Maple Pecan Pie (Without Corn Syrup)

I recently came across this Pecan Pie recipe that uses pure maple syrup instead of corn syrup and really wanted to try it. I didn't end up making it for Thanksgiving so I made it today to take to my parents' house tonight. I used my go-to pie crust recipe, but I only made half a recipe since I only needed a bottom crust. I didn't measure the ice water like I usually do and used too much, so my dough was a little wet. I also forgot to poke holes in it.

I happened to have Crown Maple Syrup, which Costco sells around the holidays, so I used that for my pecan pie. I did not use cinnamon or nutmeg in my pie and I don't think the recipe needs them. Mixing the pie filling is super easy and only requires a whisk, but be careful not to over mix the filling, which can cause it to puff up and crack while baking.

I always find it hard to tell when pecan pie is finished. If you remove it from the oven too soon, it will be soupy in the middle, and if you bake it too long it will be too hard. Remove it from the oven when you insert a toothpick in the center and just a little bit of gooey filling is on the toothpick. I tried to tell if it was done just by how jiggly the pie filling was. I'm pretty sure mine took longer to bake than 40 minutes, but my son turned the oven timer off at some point while my pie was baking, so I have no idea how long it was actually in the oven, but it was definitely longer than the recipe calls for.

I read a review on this recipe that said to avoid a soggy crust, you can blind bake the crust (with pie weights) at 400° for 10-15 minutes, then pour in the mixed ingredients and finish baking the pie. You may need to bake 10 minutes longer than the recipe says.

This pie was pretty delicious! I served it with homemade whipped cream to my husband (it's his favorite kind of pie and he loved this recipe!), mom and siblings and they all enjoyed it too. If you're looking for a good pecan pie recipe and don't have or don't want to use corn syrup, give this one a try!

Maple Pecan Pie Recipe (Without Corn Syrup)

Recipe from Cucina by Elena

 

If you are looking for the BEST pecan pie without corn syrup, you’ve landed on the right recipe! This delicious pie has a beautifully rich maple syrup flavor and warm spices that enhance the pecan flavor. The buttery, flaky pie crust nestles it together, making it irresistible.  

 

Homemade 9” pie crust

2 cups (8 ounces) pecan halves

3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

¾ cup real maple syrup

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

 

 

Preheat the oven to 400°.

 

Prepare the pecans:

Spread the pecan halves evenly inside the unbaked pie crust. Place the crust in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.

 

Make the filling:

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy.

 

Whisk in the melted butter until smooth.

 

Add the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and flour, whisking just until everything is well combined, but don’t over mix.

 

Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg (if using). Whisk just until smooth and fully combined, but don’t over mix.

 

Assemble the pie:

Take the chilled pie crust with pecans out from the fridge.

 

Carefully pour the filling mixture over the pecans, ensuring they are evenly coated.

 

Bake the pie:

Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes at 400°.

 

After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350° and continue baking for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is set and only slightly jiggles in the center.

 

Check halfway through and cover the pie with foil if it’s browning too quickly.

 

Cool and serve:

Once baked, remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. The filling will firm up as it cools.

 

If desired, sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top before serving for a balanced sweet and salty flavor. You can also serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream. 

 

NOTES:

Use real maple syrup: Pure maple syrup (not imitation) gives the pie a rich, natural sweetness. It’s the star of the show, so go for quality!

 

Chill the crust: After placing the pecans in the pie crust, chill the crust in the fridge while preparing the filling. This helps the butter firm up, creating a flakier, crisper crust when baked.

 

Don’t over mix the filling: When whisking the eggs and other ingredients, mix until just combined to avoid a tough filling texture. Over mixing can cause the filling to puff up too much and crack.

Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

This Buttery Flaky Pie Crust Recipe is super easy to make and delicious! So far I've used it for chicken pot pie, apple pie and pecan pie. This recipe makes is enough for a double crust but it can easily be cut in half to make just one crust (that's what I do when I make a pecan pie). You can also make the dough and refrigerate it in discs for up to 5 days before rolling it out, which helps around the holidays so you don't have to do everything in one day.

