Featured Comment
From Diana: “My husband was diagnosed with celiac disease last year so he couldn’t have pie for about a year now and misses it. I surprised him with this GF pecan pie and he says it tastes better than the one he remembers that had gluten. Perfect filling too! Thanks! ★★★★★”
From Helen: “This recipe is delicious. Best Pecan Pie I’ve had! ★★★★★”
From Lynn: “I rarely comment on recipes, as I usually change a little something here or there, but made this exactly as written, and it was amazing. Everyone at Thanksgiving dinner wanted a second piece! I’ve been gluten free for about 15 years, and this, hands down, is the best gf pie I’ve ever made! Thank you!! ★★★★★”
3 Reasons To Try This Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
Pecan pie is such a holiday classic so I wanted to create a gluten-free version that tastes just as good as the traditional kind. I first shared this recipe in 2021, and after years of making it, I’ve picked up a few tricks that make it even better. Here’s what makes this one worth adding to your gluten-free Thanksgiving menu!
- My tried-and-true gluten-free sour cream pie crust. I use the same gluten-free crust in my gluten-free apple galette and my gluten-free pumpkin pie. It’s buttery, flaky, and reliably bakes up beautifully. No one will feel like they’re missing out on a regular pie crust!
- Toasted pecans make all the difference. I never skip this step! Toasting the pecans brings out their natural nutty flavor and adds another layer of flavor to the sweet filling.
- A crisp crust in every slice. One of the biggest challenges with gluten-free pie is avoiding a soggy bottom. I pre-bake the crust and add the filling while both are still warm. It’s a simple step that makes such a big difference!
What You Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free pecan pie. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free flour: I use a high-quality gluten-free measure-for-measure flour that contains xanthan gum. This type of flour blend is formulated to mimic regular all-purpose flour as closely as possible. I love using King Arthur!
- Vinegar: I like to use distilled white vinegar in the dough to help create a tender, flaky crust while keeping the dough easy to work with. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it once the pie is baked!
- Sour cream: I love what just a little sour cream does for the texture of this crust! It adds moisture and richness while helping the dough hold together. Combined with the butter, it creates a crust that’s buttery and flaky.
- Pecans: I’ve found that toasting the pecans is the trick to a pecan pie with amazing flavor that isn’t overly sweet. This extra step is so worth it!
- Vanilla: I prefer to use Mexican vanilla for an extra-flavorful filling. It’s amazing how much a good-quality vanilla can make such a difference!
- Corn syrup: I don’t eat corn syrup everyday, but for pecan pie at Thanksgiving (and these homemade caramels at Christmas) I think it’s worth it. It gives the filling its classic gooey texture, helps keep it smooth rather than grainy, and adds a delicious caramel-like flavor. However, you can use 3/4 cup pure maple syrup mixed with 1 tablespoon of gluten-free flour in place of the corn syrup, if needed.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Make the gluten-free sour cream pie crust
Make the dough. I like making the pie dough in the food processor because it’s quick and reliable, but you can also cut the butter in by hand using a fork or pastry cutter.
Wrap and chill. It’s important to let the dough sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling it out. This gives it time to hydrate and come together into a cohesive dough that’s easier to roll out. The cold butter also helps create that classic flaky crust!
Roll out the dough. Gluten-free pie dough is more delicate than regular pie dough. It helps to use a rolling pin and roll the dough between plastic wrap so you can easily transfer it to the pie pan.
Trim and shape. Peel off the top layer of wrap and carefully invert the crust onto the 9-inch pie pan, then peel off the remaining plastic wrap. I like to take the time to trim off the excess dough with scissors and shape the edges for a more polished look.
Freeze then par-bake. Make sure you allow time for the shaped dough to freeze for 15 minutes. I then prick the sides and bottom with a fork and line the entire crust with foil, pressing it against the shell. The foil will stay on for the first 20 minutes in the oven, then I take it off for the last 5-10 minutes of parbaking to get that crisp, golden bottom crust.
Erin’s Tip
I’ve found that it makes a huge difference to add the filling while the crust is still warm. I usually make the filling while the crust bakes so that the timing works out well!
Make the pecan filling
Toast the pecans. It’s so easy to toast the pecans in about 5 minutes. I go by smell. As soon as you start to smell them, they’re ready to come out of the oven. I wait until they’re cool before chopping them into small pieces.
Set up your double boiler. I use a double boiler or a heatproof glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water to make the filling without overcooking it.
Add ingredients. Melt the butter in the top bowl, then remove it from the heat and add the remaining ingredients. I typically use a hand mixer to beat the ingredients together before returning the filling to the double boiler to warm to 130°F.
Finish the filling and bake. Once I remove the filling from the heat a second time, I stir in the pecans and vanilla. Then I pour the filling into the warm crust and bake the pie!
