I have lost count of just how many recipes I’ve adapted to be made without corn syrups, but I decided to add one more to the repertoire – pecan pie! For this Thanksgiving classic, I’ve swapped in maple syrup and dark brown sugar for the corn syrup and the results are gooey, sticky, nutty and amazing.
Corn syrup isn’t an ingredient that’s readily available outside the USA, so it’s often necessary for me to come up with some swaps if I want to make an American classic.
This version is leaves nothing to be desired and the subtle maple flavour is a bit more complex and less cloying than a pie made with corn syrup.
How to Make Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
Before you start making your pie, ensure that you’ve blind baked your crust. I like to blind-bake the crust rather than simply par-baking it as I do in my pumpkin pie recipe. This is because the filling can be quite sticky and liquidy and this is the easiest way to avoid the dreaded “soggy bottom.”
I also recommend making your own crust – my flaky, all-butter pie crust works great – as it’s just so much better than storebought!
Now, onto the filling. This is so easy to make and comes together in just one bowl! To begin, make sure to toast your pecans.
This brings out their nutty flavour much more and elevates your pie. All you need to do is add the nuts to a rimmed baking sheet and move them to a 180°C/350°F oven for about 5 minutes.
Once fragrant, remove them and set the nuts aside. Go ahead and reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/320°F.
Now, in a large bowl, vigorously whisk together some eggs, a good amount of maple syrup, dark brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract and salt. Once well combined, fold in the toasted pecans.
Pour the filling into your baked pie crust and then set the pie atop a rimmed baking sheet.
Move to the oven and bake the pie until it’s set around the edges but still a bit wobbly in the middle – it should move like set jello. It should not leave ripples or seem liquidy in any way.
Remove the pie from the oven and this is where the hard part is – you have to wait for at least 4 hours before cutting into it.
For those of you who want the same type of dessert but are a bit more impatient, then give my pecan bars a try instead.
Maple Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
Ingredients
- 200 g (2 cups) pecans roughly chopped
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 250 ml (1 cup) maple syrup
- 50 g (¼ cup) dark brown sugar
- 50 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 g (½ tsp) salt (see note 1)
- 1 recipe for easy pie crust blind baked (see note 2)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Add the pecans to a rimmed baking sheet and move to the oven. Toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Reduce oven tempersture to 160°C/320°F.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, maple syrup, dark brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. Whisk vigorously until light and frothy, about one minute.
- Add the toasted pecans and stir to combine. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.
- Place the pie onto a rimmed baking sheet and move to the oven. Bake until the pie is puffed and set around the edges but still retains a slight wobble when agitated – about 40-50 minutes. Allow the pie to cool completely before serving, at least 4 hours.
Notes
- Use the weight measurement of salt rather than the volumetric measurement if at all possible. Different brands and types of salt can vary, so going by weight is going to be the most consistent option.
- Find my recipe for pie crust here.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This pecan pie is simple to make and filled with great, complex flavours. Using maple instead of corn syrup complements the pecans very well and it’s the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving – or really any time of year!
Are you after a great pecan pie recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
