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Deep-Dish Pecan Pie

With more than the usual amount of gooey filling, this Deep-Dish Pecan Pie is a must-bake for pecan pie lovers!

Deep-Dish Pecan Pie on a white pedestal

The Best Deep-Dish Pecan Pie

Long before I’d even considered starting this blog, I started making this pie for the holidays when I wanted a break from traditional pecan pie.

While at its heart, this is more traditional than not, this pie has a couple of interesting things going for it. First of all, it has a buttery, cream cheese crust that makes for a tasty departure from traditional pie crusts.

overhead view of a slice of Deep-Dish Pecan Pie topped with whipped cream

Secondly, for those of you who love that gooey filling of pecan pies, there’s more of it than usual in this beauty. If you love pecan pie like I do, then I know you’re already sold on this show-stopping pie!

This eye-catching pie is an impressive addition to your holiday dessert offerings. Small slices work well and will make it go further than a regular 9-inch pie. And from my own experience, I’m guessing you’ll be asked to make this one again and again!

ingredients for Deep-Dish Pecan Pie

What You’ll Need

This is a relatively short ingredient list for such a stately dessert! You won’t need much beyond the basics to make this Deep-Dish Pecan Pie.

For the crust:

  • Butter – Set out the butter about half an hour before baking so that it can soften.
  • Cream cheese – Full-fat cream cheese works best. It needs to be at room temperature, which is a bit warmer than you want the butter to be.
  • All-purpose flour
  • Sugar

For the filling:

  • Corn syrup – I don’t often bake with corn syrup, but it’s a must for this pie. It provides not only sweetness, but helps give it its trademark texture.
  • Brown sugar – I find that light brown sugar provides just the right flavor and color in this pie. Dark brown sugar will likely work, too, but be aware that it can alter the texture as well as the flavor.
  • Butter – Be sure to let the melted butter cool slightly before mixing.
  • Eggs and egg yolks – So many eggs! They help hold the filling together. Set these out before you begin baking so they won’t be cold. Lightly beat them in a separate bowl.
  • Vanilla extract
  • Salt – If your pecans are salted, you may want to dial back the amount of salt in the recipe.
  • Pecans – I prefer the look of pecan halves in this pie, but you can use chopped if you like.
overhead close-up view of Deep-Dish Pecan Pie

How to Make Deep-Dish Pecan Pie

Despite its somewhat daunting appearance, this is actually a simple pie to make!

Make the crust:

Prepare the pan. You’ll need a 9-inch springform pan to make this pie. While it’s an optional step, I highly recommend that you line the outside or inside of the pan with aluminum foil to prevent leaks. Lining the outside makes the foil easier to remove after baking and eliminates the chance of marring the outside texture of the crust. If you opt to line the inside, take care to make the foil as smooth as possible. I’ve baked this pie both ways, and either way will work.

Mix the dough. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is light and fluffy. Slowly add the flour and sugar, and mix until combined.

Shape and chill the dough. Shape the dough into a flat disc. Then cover it and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes so it’s firm enough to roll.

Roll the dough and place in the pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a 13″ circle. Carefully transfer the dough to the pan, and press it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. This can be a bit tricky, but be sure the dough is well-chilled and be patient. Cover the pan and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Make the filling:

Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Combine the filling ingredients. Whisk together the corn syrup, brown sugar, and melted butter. Next, add the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined. Then, stir in the pecans.

Bake the pie. Pour the filling into the chilled crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 300°F. Bake for 2 hours and 15 minutes, or until the filling is set. If the crust begins to get too brown, cover the edges with aluminum foil.

Cool the pie. Place the baked pie on a wire rack and let it cool completely. Then cover the pie very well with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about an hour to let it set completely. Bring the pie to room temperature before serving, or slice it while it’s cold and briefly warm the slices in the microwave.

Tips for Success

Here are some of my best tips for making this Deep-Dish Pecan Pie be the best it can be!

