After getting this recipe correct I seriously considered renaming this website to Bourbon, Bacon & Butter : A Southerner’s Journey, but I digress. It’s recipes like these that Southerners should live and breath for. The spirit of the South is alive in these ingredients, from the soil presence in the pecans, to the sweet Kentucky water in the Bourbon. There is nothing like the unique texture and flavor and sweet Southern reminders of a Pecan Pie. A Thanksgiving tradition that we Southerners should all share a slice of. Here is our recipe for Bourbon Pecan Pie.
I tend to shy away from baking articles. Especially when it comes to pie crust, if you remember back to the Tomato Tart Post I have something of an issue with crust, and in this case I’m not one to hand out advice for pie crust. I’d say go with what works when it comes to pie crust, most folks have a recipe that they are familiar with or will reach for the freezer section. What I really worked on was getting the soul of the Pecan Pie right and that means figuring out the right balance of brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, bourbon and in this case molasses.
This recipe took a little work to sort out and I offer some sweet bourbon advice. If you are a bourbon lover then stick to the recipe and you’ll be greatly rewarded with just the right amount of balanced flavor of Bourbon, molasses and brown sugar. If you don’t particularly care for bourbon then just leave it out of the recipe, it will cook the same way, just add a little ice cream to make up for it. Stay Hungry Y’all!
-The Hungry Southerner
Bourbon Pecan Pie
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 eggs beaten
- 2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup bourbon
- Pie Crust (Use your favorite Recipe)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan combin molasses brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, peanut butter, and salt over medium heat until sugar is butter is dissolved. Then turn heat to high and boil mixture for about one minute, then remove pan from mixture. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature, so eggs won’t cook when added. Once mixture is cooled, whisk in eggs, vanilla and bourbon then stir in the pecans. Pour into a prepared pie crust and bake until nearly set in the middle and crust is golden brown. Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!
The Hungry Southerner 
I’m always looking for pecan recipes–will have to try this one, thanks.
This reminds me of an NPR piece I heard a few Thanksgivings back about whether it’s worth it to use good-quality bourbon in recipes or if the taste isn’t at all impacted by whether you use cheap or expensive bourbon…where do you all fall on this debate? (Personally, we drink the good stuff straight and use the cheap stuff for recipes.)
What I’ve discovered is it depends on how late in the cooking process you are adding the bourbon. If you are cooking the bourbon down then the real early or baking with it and mixing the bourbon with lots of very intense ingredients you may not want to use a $100.00 bottle of bourbon, but I wouldn’t use one that you wouldn’t drink either because it still is going to just taste bad no matter what. If you are adding the bourbon really late, then less of the alcohol is going to cook off and the natural bourbon flavor is going to be present, I’d stick with the best bourbon you have. That is the general rule I use when cooking and baking with bourbon. Good question!
What about adding a handful of chocolate chips to this pie?
You could totally add chips to this recipe. I wouldn’t go crazy if you are using milk chocolate because it might make it harder to setup. I have a recipe for derby pie that might be what your looking for
Mmmmm…. love love bourbon pie. Don’t make it much since my hubs doesn’t do liquor but its shorely is southern doll! You’re looks marvelous.
Looks fantastic!!
This looks amazing….my husband wants me to make a pecan pie for Thanksgiving, I think you sold me on the bourbon! Yummy! 🙂
I have NEVER had pecan pie with bourbon in it! I bet it tastes like the ultimate comfort food! I will so try this recipe soon:) Thanks for sharing!