THE BEST PECAN PIE RECIPE AROUND! This homemade gluten-free pecan pie is made without corn syrup or refined sugar, but it still channels all the classic pecan pie flavors you love. Easy, delicious, and PERFECT for Thanksgiving!
I fell in love with homemade pecan pie during my high school geometry class. An unlikely meet-cute, for sure, but it was Pi Day, and a traditional pecan pie was better than anything else I tasted that day.
All these years later, and it’s still one of my top Thanksgiving pies. There’s just so much to love!
- It’s Made From Better-For-You Ingredients. While it’s still definitely a treat, this gluten-free pecan pie recipe is made with NO corn syrup or white sugar. Instead, this beauty is made from things like pecans, pure maple syrup, maple or coconut sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Simple, right?
- It Has AMAZING Texture. If this is your first pecan pie, you’re in for a treat. You combine flaky crust with a sweet custard filling and crunchy pecans on top. DELICIOUS.
- It Tastes EVEN BETTER. Pecan pie filling has notes of caramel and vanilla tucked under the nutty flavor of the toasty pecan topping. It’s sweet and satisfying in all the right ways. It’s a true dessert wonder.
- It’s EASY. Even if you’re not super fancy in the kitchen, you can make this pie. Can you whisk? Can you keep an eye on a pot for a few minutes? Then you can make this pecan pie recipe. You’ve got this! No fancy skills required!
- It’s FLEXIBLE. We make ours with gluten-free crust, but you can also make this pecan pie with paleo pie crust or traditional pie crust.
Ready to get started? Here’s all you’ll need for this easy pecan pie recipe…
Simple Ingredients To Start
So how do you make a no corn syrup pecan pie? Magic! Just kidding–science! Here’s how we replicate that same custardy, sweet, gooey filling without corn syrup in our delicious gluten-free pecan pie recipe:
- Pie Crust. You’ll start with your favorite pie crust–store-bought or homemade! Try our flaky gluten-free crust, this easy traditional pie crust, or a paleo pie crust (made with almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour)! If you don’t have time or the inclination to make homemade pie crust, there are several great store-bought crust options you can find at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, and more.
- Pure Maple Syrup. The natural stuff, not pancake syrup! It’ll have gorgeous caramel-y notes. So good! It’s the perfect base for a corn syrup substitute. Do not use honey or agave nectar instead here, as they’ll impact the flavor and bake of the pie.
- Coconut Sugar or Maple Sugar. These more natural sweeteners work great in place if white sugar and brown sugar, and help keep this pecan pie paleo-friendly!
- Butter, Ghee, Coconut Oil, or Vegan Butter. You can choose whichever works best for your dietary needs! (Vegan butter is my favorite dairy-free option)
- Eggs.These are crucial for structure. The eggs bind everything together and help the pecan pie filling set.
- Vanilla Extract & Sea Salt. Two important ingredients! These two balance the flavor and make it taste just right.
- Pecans! Can’t make a pecan pie without pecans! I love making a design with whole pecans, but chopped pecans also totally work.
How To Make Gluten-Free Pecan Pie, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and put a rack in the center of the oven. Place your pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan and put the pie pan on a baking sheet.
- Boil The Syrup. In a medium saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium heat. (There should be bubbles all across the surface of the syrup.) Boil 5 minutes. Don’t rush this step or your pie will not set properly.
- Combine. Remove from heat and stir in coconut sugar, and butter/ghee/coconut oil. (This will help it cool down a bit. Make sure it’s not boiling hot before adding your eggs, or they’ll scramble.) Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the whisked eggs. Stir in vanilla and salt.
- Fill The Crust & Top The Pie. Pour filling mixture into your prepared pie crust. Gently, add pecan halves in any design you like on the top of the pie filling, or gently spoon over chopped pecans.
- Bake. Put the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center is only slightly wobbly. Check the pie at the 20 minute mark to be sure your pecans aren’t over-browning. If either the edges of the crust or your pecans are browning too quickly (which can happen if your oven runs hot), you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil for the last few minutes. You’ll notice that the pie puffs up a lot and looks kind of crazy while baking–don’t panic!
- Cool COMPLETELY before slicing. For best results, let the pie cool completely before slicing (the filling will continue to set and settle back down as it cools).
