The Pioneer Woman's Pecan Pie Is the Best and Easiest Version I've Ever Made

In the epic battle of cake versus pie, you will find me squarely on #teampie. French silk, lemon meringue, chicken pot pie—I love them all. And while I absolutely believe that pie is a year-round endeavor, it just hits differently in the fall.

During the autumn, pies like sweet potato, pumpkin, apple, and my favorite, pecan, are the desserts du jour, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I just started testing pie recipes for Thanksgiving (that’s a normal thing that people do, right?), and I’m here to report that Ree Drummond's Pecan Pie will most definitely be on my dessert buffet.

Why I Love The Pioneer Woman’s Pecan Pie

I’ve eaten a silly amount of pecan pie in my lifetime, and there are some key things I always look for to determine if it's a good one.

Most importantly, a tasty pecan pie needs to have what I consider the perfect ratio of pecans to filling; the Pioneer Woman’s recipe does this, with a sweet corn syrup filling that’s chock-full of nuts. By including a mix of small and large pecan pieces, Ree creates the best part of any pecan pie: the crunchy top. Once this dessert has had enough time to cool (3 to 4 hours), the surface hardens into crackly pecan perfection.

But the best thing about this pie is actually in the execution: It’s very easy to make, something that a non-baker who loves to eat pie (me) really appreciates. The recipe calls for one unbaked pie crust— homemade or store-bought—brown and granulated sugars, corn syrup, eggs, melted butter, vanilla and, of course, pecans. Add the nuts to your pie crust, pour in the filling, and bake—that’s it. 

Tips for Making Ree Drummond’s Pecan Pie

• My only quibble with this recipe is in the baking time. There’s a wide range of acceptable baking times, according to Drummond—anywhere from 50 to 75 minutes. For that reason, you need to check on the pie frequently to make sure the crust isn’t browning too quickly and the filling is setting nicely.
• Add a half teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a more dynamic filling.
• You want a range of textures for the pecans, so make sure you have a mix of small and large pieces. This helps create a perfectly crunchy top layer.
• You want a really sturdy pie crust for this. If it’s too thin or cracked, the filling will ooze out and make it difficult to remove slices.