The Best Pecan Pie Recipe Ever with Buttery Streusel Topping (2024)

The other night Eric and I settled in for our Netflix and chill. For us that means new episodes of The Good Place or reruns of The Office (because it just never gets old). And also whatever treat I’ve been working on lately for the blog.

I was snuggled in with a blanket and Eric asked, do you want a slice of pecan pie? (I’ve been testing this recipe all week.) I said yes please! so he brought me a slice of pecan pie. Just the regular kind. No streusel. The first pecan pie recipe I tested.

I said, um, what is this. He said, pecan pie. I said, there is no streusel on this pie. Eric, once you streusel, there is no going back!

It’s the truth though, right? (When was the last time you had a streusel-less muffin? It’s just sad.) I sent Eric back to the kitchen for a slice of The Real Pecan Pie, the one you see in these photos. (He’s a catch ladies. Although I suppose I am the one who made the pie, so he hasn’t done too bad either.)

You will love this Recipe for Pecan Pie!

Pecan pie is of course the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, not only because it’s traditional, but because it’s best made 1 day ahead. The flavors have time to marry, and the pie has a chance to cool off 100% (seriously, you will have a mess if you cut into a hot pecan pie). Plus it’s super easy.

Best Pecan Pie Recipe with streusel

Streusel fulfills two purposes in my mind: it adds sugar and it adds CRUNCH. It’s perfect for a not-too-sweet muffin. But Pecan Pie is already SO sweet, so we are adding a minimal amount of sugar to our streusel, just 1/4 cup. It’s actually mostly flour and butter. It crisps up into a beautiful, gorgeous crumb topping that will make your Pecan Pie recipe the star of the show. Seriously, once you streusel, you will never go back. (Kind of like how I’m never going back to regular pumpkin pie after torching the top of it like a crème brulée.

Homemade Pecan Pie Ingredients

Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!

My secret to making the Best recipe for Pecan Pie

Before I thought of adding streusel on top, my goal was to make the best pecan pie recipe ever. So I did a bunch of research and compared tons of recipes. Here’s what I came up with for the most flavorful, perfectly textured pecan pie recipe: a combination of sugar and corn syrup to get that caramel-y filling, browning the butter to add even MORE buttery flavor, a touch of lemon juice to balance all the sweetness, a bit of flour to thicken the filling a bit, and finally: TOFFEE BITS.

When I tested this pecan pie recipe the first time, I thought the toffee bits would stay hard, and each slice of pie would have little crunchy bits in it. (Who can say no to crunchy toffee bits?) But that’s not what happened. They melted into the brown sugar filling, giving it an even deeper caramel-toffee flavor. YASSSS.

And if you don’t know about the secret of browned butter, let me share with you. BROWNED. BUTTER. WILL. CHANGE. YOUR. LIFE. It adds SO much flavor. You can take any average recipe and brown the butter and make it into an AMAZING recipe.

How to make a Pecan Pie

Here’s a quick overview of how to make this pie. Scroll down to the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

For the crust:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
2. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the butter and Crisco. In a small bowl beat one egg. Pour out half. Add 1/4 cup ice water to the half beaten egg. Beat it together with a fork, then add it to the flour mixture. Stir until it is just coming together, then use floured hands to knead it once or twice.
3. Divide the dough in half. Shape one half into a disc, put it in a ziplock, and stick it in the freezer. Roll the dough with a rolling pin, using as much flour as you need so that it doesn’t stick. Invert the parchment paper onto a 9-inch pie pan and gently peel off the paper.
4. Arrange the pie crust and fold any excess crust underneath. Crimp as desired and place the pie pan in the freezer or fridge while you make the filling.

Here’s a pie crust refresher.

For the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a baking sheet in the oven on a center rack.
2. Place the stick of butter in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the butter starts to foam. Keep stirring until you see dark brown spots start to swirl in with the foam.Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat the eggs. Add sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup and beat again.
4. Add the slightly cooled butter and beat well. Add the milk, vanilla, salt, lemon juice, and flour. Beat well, scraping the sides and bottom.
5. Fold in the toffee bits and chopped pecans, then pour the filling into the chilled pie crust.
6. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Once the pie is in the oven, immediately turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, make the streusel topping. Whisk together flour and brown sugar. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter. Put the streusel in the fridge or freezer until you need it.
8. Fold a pie-size square of aluminum foil in half, then in half again. Use scissors to cut a circle out of the center. When you open the aluminum foil, you should have a square piece of foil with a circle cut out of the middle. This will be your crust shield.
9. After the pie has baked for 30 minutes, carefully remove it from the oven and add the streusel all over the top of the pie. Carefully place your foil pie shield over the crust of the pie and fold around the edges. Put the pie (on the baking sheet still) back in the oven.
10. Continue baking for another 30-37 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely to room temperature.

How to thicken Pecan Pie Filling

Pecan pie filling should include flour or cornstarch to help it thicken. My recipe includes flour. But the real secret to thickening your pecan pie filling is just letting it bake long enough. See the section below on “How to tell if Pecan Pie is done.”

How to make the Streusel Pecan Pie Topping

Streusel topping is easy to mix together. You’ll whisk together flour and brown sugar, then cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork. The goal is for the streusel to look like coarse sand with some larger chunks of butter throughout. You can also use your hand to squeeze the streusel together into nice chunks.

How to tell if Pecan Pie is done

To make sure that the filling is cooked and your pie is done, do one or all of the following:

• Jiggle it. The center 3-4 inches should still jiggle, but the edges should be firm.
• Stick a knife in it. It should come out clean.
• Tap it with a spoon. When the back of a spoon taps the center of the pie, it should spring back, like Jello.
• Take its temperature. The pie should be 200 degrees when it’s ready.

Tips for making The Best Pecan Pie Recipe

Here’s how to make a homemade pie crust shield. Your crust WILL burn if you don’t cover it for the last half of the bake time.

Voila!

What to serve with Homemade Pecan Pie

I love serving this pie with vanilla ice cream, but you could definitely serve it with whipped cream instead. Either way, the creaminess is just what you need to contrast with the rich sweetness of the pecan filling and streusel topping.

How to store Pecan Pie

Can Pecan Pie be left out?

Pecan pie can be left out for 2-3 days without a problem. After that, you may want to refrigerate it to make sure that it stays fresh.

Does pecan pie need to be refrigerated?

Nope! You can leave it on the counter. I would throw it in the fridge if it’s not gone by day 3. But I’m not sure who could have this pie sitting on their counter staring them in the face and it not be gone within 3 days. I know I don’t have that kind of will power!

Can you freeze Pecan Pie?

Yes! Pecan pie freezes just great. The only challenge here is that the streusel topping will soften and won’t have that same amazing texture it did before. If you can live with this, go right ahead and freeze leftover pie (or, better yet, invite the neighbors over for a slice and watch as they become your new best friends).

How long does Pecan Pie last?

Your pie will be good in the freezer for 3-4 days. If there’s more left after that, you can either freeze leftover slices or share it with your friends. Better yet, just send leftover slices home with your guests so everyone can feel the pecan love.

Recipe for Pecan Pie FAQs

What else are you guys making for Thanksgiving this year?? I’ve got an easy cranberry sauce coming your way soon, plus the perfect appetizer you never knew you needed. Check out the Homemade Green Bean Casserole I just posted (soo good), and the Cornbread Stuffing with Bacon and Sage, which is the only stuffing I will make from now on, or variations from it. Cornbread ftw.

Happy menu planning!