- Serve & Store. Cut the cooled pie into slices and serve this delicious pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Cover the pie pan with plastic wrap or a piece of aluminum foil or transfer slices to an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator 2-3 days.
Make-Ahead tips
Want to make pecan pie in advance? Store the baked in the refrigerator, then thaw to room temperature before serving. You can also bake it, cover it and freeze the whole pie up to a month in advance.
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
CAN I MAKE THIS PECAN PIE WITHOUT EGGS? Unfortunately, not with this recipe. Eggs are crucial to the structure of this pie and a powdered egg substitution or flax/chia eggs won’t give you the same gorgeous texture. You’ll need to use another recipe (search for a vegan one!) if you can’t do eggs.
CAN I USE WHITE SUGAR OR BROWN SUGAR INSTEAD? Yep! Just swap in the same amount (1/2 cup) of white or brown sugar in place of the coconut or maple sugar. Do know that it’ll be a bit more sweet-tasting.
PALEO PECAN PIE NOTES. The filling for this pie is paleo-friendly! Just use grass-fed butter or ghee (depending on your preferences) for the fat. If you don’t like to use dairy, you can swap in coconut oil (the flavor will be very subtly different). You’ll just need to use a paleo pie crust.
DON’T WANT TO FUSS WITH CRUST? Try these Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Pecan Pie Bars instead! They use a quick shortbread crust you pat into an 8×8 pan. No fancy rolling or fluting required!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our No-Corn Syrup Gluten-Free Pecan Pie recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Gluten-Free Pecan Pie (No Corn Syrup!)
Ingredients
- 1 9″ unbaked pie crust – Gluten Free, Paleo or Traditional (store-bought pie crust or homemade)
FOR THE PECAN PIE FILLING:
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or maple sugar*
- 2 Tablespoons butter ghee, coconut oil, or vegan butter
- 3 large eggs whisked until very smooth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves or chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and put a rack in the center of the oven. Place your pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan and put the pie pan on a baking sheet.
- Boil The Syrup. In a medium saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium heat. (There should be bubbles all across the surface of the syrup.) Boil 5 minutes. Don’t rush this step or your pie will not set properly.
- Combine. Remove from heat and stir in coconut sugar, and butter/ghee/coconut oil. (This will help it cool down a bit. Make sure it’s not boiling hot before adding your eggs, or they’ll scramble.) Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the whisked eggs. Stir in vanilla and salt.
- Fill The Crust & Top The Pie. Pour filling mixture into your prepared pie crust. Gently, add pecan halves in any design you like on the top, or gently spoon over chopped pecans.
- Bake. Put the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center is only slightly wobbly. Check the pie at the 20 minute mark to be sure your pecans aren’t over-browning. If either the crust or your pecans are browning too quickly (which can happen if your oven runs hot), you can cover it with foil for the last few minutes.
- Cool COMPLETELY before slicing. For best results, let the pie cool completely before slicing (the filling will continue to set as it cools).
- Serve & Store. Cut the cooled pie into slices and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
- Pie Pan Notes. Different pan materials will impact the bake time. I highly recommend light-colored metal pie pans (like USA pan) for evenly browned baking. Glass and ceramic pie pans will take longer to bake.
- Make-Ahead Tips. Making this in advance? Store it in the refrigerator, then thaw to room temperature before serving. You can also bake it, cover it and freeze up to a month in advance.
- Can I Use Brown Sugar Instead? Yep! Just swap in the same amount (1/2 cup) of brown sugar in place of the coconut or maple sugar. Do know that it’ll be a bit more sweet-tasting.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/pecan-pie/Originally shared Nov 2018. Updated Nov 2021, then fully updated and republished Oct 2024.
Excellent. Followed instructions exactly and it set perfectly. It is the exact perfect amount of sweet. We LOVED it.
Thank you for the great recipe.
I’m so glad you loved it!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review!
This worked out great!!
This is one of my very favorite pies! It is sweet and delicious, but not too rich.
I have made this a few times and while the taste is great, it’s more soup consistency in the middle. I then turned up the heat and that went horribly wrong. Is there maybe a high altitude version? Thank you!
Hi Lexi! High altitude is definitely impacting your bake! I don’t live at high altitude, but King Arthur’s high altitude baking tips are my usual go-to!
Made the pecan pie . My children says it’s way better than store bought
Oh, I’m so happy to hear it! It’s my FAVRORITE!!!
