps, and the dough is almost homogenous. Pulse in the remaining flour until you get pea-sized crumbs. Do not over mix! (Click here for a video tutorial.)

2. Sprinkle in the water and vodka and pulse a few times until you have small crumbs again. Do not pulse until a dough forms - the dough should still be crumbly. If the dough sticks together when you press it between your fingers, it's done. If it doesn't clump, pour in a drop more water and pulse again until the dough sticks together when pressed between your fingers. 

3. Pack the dough together with your hands, flatten, and wrap it in a large piece of parchment paper. Chill dough for at least 40 minutes in the fridge or 25 minutes in the freezer. While chilling, prepare filling.

4. Filling: Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt butter. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, maple syrup, honey, eggs, flour, coffee mixture, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk in the melted butter.

5. Remove dough from fridge, flour top and rolling pin, and roll out on the parchment paper it was wrapped in to a 12” circle. Lift the parchment paper and flip dough over into a 9” pie dish (glass preferred, so the bottom of the pie is visible to check for doneness). Press dough into dish and carefully lift the rim of crust so that it sticks up a bit over the pan. Pinch the crust into itself to scallop the edges.

6. Spread the pecans and chocolate chips into the bottom of the crust. Pour the filling over. Place pie onto a baking sheet for easier transferring.

7. Bake pecan pie on lower oven rack for about 50 minutes, until the top is slightly browned, the crust is golden, and the center is just slightly jiggly when you gently shake the pan. If crust is getting too dark during baking, lightly cover the pie with a piece of foil and continue baking.

8. Let pie set and cool for a few hours before serving (I prefer it cold from the fridge).