Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie: The New Thanksgiving Classic
Maybe you have to be a little bit Southern to appreciate this, but I dare you to give my Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie a try this Thanksgiving.
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I grew up in a family where it wasn’t Thanksgiving without a pecan pie. Then, I married a man who doesn’t like nuts in baked goods. I know. But he’s handy and cute, so I let it slide.
And now that I have all of you lovely readers to share recipes with, we’re making up one of my favorite pies of all time. Are you ready for this? Yes!
Something Different Than Standard Pecan Pie
Your standard pecan pie has a kind of jelly-like filling made up of corn syrup and sugar. Then, that is topped with pecans. If that’s what you’ve been getting, it’s likely you hate pecan pie. Trust me. This recipe is not like that at all.
My bourbon maple pecan pie starts with the beginnings of a butterscotch sauce properly spiked with Kentucky bourbon and amplified with maple syrup.
Then I fold that lovely nectar around smaller pecan pieces to create the filling. Top it off with pecan halves to make it super pretty, and you have the best pecan pie you’ll ever eat.
Making the Maple Bourbon Pecan Filling
Like I said, it starts with an almost butterscotch sauce. I find that light brown sugar adds a little molasses flavor but not so much that it overwhelms everything else like dark brown sugar does.
You’ll bring your sugar up to a simmer (get it to 350ºF, and brush down the sides to prevent crystals) to dissolve it and then add in the butter. This is essentially how you make a butterscotch sauce, except that, then, instead of adding cream, we’re adding maple syrup as the liquid.
This sounds insane, right? Trust me: it works so well.
Then you’ll flavor with vanilla, bourbon, and a bit of salt. Let it cool, and add your toasted pecans. That’s your filling, loves!
Tricks for Perfect Pie Crust
In this recipe, I only tell you to get a pie crust. That’s because it’s Thanksgiving, and you have enough on your plate. If you’re actually up to making your own pie crust, here’s my favorite recipe! Otherwise, you can save some energy and use a refrigerated roll-out one.
Trick 1: Keep it Chill
If you’re making your own, my favorite tips are to chill your work bowl, freeze the butter, and use iced bourbon instead of water or vinegar to make the crust. This creates a lot of nice, crisp, flaky layers in your crust, and it’s so nice!
Trick 2: Fancy Up the Edges
Another trick is to spend a bit of time (but not too much… you don’t want it to get warm) fancying up the edges. One of my favorite methods is to use a spoon to add some oval imprints along the cut edge. You could also cut out some little leaf shapes and really go to town decorating.
The most common method for finishing a crust edge is the pinch method. Use your forefinger and thumb on the inside of the crust and your other hand’s forefinger on the outside to press a crimp into the edge.
Trick 3: Protect the Crust
Finally, cover the crust for the first half-hour of baking. I use foil because it’s easier to fit. However, a crust guard like this is more sustainable with no waste.
You’ll remove this after 30 minutes to allow it to begin browning. If you don’t cover at all, you end up with a burnt crust by the time the rest of the pie is cooked.
How to Serve Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
We serve it room temperature with either a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a purposeful mound of whipped cream. I say purposeful because we certainly don’t do “dollops” of whipped cream in this house.
If anyone says you’re using too much whipped cream, they can eat their pie outside. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.
That said, make sure you have enough whipped cream for everyone!
I bet you’re excited to get started on your very own maple bourbon pecan pie, right? Comment below if you’ve tried this or are looking forward to it! And don’t forget to subscribe for weekly updates and a super cute printable meal planning and grocery list worksheet!
Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
Equipment
- Pie plate
- Small saucepan
- Crust guard or aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3 eggs beaten
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Roll your favorite pie crust into your favorite pie plate, and do what you do to make the edges pretty.
- For the filling, in a small sauce pan, melt together the butter and the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup, salt, vanilla, and bourbon. Let the mixture come to room temperature.
- Then beat in the eggs to combine. Stir in the pecan pieces. Then pour the mixture into the pie crust.
- Arrange the pecan halves around the top.
- Use foil to create a crust protector, leaving the pie filling open to the oven. Bake the pie for 45 to 55 minutes, removing the foil at the 30 minute mark.
- Allow the pie to come to room temperature before serving, or store in the fridge overnight
- Slice into 8 pieces. Top with whipped cream or ice cream for extra love.
