A touch of bourbon makes a delicious difference in this Bourbon Pecan Pie recipe. If you think you can’t love pecan pie more than you already do, you’re in for a treat!
For more delicious bourbon-enhanced desserts check out my Sweet Potato Bundt Cake and Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars.
I added some bourbon to my holiday pecan pie on a whim many, many years ago and I’ve been reaching for that bottle every single time I’ve baked a pecan pie since. It enhances the other ingredients with a touch of its rich, smoky flavor and takes pecan pie to a truly delicious place.
It isn’t an overwhelming flavor and it does’t taste especially boozy.
It’s just better.
Pecan pie is a classic choice for a Thanksgiving dessert menu. It’s also one of the easiest pies to make since there’s no top crust. It’s just a matter of mixing the ingredients in a bowl, pouring them into a single crust and baking it in the oven. Easy, peasy, and oh-so delicious!
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Pie crust pastry: Take a look at my easy as pie, Food Processor Pie Crust recipe. Once you’ve got your crust rolled out this recipe comes together very quickly.
- Pecans: This recipe calls for chopped pecans, but I like to buy pecan halves and coarsley chop them for slightly larger pieces.
- Bourbon: For baking, a mid-range bourbon with a balanced flavor profile works best. These bourbons have notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak, which add warmth and depth without overpowering. Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, and Buffalo Trace are all great choices – they’re smooth and reasonably priced. Avoid top-shelf bourbons (save those for sipping!) since their complex notes may overtake your recipe, and steer clear of very cheap options, which can be harsh.
- For the rest: Large eggs, light corn syrup, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, and butter.
- For serving: Be sure to have lots of vanilla ice cream on hand! Bourbon Pecan Pie served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is a match made in heaven!
How to Make Bourbon Pecan Pie
- Lightly whisk eggs in a medium mixing bowl.
- Mix in the corn syrup, sugar, melted and cooled butter, vanilla, and bourbon and mix until well combined.
- Stir in the pecans.
- Pour the pie filling into the prepared crust. Then, bake on the center rack of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 60 to 65 minutes until center seems set. Allow to cool before serving.
Tips for the Best Bourbon Pecan Pie
Keep the crust cold: After lining your pie pan with the prepared pie crust, place it in the freezer while preparing the filling. Keeping the butter in the crust very cold helps the crust keep its shape while baking and ensures a flaky texture.
Avoid overmixing: When stirring the filling, mix just until combined to prevent extra air from creating a foamy texture on top of the pie.
Cool completely: Let the pie cool fully before slicing so the filling can set properly, making each slice neat and easy to serve.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
To store leftover pie, cover it loosely with plastic wrap or foil and store it at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerate it for up to four days.
Bourbon Pecan Pie is a great pie to make in advance. Prepare the pie as usual, then allow it to cool completely. You can store it in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for a couple of days or freeze it for up to two months. If freezing, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and thaw it in the refrigerator before serving.
More Classic Holiday Desserts You’ll Love
Apple Desserts: It can’t be Thanksgiving in this house without a Classic Double Crust Apple Pie. Or go for an easy apple dessert like Apple Cobbler or Fresh Apple Cake.
Pumpkin Desserts: Classic Pumpkin Pie is always a hit but if you love pecans, try my Praline Pumpkin Pie for a pecan pie meets pumpkin pie experience! I have big love for my Pumpkin Gingerbread – a take on my mom’s absolutely delicious Gingerbread Cake recipe. Pumpkin Roll Cake is an impressive and absolutely delicious choice.
Chocolate Desserts: You can’t go wrong with my seriously delicious Chocolate Cream Pie or an indulgent Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie!
Lemon Desserts: A Lemon Tart or my mom’s Easy Lemon Bars are a nice, light way to end a big holiday meal.
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Bourbon Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1 prepared pie crust, (unbaked)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
- 1 ½ cups coarsley chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. with a rack set in the center of the oven.
- Line a 9-inch pie dish with the prepared pie crust and place the pie dish in the freezer while preparing the filling.