Making a pie always intimidates me because I'm not good at making the crust look nice, but this recipe is so simple and always tastes delicious - that's why it's my go-to pie crust recipe!

This link also has some more great tips!

Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

Recipe courtesy Sally’s Baking Addiction

 

This recipe is enough for a double crust pie. If you only need 1 crust for your pie, cut this recipe in half OR freeze the other half per the make ahead tip instruction below.

 

2½ cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled) plus more as needed for shaping and rolling

1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

2/3 cup vegetable shortening, chilled

½ cup ice water

 

For best results, chill all ingredients before using. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl and chill them.

 

Add the chilled and cubed butter and shortening to the chilled flour and salt mixture.

 

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick.

 

Measure ½ cup of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure ½ cup water since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about ½ cup of water and a little more in dry winter months (up to ¾ cup). Do not add any more water than you need.

 

Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Cut dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands.

 

Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.

 

When rolling out the chilled pie dough discs to use in your pie, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Visible specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal and expected!

 

Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions.

 

NoteS:

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the pie dough through step 4 and freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.

Shortening:  I use between 2/3 and 3/4 cup of cold shortening in this dough. Lately, I find 2/3 cup (which is 10 Tbsp + 2 teaspoons) works best.

Salt: Use regular table salt. If using kosher salt, use 1¼ teaspoons.

Healthy Chicken Pot Pie + Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

Tonight's recipe is a double - a Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe from one blog (claimed to be healthy because of the crust recipe on the website) and a Buttery Flaky Pie Crust Recipe from another blog (a top and bottom crust recipe that I'm sure is not as healthy as the one on the other website but was perfect for a chicken pot pie). I made this tonight and I loved it, so I wanted to post these recipes together so I remember next time exactly what I did.

I love chicken pot pie, but I'm lactose intolerant so I haven't had it in years because it is usually made with dairy. This recipe uses almond milk so I wanted to give it a try, and it was delicious. I had my parents over for dinner and they both enjoyed it a lot too (my dad loves chicken pot pie as well). My husband wasn't too fond of the celery but liked everything else. Personally I thought the filling needed a bit more salt, but I also added more chicken and vegetables to the amounts than the original recipe called for so that might be why.

I have never been good at working with pie dough but this recipe was pretty easy to make. I mixed the dough last night and refrigerated two discs. This morning I boiled the chicken, shredded it, cut all the veggies and cooked the filling. About an hour before I wanted to bake the pie, I rolled out the bottom crust, put the filling in, rolled out the top crust and put it on. I crimped the edges, brushed the top with egg wash, made a few slits in the top and popped it in the oven (on top of a baking sheet, just in case anything spilled out but it did not).

The pie plate I use is a little bigger than your average pie plate, about 10.5" wide instead of 9", so I added a bit more chicken, veggies and almond milk to the filling recipe. This pie fed 4 adults with 3 pieces left over.

This is the perfect fall or winter dinner and as a bonus, it can even be made ahead of time. The pictures below are not the best (taken with my phone rather than my camera) but I will try to get better pictures the next time I made this.

Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe courtesy Well Plated by Erin

                       

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

10 ounces chopped baby bella mushrooms

1 cup diced carrots (about 3 medium)

½ cup diced celery (about 1 large stalk)

½ cup diced onions

1½ teaspoons garlic powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 cups cooked and shredded boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces or 2 small breasts)

½ cup frozen peas

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 prepared pie crust (dairy free if needed)

1 egg (lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water to create an egg wash)

 

 

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie dish with baking spray (if you are not using a bottom crust). Set aside.

 

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a large pot, then season them lightly with salt and pepper. Give each breast a nice sprinkle. Cover the chicken with 1 inch of water. Place the pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer or is no longer pink in the center, about 8 to 16 minutes, depending upon the size and number of chicken breasts that you are poaching. A 10-ounce chicken breast will need to simmer for about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the chicken from water and let it rest until cool enough to handle. Shred chicken – I find that the chicken is the easiest to shred apart while it is still slightly warm.

 

Heat a large Dutch oven or similar deep, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan. Once hot, add the mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes, until mushrooms are beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms have browned more deeply and the carrots begin to soften, about 3 additional minutes.