  • Use a light-colored, metal pan. Remember that dark pans will bake the outside edges more quickly, leading to over-baked crust before the filling can bake all the way through.
  • Chill, chill, chill! Don’t skip the chill time for the dough, both before and after rolling it out. The dough needs to be well-chilled so it will hold its shape and not be tough.
  • Bake thoroughly. Every oven is different, so don’t be alarmed if your pie isn’t done in the time specified in the recipe. Add more time if needed to make sure the filling is set. The center of the pie should not jiggle or have a very slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan or carefully tap the top. Don’t forget to cover the crust with foil if it starts to look too brown.
overhead view of Deep-Dish Pecan Pie on a white pedestal

How to Store Deep-Dish Pecan Pie

First, make sure that the pie is completely cooled. Then cover the pie well with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. It should keep for up to 4 days if properly stored.

Bring the pie to room temperature before serving. A couple of hours on your kitchen counter should do the trick.

Can Deep-Dish Pecan Pie Be Frozen?

Yes! Be sure the pie is completely cooled. Then wrap the whole pie or individual slices very well in plastic wrap. Wrap again in aluminum foil or place in a freezer-safe storage bag or container. Be sure to place it right-side-up in the freezer.

Properly stored, pecan pie should keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Thaw the frozen pie overnight in the refrigerator. Then bring it to room temperature by placing it on your kitchen counter for a couple of hours.

slice of Deep-Dish Pecan Pie topped with whipped cream

How to Reheat Pecan Pie

This Deep-Dish Pecan Pie is perfectly delicious at room temperature, but you can certainly heat it if you like. A brief spin in the microwave will warm individual slices.

Alternatively, you can reheat it in the oven. If you’re reheating individual slices, place them in an oven-safe pan. Tent loosely with aluminum foil. Place in a low-heat oven (250-275°F) and bake for 10-15 minutes. This oven method will work best for keeping the crust in great shape after heating.

Deep-Dish Pecan Pie

Yield 12 to 16 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Additional Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 6 hours

Deep Dish Pecan Pie is tall, beautiful, and delicious. It has more than the usual amount of gooey pecan pie pie filling inside a cream cheese crust.

slice of Deep-Dish Pecan Pie topped with whipped cream

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 ounces (170g) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (50g) sugar

For the filling:

  • 2 cups (473ml) light corn syrup
  • 1 & 1/2 cups (300g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 & 1/2 cups pecan halves

Instructions

To make the crust:

  1. Wrap the outside or inside of a 9-inch springform pan in aluminum foil. (This is optional but prevents leaks. See my note below.)
  2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add the flour and sugar, and beat well.
  3. Shape the dough into a flat disc. Cover and chill 15 minutes.
  4. Roll the dough into a 13" circle. Carefully transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of pan. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

To make the filling:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Whisk together the corn syrup, brown sugar, and melted butter. Add the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt, and stir well. Stir in the pecans. Pour the filling into the crust.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Bake 2 hours & 15 minutes or until set. If necessary, shield the pie with foil to prevent excess browning.
  4. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least an hour or until completely set (overnight is even better!). Remove the sides of the springform pan before serving.

Notes

Lining the outside or inside of the pan with aluminum foil helps to prevent leaks. While either way works, lining the outside makes the foil easier to remove after baking and eliminates the chance of marring the outside texture of the crust.

Recipe slightly adapted from Southern Living.

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    68 Comments on “Deep-Dish Pecan Pie”

  1. This looks incredible. For reasons completely unknown to me, my mother talked me out of making a pecan pie for Thanksgiving and I’ve been thinking about one ever since!

    • Hi, 

      I would love to make this for Thanksgiving. Can the pie crust be made using butter instead of cream cheese? My store was completely out of cream cheese.

      • Hi, Callie. I’ve only made this pie with the crust in the recipe. You might be able to use a standard pie crust recipe, but you’d need at least enough for a double crust pie, if not more. It needs to be fairly thick to hold up to all of this filling.

    • I made this but it needs a thickener.  I followed the directions but when I cut into it, the inside came pouring out.  It was delicious but we lost some of the inside.  Also, I have a very good spring form but because the viscosity of the inside is so thin, even wrapping the pan in foil, it still came out and my oven was a mess.    I would add some gelatin or cornstarch.

  2. Hi,
    My sister loves pecan pie. She prefers versions with a much higher ratio of nuts to gooey filling. I don’t see a slice of this so I am wondering where this pie falls out as far as nuts to filling?

    Thanks and have a wonderful holiday!