- In a medium mixing bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Using a spoon, stir in the corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, and bourbon and mix until well combined. Stir in the pecans. Remove the pie dish from the freezer and pour the filling into the chilled pie crust.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 60 to 65 minutes or until the center seems set. Allow to cool before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
This post was originally published on November 23, 2011. It has been updated with new text and images.
The Story Behind the Recipe
As long as I’ve been married, I’ve had a bottle of Jim Beam in my pantry. No, marriage has not driven me to drink.
It was my mother and father-in-law’s drink of choice. After we lost my husband’s mom, my father-in-law would come every Sunday to join our family for dinner. He’d sit at the kitchen table with his bourbon and water while I was busy in the kitchen preparing our dinner.
He appreciated a home cooked meal and the boys loved the tradition of Sunday supper with Grandpa. Since I always had a bottle of it on hand, I started to play around with using bourbon in recipes and found it does something really special to pecan pie.
We lost Grandpa years ago and I still think of him every time I bake this pie. This recipe gives me an excuse to keep a bottle of Jim Beam in the pantry.
It just wouldn’t seem right otherwise.
I have been learning to make a lot of traditional pies recently and my extended family members are happy with my apple cherry and sweet potato pies, but this is the first pie my husband has raved over, and asked me to make over and over again. This is definitely a keeper!
Oh, we love this pie too! Thanks, Patricia. 🙂
We are nit not big on adding sugar especially 1 cup will it mess this up if we reduce the sugar? I will makes it with what you say just wonder about maybe 1/2 cup?
Pecan pie is definitely supposed to be on the sweet side. I’ve never made it with less sugar so I can’t say how that would turn out. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Can any liquor be subbed? I have a bottle of pecan praline whiskey in my pantry now.
Well, heck, maybe that praline whiskey would be delicious in this pie! I can’t say for sure as I haven’t tried it but let me know how it works out for you 🙂
That sounds wonderful! Let us know how it tastes. I just made this one for my nephew. Found bourbon pecans at nuts co. In the oven now. Hope they turn out nice. Happy Thanksgiving!
Taste so yummy and easy to make but followed instructions to a T for two pies, but it didn’t make enough for two pies was a bit disappointed since I needed two for Thanksgiving! Will defiantly need adjust if and when I need to make more than one pie. Other than that was quite happy!
Is it fine to make this the day before serving?
Definitely! I always get my pie baking done the day before the holiday.
I have to start off by saying, I don’t drink, and I don’t like pecan pie. I was looking for a recipe to make, since i was hosting Thanksgiving for more than just my immediate family, and i know one guest loves pecan pie. So i found a recipe i could only guess looked good. I pinned it and kept scrolling and then found this recipe. I honestly debated whether or not to go through the hassle of buying bourbon just to make a second pecan pie. After a two-day battle, I decided to give it a go. IT. WAS. A. HIT!!! The regular pie still sits untouched while my guests went back for seconds on this one. Followed the recipe to a T. Thank you for your recipe!
So glad to hear this, Laura! Here’s a tip regarding the bourbon. This year I went to a local liquor store and bought one of those itty bitty little bottles of Jim Bean for $2.00. You could easily get two pies out of one of those small bottles without breaking the bank. Thanks for your comment 🙂
Look forward to your recipes, Vakerie. I have not made one recipe that wasnt a success sbd appreciated by my family and friends.
One thing though, I dont want to use corn syrup. Is there a substitute I xan use in this recioe?
When you say prepared pie shell, do you mean already fully baked?
No, the pie crust should be unbaked Glena.
I hope you had a wonderful holiday. This pecan pie is amazing. I almost forgot how delicious pecan pie was when I first tried it. I definitely need to have some pecan pie soon… yours look gorgeous! Thank you for sharing the story behind this pie. 🙂
What a gorgeous pie with a lovely story behind!
Love the story with this pie. Makes me think of my Grandpa; he drank Old Grandad whiskey 🙂 Haven’t made a pecan pie this holiday season yet and this sounds yummy!
What a lovely way to remember him! Wishing you a lovely holiday!