 

Sprinkle the flour over the top of the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the almond milk, adding a few splashes at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a low boil, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue to let it bubble until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, and thyme.

 

Spoon the chicken mixture into the prepared pie dish.

 

Roll the pie dough into a circle large enough to cover your dish. Brush the edges of the pie dish with the egg wash, then lay the dough over the top so that it overhangs the sides. Trim the overhang to a ½ inch larger than the edge of the dish. Gently press the dough onto the sides of the dish so that it sticks, then brush all over with the remaining egg wash. With a sharp knife, cut 3 slits in the top.

 

Bake until hot and bubbly on the inside and the crust is deeply golden, about 25 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes. Serve hot.

 

 

NOTES:

The filling can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months (let thaw overnight in the refrigerator). Add the crust just before baking.

This recipe tastes best the day it is made because the crust is the most crisp, but you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven.

To make the recipe vegetarian, substitute an additional 2 cups of chopped vegetables for the chicken. The pot pie will still be delicious and hearty.

To make gluten free, use your favorite gluten free pie crust.

 

Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

Recipe courtesy Sally’s Baking Addiction

 

This recipe is enough for a double crust pie. If you only need 1 crust for your pie, cut this recipe in half OR freeze the other half per the make ahead tip instruction below.

 

2½ cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled) plus more as needed for shaping and rolling

1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

2/3 cup vegetable shortening, chilled

½ cup ice water

 

For best results, chill all ingredients before using. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl and chill them.

 

Add the chilled and cubed butter and shortening to the chilled flour and salt mixture.

 

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick.

 

Measure ½ cup of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure ½ cup water since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about ½ cup of water and a little more in dry winter months (up to ¾ cup). Do not add any more water than you need.

 

Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Cut dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands.

 

Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.

 

When rolling out the chilled pie dough discs to use in your pie, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Visible specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal and expected!

 

Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions.

 

NoteS:

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the pie dough through step 4 and freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.

Shortening:  I use between 2/3 and 3/4 cup of cold shortening in this dough. Lately, I find 2/3 cup (which is 10 Tbsp + 2 teaspoons) works best.

Salt: Use regular table salt. If using kosher salt, use 1¼ teaspoons.

 

Triple Berry Pie

I love dessert and sweets, and pie is one of my favorites. Cherry pie is my absolute favorite, but anything with berries is a close second. We went to visit my father-in-law for Father's Day weekend and I had a bunch of berries in the refrigerator that I didn't want to take with us, but that would have definitely gone bad sitting until we got back home. I decided to freeze them for smoothies, but later thought I should make a pie out of them. I've only made a berry pie once and I remember it being a bit runny, so I searched online for a new recipe that specifically uses frozen berries and came across this one that looked promising. In this recipe you cook the berries down and then add cornstarch to thicken the juice. The recipe calls for raspberries, blueberries and blackberries but I used strawberries in place of the blackberries. You can use any combination of berries you like most. I'm not very good at making pie crust, so I bought a Pillsbury one and made the pie yesterday.

I used my Le Creuset 3.5-qt. Round Wide Dutch Oven to make the filling and it was the perfect size to fit everything. I tasted the filling once it was ready and it was delicious! I think the store-bought pie crust made this pie not live up to its full potential, so next time I will have to just try a homemade one. It wasn't bad at all, but homemade crust just tastes so much better. I think this berry filling would also taste great with a cobbler topping. Remember to bake your pie on top of a large cookie sheet in case the filling spills over a bit! Overall this was a very easy pie to make and tasted great - it's a perfect summer dessert!

Triple Berry Pie

Recipe courtesy “Tastes Better from Scratch” Blog

 

You just can't beat this easy and delicious homemade Triple Berry Pie! It holds together perfectly every single time, and you can use fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.

 

Homemade pie crust for a 9'' deep dish pan. This recipe makes 2 crusts: one for the bottom and one for the top

7 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, blueberries and strawberries (about 2 1/3 cups of each type of berry)

1 cup granulated sugar (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top of the pie)

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

4 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons butter

1 large egg white beaten with a fork

 

Cook berries: Add berries, sugar and lemon juice to a large saucepan over medium heat. 