I love pecan pie, and this did not disappoint! I used maple sugar and coconut oil. Soooo good!
Simply delicious! Worth the work and glad I listened when you instructed not to rush the maple syrup boiling process. Also glad I used a thermometer to make sure I didn’t make scrambled eggs. This is the best pecan pie I’ve ever had.
Delores, this review totally made my day!!! Thank you so much!
This pie was great! I made mini pies in large muffin tins and used TJs pastry crust. My family has made pecan pie with corn syrup for as long as I can remember so they weren’t sure what to think when I wanted to switch it up this year. They said they like this version with maple syrup and coconut sugar much better! Only way I will make pecan pie now.
Kaylee – Thank you SO much for taking the time to write a review!!! I couldn’t agree more–this is definitely the recipe to win over anyone!
Are you kidding me? This pie hands down is the best pecan pie ever. Super simple, and will impress all your people, definitely my go to for the holidays. Thank you for rockin this recipe.
AAAAH!!! Rayne you totally made my day! Thank you for this review!
So this looked beautiful when I took it out this morning and I went to reheat it tonight to serve and the center completely fell apart. The center was slightly wobbly when I took it out but now it seems like it wasn’t cooked long enough. I’m trying to set it back up in the fridge but worried it won’t.
This is by far my go to recipe for the last 3 years. It is the best pecan pie I’ve ever made or eaten!
Sonda – you TOTALLY made my day! Thank you!!!
and here I am making this recipe again. yummmmmyyyy
You’re the BEST Sondra! Happy Thanksgiving!
I have tried so many gluten free dairy free sugar free recipes and most are so so at best. This was so oooooo good. I used a store bought gluten free crust which I didn’t care for. I’ll try home made next time. But the filling couldn’t be more poetry. Thank you.
I’m SO glad you loved it Cindy! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a kind, thoughtful review!
Boiled the maple syrup for 7 minutes. I used Swerve brown sugar for the sugar. Placed chopped pecans on the bottom of the pie crust and poured the filling over them. I cooked the pie for 33 minutes. The filling still had a small liquid component. Taste was great.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Really delicious, but a tad too sweet. Would brown sugar be less sweet than coconut sugar? Or could we use less coconut sugar?
Jilly – Pecan pie tends to run quite sweet. Brown sugar would actually be *more* sweet than the coconut sugar, so if you’re trying to decrease the sweetness, I wouldn’t recommend that substitution. You can definitely experiment with reducing the sugar. I’d start small since the sugar does help with the structure of the pie 🙂
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Honestly, either will work beautifully. I tend to prefer salted butter here, but either will work great!
How long would you cook, if cooking individual little ones in a muffin pan vs 1 large pie?
Kearstyn – I’m not sure… I’ve never made them that way. You may want to google other recipes to get an idea of the bake time. I’d love to know how it goes if you give it a try!
My first attempt at making a pecan pie & it was a huge hit, everyone wanted more. Absolutely delicious thank you for sharing your recipe. 🥧😃
Oh, I’m so glad to hear it!
If I’m using a frozen crust, I saw you mentioned in another comment you’ve done it a few times, do I need to adjust the cooking time with it being frozen? Or did you set it out to thaw first and cook it the usual amount of time in the recipe? I am SO looking forward to making this, I’ve been pecan pie deprived for a few years now and so happy I found this recipe!
Emily – Hi! I made it with a frozen crust just yesterday! 😊You won’t need to adjust the bake time. Frozen crusts thaw super fast. You can pull the crust out and unwrap it before you make the filling and it will be softened quite a lot by the time the filling is ready to go in. Easy-peasy! Hope this pie is a huge winner for you today! (Make sure you boil the syrup the full 5 minutes so it sets for sure!)
Happy Thanksgiving!
If you weren’t going to use maple syrup, would you use 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar in the recipe? Using the 1 cup of sugar to make the syrup? Just checking. I’m excited to try this recipe for Thanksgiving this year!
Thank you,
Anna
Anna – You can’t leave out or substitute the maple syrup in this recipe. I’m sorry! Using sugar alone won’t provide the filling the body and liquid it needs to set, so you really need some kind of syrup or liquid to do that job. If you’d like an old-fashioned pecan pie that uses corn syrup, this one is delicious.
Emily, could I use monkfruit instead of the regular sugar?
