Without question, Pecan Pie has a special place in my heart. It's my daddy's favorite pie and my Mama Trudy (my daddy's mom) made a mean one! She made a Classic Pecan Pie, simple and easy with corn syrup as is common. I make it the same way, but substitute something else for the corn syrup. Read on.
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Should we talk about the pronunciation or just leave it be?
I can't leave it be. It seems many people feel strongly about how to pronounce the name of this nut and I'm one of them. Some say "PEE-can". Gross. Others say "puh-can". Awkward. Yet others say "puh-'CAHN". I fall in the latter camp and believe it to be the only correct way. Now I've said my piece.
What is the corn syrup substitution?
Lyle's Golden Syrup! I first knew Lyle's Golden Syrup as a child growing up in Europe. We ate it on pancakes and waffles and we loved it.
With so many corn products in the US being genetically modified, I wanted a substitution for my Classic Pecan Pie. I've tried maple syrup because I like the idea of a natural sugar, but it's too thin and the pie doesn't set. I've just heard of a method to try to make it work better so I'll be experimenting with that.
I was happy to find that Lyle's Golden Syrup is imported to our country! I knew it would work very well in Classic Pecan Pie because of its thick texture.
You won't gain any nutrition from this substitution! And to be fair, if you're going to eat Pecan Pie, you aren't doing it for the nutrition, right?! Lyle's Golden Syrup is full on sugar and is made during the sugar refining process. However, it's not genetically modified corn! That said, I've recently learned about a non-GMO corn syrup made in Pennsylvania called Golden Barrel Corn Syrup. You can order it online from their website. I'm going to stick with Lyle's.
OK ... now let's get down to making Classic Pecan Pie!
You'll need a pie crust, obviously. A regular pie crust with flour, butter, salt, and a bit of cold water is what is normally called for. You can make it gluten-free by using a gluten free 1:1 flour blend. I found {and LOVE} Maurizio's recipe for sourdough pie crust! And that's what I've been using. He doesn't specify to let it ferment overnight (or longer), but I usually do.
Start with whisking the eggs, then add the syrup and sugar.
Add the melted butter, vanilla extract, and the pecans and pour it into the prepared pie crust.
I love that syrupy filling with the buttery taste of the pecans!
It needs to bake at least 50-55 minutes, but I often find that it needs a bit more time than that even. If it is really domed on top and overly jiggly, it needs more time. When you agitate the pie plate, it will jiggle a little bit when it's done, but you'll be able to tell that it's more set. As it cools, it will set up even more.
How to serve Classic Pecan Pie
All I need is the pie and a fork! I like it straight up ... no ice cream or whipped cream. In fact, I only found that people eat it with whipped cream on it when I met my husband!
Another tip: it tastes best when it's cooled to room temperature. I like to make it early in the day if I'm serving it in the evening, or even the day before.
Other recipes you might like:
Recipe
Classic Pecan Pie - NO corn syrup!
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie crust See notes
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar (organic cane)
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups pecans chopped
- whole pecan halves to decorate the top of the pie (See notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare the pie crust.
- In a bowl, slightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the syrup and sugar and stir to slightly dissolve the sugar. Add the butter and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Stir in the pecans then pour into the unbaked pie crust.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes. If it is really domed on top and overly jiggly, it needs more time. When you agitate the pie plate, it will jiggle a little bit when it's done, but you'll be able to tell that it's more set. As it cools, it will set up even more.
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