 

Simmer, until warm and juicy, about 5-10 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. (You can taste it at this point and see if it's sweet enough for your liking. I don't like to make mine too sweet, but if you want it sweeter you can add ¼ cup more sugar.)

 

Thicken filling: Spoon out about ½ cup of the juice from the pan into a bowl. Stir cornstarch into the juice until smooth. 

 

Bring pot of berries back to a simmer and slowly pour in the cornstarch. Gently stir mixture (being careful not to mash the berries), until thickened, about 2-5 minutes.

 

Cool and add to pie shell. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell (in a 9 in deep dish pan).

 

Add lattice top or a whole top with holes pricked on top for steam to escape.

 

Pinch the edges of the top and bottom pie crusts together and crimp the edge, if you like. Brush a thin layer of beaten egg white over the top of the pie and sprinkle lightly with sugar (optional). 

 

Bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes. Check it after about 25 minutes and place a piece of tinfoil over it if the top crust is getting too brown. 

 

Remove to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for several hours. Once cooled completely, you can cut into it or cover it and refrigerate it overnight to serve the next day.

 

NOTES:

*I LOVE Costco’s bag of frozen berries. It already has all three types of berries and they are big and beautiful and you can't beat the price!

To make ahead: This pie can be prepared completely 1 day ahead of time. You can also prepare the filling up to 3 months ahead of time and store it in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before pouring in unbaked pie crust.

To freeze: You can freeze the baked pie for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Sweet Cherry Pie

Today is Father's Day and I wanted to make my dad one of his favorite desserts, cherry pie. This morning I called a few local farms to see if they had any sour cherries, but was unable to get through to anyone. Knowing that they are in high demand and the cherry picking season is very short, I thought I should find an alternative. I searched online and found some recipes for sweet cherries or bing cherries, and the Giant by my house had them on sale. I decided to try one of the recipes and hoped my dad would like it as much as the sour cherry pies that my grandmother used to make for him.

I bought about 4 pounds of cherries and realized after starting to take the pits out that I had enough for two pies, so I made a pie dough recipe that makes enough dough for 3 pies. I was going to make one of the pies with a top and bottom crust and use the rest of the dough for a bottom crust and make a crumb topping in a tart dish, but it turned out I had enough to make two full pies with top and bottom crusts.

The pie was easy to make, although a little time consuming. I used a cherry pitter which was very helpful. Everything else was pretty straightforward. We ate the pie soon after it came out of the oven (instead of letting it cool) with vanilla ice cream. It was a little runny but tasted great. And most importantly, my dad enjoyed it!
 

Sweet Cherry Pie

Recipe courtesy SimplyRecipes.com

We've used ½ cup of sugar for the filling, which results in a pie not overly sweet. You may want to use more or less sugar, depending on how sweet you would like your pie to be, and how sweet your cherries are.

Pie dough for top and bottom (9 or 10-inch pie)

5 cups sweet cherries, pitted

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 Tablespoons corn starch

1 Tablespoon of butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg

Coarse sugar for sprinkling

Place the pitted cherries, sugar, almond extract, lemon juice and corn starch in a large bowl. Toss until the cherries are well coated with the sugar and other ingredients.

On a lightly floured clean surface, roll out the bottom crust. Form it into a 9 or 10-inch pie pan. Using kitchen scissors, trim the edges so that they extend beyond the edge of the pie pan by 1 inch. Place in the refrigerator while you roll out the top crust.

Roll out the top crust to about the same size as the bottom crust. Place the filling in the pie plate. Dot with small dabs of butter. Cover with the top crust. Trim the edges. Crimp to seal the edges together. Score the top crust with cuts so that the steam can escape while the pie is cooking (unnecessary if you are making a lattice crust). Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking.

Optional egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water or milk. Use a pastry brush to brush over the top crust. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Place the pie in the middle rack, with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any pie drippings. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temp to 350° and cook for 35 to 45 minutes longer, or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is thick and bubbly.

Allow to cool completely before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Bing Cherries

Pitted cherries

Pie crust ready for filling

Cherry filling

Pie ready for oven

Fresh out of the oven

Photos by JoJo