    Cheers,
    Anne

  3. Hi, Anne. There’s just a single layer of pecans at the top, and the rest is all filling until you hit crust!

  4. Eating a slice of this pie would be worth every calorie 🙂

  5. Thanks Jennifer!
    I imagine I could try tinkering but come to think of it, to please my sister with a pecan pie of this magnitude I would need to rob a bank to pay for all the pecans she demands!
    Congrats on your e-book!

    Cheers,
    Anne

  6. You really meant deep dish when you said it! I love it!

  7. My dad loves you now because he’s been looking for a deep dish pie plate. Now we know a springform pan will work (which I have 3 of them!).

  8. This looks amazing. I think I have to start making pies more often.

  9. I am dying over this pie. It’s amazing!

  10. Oh my! This pie looks delicious!
    Pecan Pie is one of my all time favorites! =)

  11. Question: can this pie be made ahead and frozen for a later date? Thank you

  12. I made this deep dish pecan pie last week to make sure it would work for Thanksgiving. I sent it to my husbands work and it was a huge hit!!! I did have difficulty with the crust. When I folded it in half and tried to put it in the pan it just stretched out of shape, so I took it out patted it into a circle again then put it back in the fridge. After it chilled I rolled it out in a circle, cut it into 4 pieces and put each piece in the pan and just pressed the seams together, worked perfect.
    Thanks for a great recipe.

  13. Made a deep dish pecan pie for Thanksgiving. Was really looking for-
    ward to the gooey center. I don’t know what happened but it’s like
    all the filling and the crust mixed in together and was more cake-like.
    What happened. Very disappointing.

  14. Made this for Thanksgiving 2014. It was delicious and very impressive. Only one thing – the bottom crust somehow rose slightly above some of the filling so I had pecans, filling, bottom crust, filling. I think next time I make it, I will either freeze or refrigerate the crust prior to adding the filling or pre-bake the crust for just about 10 minutes. Anyone else have this problem?

    • I had the same problem with the crust rising and mixing into the filling when I made this pie last year. I’m going to make it again this year, and I will try your suggestion of freezing the pie crust just before adding the filling. Good idea. The pie was still AMAZING, and it was a huge hit!

  15. I want to make this and have made a number of cheese cakes in the past. Is it okay with this recipe if I turn the oven off, crack the door of the oven, and let it sit in there for another hour? Or given the top layer of this pie it’ll be fine and not crack?

    Thank you

  16. Hi Jennifer
    Thinking making this for Thanksgiving. Do you think I can add melted chocolate? If so, how much?
    Thank you.

    • Hi, Suzanne. I’ve not tried that, but I think I’d recommend chocolate chips versus melted chocolate. Those wouldn’t affect the consistency of the filling as much. Maybe a cup of chocolate chips?

  17. Hi Jennifer, I see you are using the same recipe that was published in Southern Living Magazine many years ago. I’ve made this pie over and over and it’s always is a hit. I think it would be nice if you gave credit to the creator of this delicious pie.

  18. Hi Jennifer, I’m a non baking man that has a few questions. 1. What’s a prepared pan? 2. After I press the dough into the pan, how long should I chill it? 3. A couple people commented on the bottom dough rising and mixing with filling. What might have caused this? I only have one shot at this, so I want to get it right. Thanks.

    • Hi, Tony. “Prepared pan” refers to how you prepped the pan in the first step of the crust instructions. I’d chill the dough at least half an hour. An hour or even two would be better. You could also freeze it for 15 or 20 minutes. I think that’s likely the problem with the crust rising into the filling.

  19. Hi Jennifer! I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. I took the advice I saw in some earlier posts about freezing the crust until hard (about 20 minutes in a deep freezer) before assembling and baking, yet I still wound up with a portion of the bottom crust lifting up. I’m making it again for Christmas and I think I’m going to briefly blind bake the crust first. Otherwise an AWESOME recipe. Thanks! 

  20. I would really like to make this for Thanksgiving. Other than bread, I am not much of a baker.

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pie crust recipe that did not call for ice water. I’ve read that water and fat help to create a flaky crust. This crust seems to be particularly strong, but does it’s strength and the absence of water make it more leathery?

    • Hi! I’ve made this pie many times exactly as it’s written, and I’ve never had any issues with the texture of the crust. It’s a bit sturdier to hold up to all of that pie, but it still has a nice texture.

