Bourbon-Maple Pecan Pie with Brown-Butter Custard

Recipe by @mitchell

A classic pecan pie upgraded with a silky brown-butter custard base and a toasted pecan crumble topping, finished with bourbon-maple flavor for a glossy, restaurant-style wobble.

This Bourbon-Maple Pecan Pie pairs a classic pecan filling with a silky brown-butter custard base for a glossy, restaurant-style wobble. It’s ideal when you want the familiar pecan pie flavor, but with a richer, more custard-like texture and a toasted pecan crumble finish.

IngredientsMetricUS

For the Crust

• 200 g all-purpose flour
• 2 g kosher salt
• 115 g unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
• 60 ml water, ice-cold
• 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 15 ml water (for egg wash)
• 300 g pie weights or dried beans

For the Brown-Butter Custard

• 140 g unsalted butter
• 180 ml pure maple syrup
• 60 ml bourbon
• 100 g packed light brown sugar
• 60 ml heavy cream
• 5 ml vanilla extract
• 2 g kosher salt
• 4 large eggs

For the Pecan “Crumble” Topping

• 180 g pecan halves, roughly chopped
• 28 g unsalted butter
• 25 g brown sugar
• 15 ml maple syrup
• 2 g kosher salt
• 1 g ground cinnamon (optional)
• 15 ml bourbon (optional, for extra aroma)

Instructions

1. Make the crust dough: In a bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and cut in with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse pebbles.
2. Drizzle in the ice-cold water, 1 tbsp (15 ml) at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together (it should look shaggy, not wet).
3. Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
4. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a rack in the lower third of the oven.
5. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate, then trim the edges and crimp decoratively.
6. In a small bowl, whisk the beaten egg with the water for an egg wash.
7. Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork, then brush lightly with egg wash. Sprinkle flour and salt evenly over the bottom.
8. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 18 minutes.
9. Remove weights and parchment. Bake 6–8 minutes more, until the crust looks set and lightly dry. Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C).
10. Brown the butter: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it turns deep amber and smells nutty (about 6–9 minutes). Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl to stop cooking.
11. Whisk the maple syrup, bourbon, brown sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt in a bowl until smooth.
12. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until fully combined and glossy. Slowly whisk in the brown butter until the custard is silky.
13. Spread the chopped pecans evenly in the par-baked crust.
14. Make the pecan crumble topping: melt 28 g butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add pecans, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, and cinnamon (if using). Cook, stirring, until fragrant and lightly glossy, about 3–5 minutes. Stir in bourbon (if using). Transfer to a plate to cool slightly.
15. Pour the warm custard over the pecans in the crust.
16. Sprinkle the pecan topping over the custard (leave some pecans visible for a rustic look).
17. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35–45 minutes, until the center is set around the edges but still has a gentle wobble in the middle (it should not slosh).
18. Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours to fully set before slicing. For clean slices, chill 30 minutes after cooling.

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