Best Pecan Pie Recipes

Chef John Stage of New York's famous Dinosaur Bar-B-Que lends us his favorite Thanksgiving recipe that incorporates the Thanksgiving staple, sweet potatoes, into another Thanksgiving favorie, Pecan Pie. 

If you’re looking for an easy shortcut for getting a unique spice blend into your pecan pie this winter, infuse your nut mixture with milky RumChata liqueur. The alcohol cooks off, leaving a wonderful cinnamon and vanilla taste perfect for any party.This recipe is courtesy of Karo.

One of my favorite autumn delights growing up in Texas was fresh pecans. My grandmother would gather the pecans from her pecan trees and bring them on Thanksgiving unshelled to share. The family would sit around, visit cracking pecans and what we didn’t eat right from the shell, we would use for pecan pies.I miss the arrival of brown paper sacks filled with fresh still shelled pecans and realize as an adult what a delicacy Colorado River Bottom grown pecans are. My good friend, Ashley had her family in from Texas and they not only brought fresh Texas pecans, but also made a delicious Brown Butter Pecan Pie to share. The crust was light and flaky and the filling does not overpower the taste of the pecans, but rather brings out their sweet rich nutty flavor. Take it from a Texan; it is worth sourcing good fresh pecans, cracking them yourself and baking what you don’t immediately eat.For more great recipes like this one, visit The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine.

I’ve probably been eating pecan pie since I was in diapers. Nut allergies? Please. Southerners are weaned from the bottle with pecan pie, celebrate marriage with pecan pie, and say goodbye to their loved ones with pecan pie. When I was in my teens, I’d go to the Camellia Grill on Carrollton Avenue and sit at the counter for a burger, dressed (in New Orleans-ese that means with lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo), cheese fries, and pecan pie, grilled on the flat top on both sides and then topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. That said, like most Louisianans, I ate the bulk of my pecan pie at the kitchen table surrounded by relatives and relations. Below is my recipe for pecan pie from my cookbook. I’m particularly loyal to Louisiana-grown ingredients, which is why in addition to Louisiana pecans I like to sweeten my pecan pie with cane syrup rather than corn syrup or molasses. Cane syrup gives this pie the earthiness of molasses minus its bitter qualities and is a whole lot more interesting, flavor-wise, than corn syrup.  — Chef David Guas Click here for other chefs' holiday culinary traditions. Adapted from "Dam Good Sweet, Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth New Orleans Style" by David Guas.

What is one of the first things one thinks of when they think of classic southern desserts?  Pecan pie of course!  Pecan pie is a delicious mix of sweet, creamy caramel filling topped with beautifully roasted pecan halves in a wonderful, flaky crust.  Every southern belle has baked up one of their own, and love to share the pie with others. Sea Island guests not only expect pecan pie, but they certainly love it.  It is served in many forms- cute, decadent pecan tartlets, individual pecan tarts and of course, as a whole pie.  Every summer, during the traditional Plantation Supper at Rainbow Island, the whole pecan pie is featured and nearly completely devoured every night because it is so popular.