  21. Have you thought about making a Youtube video of you making the pie so everyone can see your technique?

  22. Are you supposed to dock the pie crust before baking? I’m wondering if that’s why the crust rose into the filling.

    • You can if you like. When I blind bake crusts, I usually line the crust with parchment paper and use pie weights. Of course, I’ve not tried blind baking this particular crust, so I can’t say for certain what would be the best way in this case. 

  23. Anyone tried doing egg white wash for the crust and then refrigerate?   This might prevent it from rising 

  24. Can you make this ahead of time and freeze and reheat? If so what would be the method?

  25. I’ve made this pie a few times.  The first time it was perfect.  The last two times, the center did not congeal! I have one in the oven right now.  I followed the instructions to a T.  The center still seems jiggly.  I’m leaving it in the oven for another while with a piece of foil resting on top of it.  Any ideas why the center has given me troubles?  I am an experienced baker, and this just makes me crazy.  I,not giving up!  We love this pie.

  26. I added two cups of cranberries and 1 1/2 pecans the tart cranberries cuts the sweet a little. Awesome. 

  27. Hi Jennifer – my crust was GREAT, however, the center of the pie did not set and was very runny – any suggestions? BTW Loved the crust! Just need to figure out why the center did not set – should I refrigerate the pie after it has cooled? Thanks for your help 🙂

  28. Should I toast the pecans first?

  29. Question on this older recipe: I have a Pampered Chef deep dish pie pan. Would this work instead of using a springform pan?

  30. I am so glad you have this recipe posted. I used to may the SL recipe for Thanksgiving, but when we moved I could not find it. My daughter requested it for Thanksgiving this year and I am so happy to find it on your site!! Can’t wait to make it again! I went back through all my SL annual recipe books and still cannot find it!

  31. Can you make this more than the day of Thanksgiving? If you make it the day before should it be cooked and then refrigerated and reheated? Any suggestions appreciated!

  32. After making this for about… at least 5 years now, I have two tips for the steps in the process that tend to trip me up:

    1) after you get the crust into the springform pan, chill it. If you think it’s been chilling long enough, chill it longer. Today I had to run an errand between chilling the dough in the pan and making and pouring the filling, about two hours all told.

    2) When the top of the pie has domed, and maybe also cracked a bit, I’ve found that’s a good indication that the center is set. For me, today, that took about an extra 45 minutes at 300 degrees (for a total of 3 hours) then I turned off the oven and left it sitting in the radiant heat. The center of the pie had domed almost 2 inches above the edge of the pan, and after about an hour in the radiant heat it has relaxed to level.

    I will chill it overnight in the pan, and we won’t eat it until tomorrow, so I can’t say for certain that I’ve had success this time around, but if I didn’t then I will be sure to report back.

    One last tip: I use room temperature eggs, which I’ve seen recommended for other baking recipes I’ve tried. Also, if you have a stand mixer I highly recommend using that instead of a hand mixer (I didn’t feel like pulling out my stand mixer and regretted it – ended up pulling it out after much frustration with my hand mixer).

    Happy Thanksgiving to all!

  33. I made this for Thanksgiving, having only a springform cake pan to work with.
    What a happy Accident!  So many compliments and a beautiful presentation. 
    I will say: I live in Denver at high elevation and I think in the end I baked it at least an extra hour.  I can’t say exactly because I kept adding time in 20 min increments and turned the heat up to 3:15.
    The knife never came out completely clean, and I’d definitely put a pan underneath. For drippings tinfoil wasn’t enough. 
    I also doubled the salt,  used dark corn syrup and used a premade refrigerated  Pillsbury crust that I doubled up before rolling out prebaking 6min.
    As per requests I’ll do again next year, maybe try the CC crust from the recipie. Thanks!!

  34. Hi,
    Thank you for the recipe, I cooked it as directed, mine came out with the pecans a little firm is that normal? It looks just like the pic you have here. I am wondering if I could have baked it a little less but the directions state until its has no jiggle in the middle, will it be ok? Ty.

    • Hi, Natalie. Most pecan pies have a firm layer on top. This pie bakes longer than a traditional pecan pie, so the nuts will be more toasted and perhaps a bit more firm. As long as it’s baked through, it should be fine. Enjoy!

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