Hi Lainee! I’ve never baked with monkfruit before, so you’d have to test it! Many brands *say* they’re a 1:1 substitute, but I’ve never used them before to be able to speak from experience.
Hi Emily! So excited to make this pie and thank you for creating a pecan pie recipe that doesn’t contain corn syrup! If I add 2 TB of bourbon, do you recommend that I need to also add a couple teaspoons or TB of flour? Thanks!
Astrid – That’s a great question! I’ve never added bourbon to this pie, so I’m not totally sure. If I were going to add something to offset the extra liquid, I’d probably go with cornstarch over flour, but you may not need it since the alcohol may cook off during the bake.
This pie was delicious, but I couldn’t get it to set. I baked it several times. 34 minutes, then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes. Could the issue be that I’m using a stainless steal pie pan and stainless steel baking sheet? Or do you think I wiped the eggs too much? Let me know thoughts as I want to give it another go!
Wipped*
Nat – I’m so sorry you ran into trouble! Usually, when it doesn’t set, it’s actually because the syrup didn’t boil a full 5 minutes. It helps reduce and set the syrup during the bake. You really want to let it get to that rolling boil (where bubbles are covering the whole surface of the syrup) for a full 5 minutes before moving on to the next steps. I’d double-check that for next time! (Fingers SO CROSSED for you!)
I just wanted to say thank you for this recipe. I made it for Thanksgiving. Although I also made my traditional pecan pie I prefer this one. The texture is amazing and the flavor is over the top delicious!
Oh, wow!!! This makes me so happy. Honestly, it’s my all-time FAVORITE! So glad you enjoyed it, too! 🙂
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was the most delicious baked good I have ever made! It truly made our Thanksgiving the most delicious one ever. Thank you for the amazing recipe. I will be making it again and again.
Sherry – What an awesome comment to wake up to! This is my VERY most favorite pie ever! 🙂
I made this for Thanksgiving (my first ever pecan pie) and it was delicious! I used your gluten free pie crust, coconut sugar, and butter. It was very quick and simple to make. I tried to arrange the pecans artfully, but because the filling was so thin they would just float where they wanted, so I ended up just gently sprinkling them all around. I made it the day before, cooled, then refrigerated. It tasted and looked very good and had ZERO sogginess! It was sweet but not overly so. I don’t think anyone could tell that it was not a traditional pie, but I think it does taste even better. I would say it I plan on making this a lot!
Darcy – I’m SO HAPPY to hear this! It’s my all-time favorite pie. We made one this Thanksgiving, too, and I’ve had to make a real effort to share!
My pie was runny and it never set 🙁 My husband loves pecan pie and I felt so bad he didn’t have pie to eat for Thanksgiving. He doesn’t like pumpkin pie.
Stephanie – I’m so sorry to hear that. I made ours last night using this recipe and it’s set perfectly. My guess is that yours didn’t quite bake long enough (which would be why it wouldn’t set). I’m so sorry!
My husband loved the pie, but the filling was runny. What do I need to do different next time?
Chandra – Oh dear! It sounds like it might not have been quite done. (Was it still jiggly in the middle?) You’re looking for almost no jiggle except for the very center when you pull it out, so it can continue to set as it cools. Hopefully that helps for next time! Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
If I am using a frozen gluten-free piecrust, do I need to bake it before or do I just put the filling in and then bake it?
Great question! You can go ahead and use it frozen 🙂 (I do it all the time!)
Awesome, thank you! Happy Thanksgiving.
This was spectacular!! So delish, and the best part, no corn syrup!! Yippee!! Thank you 🙂
Oh, hooray! I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing!!!
This looks great! Do you ever pre-bake the crust?
I haven’t found that I need to with this one. It’s never been soggy on the bottom for me 🙂
How far in advance can I make this pie without the crust getting soggy?
You can bake it, cool it, and freeze it up to a month in advance, then reheat in the oven to thaw. Or, you can make it a day in advance. I wouldn’t recommend much longer ahead than that for best results. The pie itself will keep 3-4 days, but the crust will get increasingly soft over time.
Can I make it without eggs or use an egg substitute?
Unfortunately, not with this recipe. Eggs are crucial to the structure of this pie and a powdered egg substitution or flax/chia eggs won’t give you the same gorgeous texture. You’ll need to use another recipe (search for a vegan one!) if you can’t do eggs.