Brown Butter Pecan Pie
A single-crust pie of toasted pecans set in a dark corn syrup filling, the butter browned first for a nuttier edge than the classic version.
- Serves
- 8
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Written
Method
-
Pulse the flour, salt, and sugar, then cut in the cold butter until the largest pieces are pea-sized.
-
Drizzle in the ice water, tossing just until the dough clumps when pressed between your fingers, then pat into a disk, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour, until firm.
-
Melt the 6 tbsp butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat, swirling often, until the milk solids turn deep amber and it smells toasted, then pour immediately into a bowl to stop it cooking.
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Heat the oven to 350°F.
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Roll the dough into a 12-inch round, fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, crimp the edges, and scatter the chopped pecans over the bottom.
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Whisk the browned butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, bourbon, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
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Pour the filling over the pecans, then arrange the whole pecan halves over the top in rings.
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Bake until the edges are puffed and set but the center still moves as a single slow wave when the pan is nudged, 50 to 55 minutes, tenting the crust with foil if it browns too fast.
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Cool on a rack at least 3 hours before slicing, so the filling finishes setting.
Notes
Browning the butter first is what separates this from the pie that just melts butter into corn syrup — it adds a toasted, almost caramel note that plain butter can’t, and it’s worth the extra five minutes at the stove. Pour it into the filling while it’s still warm so it doesn’t seize back into solid butter.
Toasting the chopped pecans before they go under the filling keeps them from going soft and waxy in the finished pie; the whole halves on top toast further in the oven and turn glossy as the filling sets around them. Vanilla ice cream is the only accompaniment this needs.