Southern Pecan Pie Recipe With Bourbon

This southern bourbon pecan pie is a deep and richly flavored pie. It is an unexpected and welcome diversion from the very sweet and sugary traditional pecan pie. A dessert that is sure to please. An easy recipe that you will make over and over again.

Bourbon has flavor notes of vanilla and caramel making it the perfect pairing for pecan pie.

I made this pie for New Years day and it was a hit. Everyone loved it. This pie would be excellent for other holidays as well. Just like pumpkin pie is good for all the fall celebrations.

Pecan pie is my husband’s favorite pie and this was a welcome treat for him.

Now, you need to like bourbon or this pie isn’t for you. It has a strong flavor.

But if you want a different spin on a pecan pie, you should try this.

The first time I took a bite of this pie, I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a very sweet traditional pecan pie but instead, the bourbon had toned down the sweetness. Giving me a delightful and tasty dessert. I am in love with this pie.

Substitutions For Bourbon

Not everyone has bourbon in the house. I certainly don’t. So, I picked up an airplane bottle of Jim Beam. Jim Beam is made in our neighboring state of Kentucky. The bottle contains only 100 ml which is just enough for two pies.

You could use whiskey instead of bourbon which is a type of whiskey. Then again this would alter the flavor.

If you would still like the taste of bourbon in your pie without the alcohol, you could always substitute a bourbon extract instead. In this case, use two teaspoons of bourbon extract.

Using Light Or Dark Corn Syrup

A pecan pie just isn’t the same without corn syrup. But which is better? Light or dark? It is really a matter of personal preference. I prefer light corn syrup in this pie due to the already characteristic flavoring of the bourbon. That is where most of the flavor is coming from and I don’t want to detract from that at all.

How To Make Bourbon Pecan Pie

Prepare the pie crust.

A homemade pie crust with a homemade pie filling is always a winning combination. Making a pie crust from scratch isn’t hard at all. I have a full guide on how to make a piecrust including the recipe. This pie crust is flaky and full of flavor. Making it the perfect companion for this Bourbon Pecan Pie.

This bourbon pecan pie uses a 9 inch unbaked pie crust.

It is perfectly acceptable to use a store bought pie crust. There is no judgment here. This pie will still be marvelous. Seriously!

How to prepare the pie filling:

• Precook the pie filling to prevent the pie crust from becoming soggy. Not all pecan pie recipes tell you to do this. I think going this one extra step deepens the flavor of the pie filling.
  • To begin the filling, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar and corn syrup to a small saucepan. Using low heat, cook the mixture till the sugars are melted.
  • Add the butter and salt to this. Stir well. Let this mixture cool so that it doesn’t cook the eggs.
• Beat the eggs and bourbon in a large bowl. Whisk in the cooled sugar mixture to the bowl till blended.
• Stir in the vanilla extract. Then add in the pecan halves. Mix till combined.
• Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust.
• Bake at 350℉ for 50-60 minutes.

How To Check If A Pecan Pie Is Done

Be sure to always check if the pie is done at the minimal amount of time so it doesn’t over cook. Everyone’s oven is different.

These are the ways I check for doneness:

1. If the pie jiggles just a bit in the middle, it is done. However, if if the middle of the pie has a lot of movement, keep baking.
2. Check to make sure it’s done by inserting a dinner knife into the middle of the pie. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
3. Or using an instant read thermometer inserted into the middle of the pie should read 200℉ when done.

That is it. This is a very easy pie to put together.

Toppings For Pie

You could add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a bit of whipped cream on top of the slice of pie. I have an easy recipe for homemade whipped cream using your mini chopper if you have some whipping cream in the fridge. This is a super easy recipe to whip up at a moment’s notice.