Erin’s Tip
I recommend cooling the pie on a wire rack at room temperature. Cooling it too fast, like in the fridge or freezer, can cause the filling to split!
More Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes
The Best Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
Video
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
- 8 tablespoons (113g) butter
- 3 tablespoons ice water
- 1 ½ tablespoons sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (169g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoons kosher salt
FOR THE FILLING:
- 6 tablespoons (85g) butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup (213g) brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup (180ml) light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260g) whole pecans, toasted and chopped into small pieces
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Cut the butter into small ¼-inch pieces and freeze for 10-15 minutes.
- Combine the ice water, sour cream, and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
- Process the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor until combined. Scatted the butter over top and pulse until the butter is the size of large peas, about 10 pulses.
- Add the sour cream mixture and pulse until the mixture begins to clump around the blade, about 10 pulses. (If the mixture doesn't clump after 10 pulses no worries! Pour it into a bowl and smash together with your hands to form a ball.)
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Gather into a a flat disc and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- If you refrigerated the dough longer than 1 hour, let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling. Roll the pie crust out between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap, to ¼ inch thickness.
- After rolling, remove the top piece of plastic wrap and flip into a 9-inch pie plate. Gently ease the dough into the edges of the pan before removing the 2nd piece of plastic wrap. Trim any excess edges with scissors and shape the edges as desired.
- Wrap the shaped pie crust loosely in plastic and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Prick the sides and bottom with a fork and line entire shell with heavy-duty aluminum foil, pressing foil firmly against shell. Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the pie crust is golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 275F.
- (Note: You want the pie crust to be warm when you add the filling, so I recommend making the filling while the pie crust cooks.)
For the Filling:
- Make sure your pecans are toasted. You can toast the pecans at 350F for 4-6 minutes or until you start to smell them. Then chop into small pieces once they've cooled.
- To make the filling you'll need a double boiler or glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water. This helps the filling not to overcook.
- Melt the butter in medium heatproof bowl set on top of a pot of simmering water. The water should not touch the bowl. Remove the bowl and add the sugar, eggs, corn syrup and salt. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients, beat to combine then return the bowl to the hot water.
- Stir until the mixture is shiny and warm to the touch, about 130 degrees. Remove from heat the heat and stir in the pecans and vanilla. (I use a candy thermometer to check this.)
For the Pie:
- Pour the pecan mixture into the warm pie shell. Bake at 275F until center feels set yet soft, like gelatin, when gently pressed, 50 to 60 minutes.
- Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least 4 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy!
I am needing a larger food processor to make these pie crusts for Thanksgiving. What cup size are you using? Thanks! Excited to try the recipes!
Hi Lynnea! A 7-9 cup food processor should be sufficient for this crust, but a standard full-size food processor (10-14 cups) would give you more than enough room. We hope you love the recipes!
I’ve made this pie the last few years for Thanksgiving and it is my favorite. I’m wondering if you’ve ever frozen any of your pies after making them ahead of time, and if you have any recommendations on whether to freeze it unbaked or bake it first? I’ve seen both as options for pecan pies.
Hi Suzie! We’re thrilled to hear this has become a favorite recipe of yours. Thank you for the kind feedback! To freeze the whole pie, we’d recommend letting it cool completely first, then wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw it overnight in the fridge wrapped, before removing the wrapping and letting it sit out at room temperature for serving. Happy baking!
Used frozen gluten-free crust and pre baked it as recommended in a comment reply. Very easy to make and quite delicious. I did not chop up the pecans, kept them halved. Had to bake longer and turned heat up to 325 after 55 minutes for an additional 15 minutes. Thanks for the recipe
Hi Brian! Thank you for sharing your positive review with us. We’re happy to hear the pie recipe was a success!
Is there a way to do the filling without a double boiler set up? I don’t have any glass bowls. I really want to make.this but am unsure how to alter that part.
Hi Jessica, good question! The double boiler setup is mainly about a very gently, slow heat that doesn’t scramble the eggs. You can probably mimic this if you’re careful using a heavy-bottom pot. Here’s how I would do that: Heat the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt over medium-low heat. Remove from heat, let cool a bit, then slowly whisk in the eggs. Return to very low heat and stir just until warm and glossy. Don’t let it boil. Hope that helps!
This is an amazingly easy recipe and the filling is delicious. My bake did take 20 min longer and I had an oven gauge temperature ensuring the temperature was right. I did use Lyle’s Golden syrup in place of lite cornstarch. Could that have influenced the bake time? Thank you for a great recipe.
I am excited to bake this for my DIL. I wonder – can I use less brown sugar (we do not like it sweet) or will I need to make adjustments somewhere else? Thank you!
Hi Stephanie, good question! We haven’t tried reducing the sugar in this recipe, but that should work okay—it may just be a bit less gooey. You could try adding 1-2 tablespoons corn syrup, honey, or maple syrup—but obviously the honey and maple syrup adds more sweetness back in!