I am convinced this is the best pecan pie I have eaten, or made. It’s chewy inside, with crunchy pecans on top. The flavor is mildly sweet to bring out the taste of the nuts, and to keep you coming back for seconds. Sarah's Pecan Pie - best pecan pie recipe

I made this pecan pie for a Christmas dinner with family friends, and the response from the mommies was astoundingly pleasant (rare! These ladies aren’t usually into desserts because they’re not healthy). I had brought a blueberry cake and this pecan pie, and at the end of the night, this pie was definitely the winner.

Initially, I had made pecan pie earlier in the week (chocolate bottomed!). But it was so sweet, my mother banned me from making pecan pies the rest of winter break. Luckily I had already made two pie crusts, so under the argument that I had to use the second crust, this pie was born. In response to her complaint about the sugar overload in pies, I made this pie without adding sugar.

Doesn’t that just sound gross? I thought so at first. Except it tastes even better without the 1 cup of sugar I almost dumped into the filling. The maple syrup is naturally sweet and gives this pie a delicious sweet taste that isn’t too overwhelming and keeps people coming back for seconds.

The three eggs in the pie also give the filling a spongy texture, the perfect contrast to the crispy top. To keep the pie edges from overbaking, I first baked with foil on the pie edges. I’d read about this in cookbooks – and it worked wonders keeping this crust from being over cooked.