Pecan pie is a holiday classic, but this smoked version is like nothing you’ve ever tasted. Follow this recipe to make delicious smoked pecan pie!
Well, y’all, we did it again. We made dessert on the grill.
We took an ordinary Thanksgiving pie, cooked it on the grill, and gave it a sweet kiss of maple wood smoke. This smoked pecan pie has the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and smoky and is in no way sticky-sweet like ordinary pecan pies.
Free up the oven this holiday season and smoke your pecan pie outside on the grill instead.
Everyone will love it!
When I grew up, my grandparents had 4-5 pecan trees, so pecans were always plentiful and pecan pie always made an appearance at holiday gatherings. This pie takes me back to my childhood and the good memories of those pecan trees.
Sadly the old trees didn’t outlast the many hurricanes and tropical storms Virginia has had over the years. Only one pecan tree remains that rarely bears any nuts, but you know what? The storms can take the trees, but they can never erase the memories made under those pecan trees.
What is Pecan Pie?
A pecan pie is a traditional southern pie made of pecans in a filling of butter, corn syrup, and eggs flavored with a hint of vanilla.
Pecan trees are native to North America, and the trees are plentiful with pecans in the fall of the year. That’s why pecan pie usually appears at Thanksgiving tables across the country. This fall pie first started appearing in the late 1800s and became more popular in the 1930s when Karo started using pecan pie in marketing to sell syrup, which is one of the necessary ingredients when making this pie.
How To Set Up Charcoal Grill To Smoke Pecan Pie
If you have a pellet grill, this pie is a breeze. Follow our testing method below for smoking this pie on a charcoal grill:
- Set up a charcoal grill for an indirect 3-zone split fire (2 zones of heat on opposite sides of the grill with a neutral zone in the middle).
- Light about 12-16 coals. When the coals are hot and covered in ash, divide them between the two heat zones. This is where charcoal baskets come in handy, although they are not required to do the job.
- Add a couple of maple wood chunks. We like the way the dry chunks smoked the pie in our tests. The dry wood offers a kiss of maple without overpowering the pie.
If you prefer a little more smoked flavor, soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes before adding them to the hot coals. - Place on the lid and allow the grill to preheat the grill to 275-300 degrees F. The smoke coming from the vents should be a nice pale blue.
What Type of Wood Is Good For Smoking Pecan Pie?
You can use whatever smoking wood you prefer. We use and recommend using maple when smoking this pecan pie. You can use apple, cherry, or pecan if you don’t have any maple wood on hand.
Ingredients Needed to Make Smoked Pecan Pie
There are only 8 ingredients needed to make this pie. Use these ingredients exactly to guarantee your pie is the best you’ve ever made. Get detailed measurements in the recipe card below.
Sugar: this recipe calls for granulated white sugar works. If you use brown sugar, the pie’s texture will become chewier.
Corn Syrup: corn syrup not only sweetens the pie but also helps prevent it from crystalizing when it bakes. We use light and dark corn syrup (½ cup dark and ½ cup light). Dark corn syrup has refiner’s sugar, a type of molasses that gives its dark color and molasses flavor, while light corn syrup has a little salt and vanilla. Adding both light and dark corn syrup gives this pie a unique color and extra rich taste.
You can use 1 cup of either light OR dark corn syrup if you don’t have both on hand.
Eggs: help bind the filling together.
Butter: unsalted butter gives the pie its buttery flavor, keeps the filling glossy, and minimizes bubbles.
Salt: for this recipe, we use regular table salt. We found the granules of kosher salt to be a bit much.
Vanilla Extract: enhances the delicious flavor of the ingredients in the pie. I make my own vanilla extract and have been using it for years. Check out the recipe HERE.
Pecans: Use the freshest pecans you can find. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a tree to get fresh, we highly recommend Millican Pecan Company.
Pie Crust: you need an unbaked deep-dish pie shell. We use a store-bought frozen pie crust because it takes less time to prep, and you do not have to defrost it.
Watch Our Video Of David Smoking Pecan Pie
Helpful Equipment
The following equipment makes the process easier, but the items are not required to make this pie.
- Charcoal baskets
- Metal grill pan or disposable pan
- Instant-Read Thermometer – we use and recommend a Thermapen® ONE from Thermoworks.
How to Make Pecan Pie
This Thanksgiving pie is pretty easy to make. Using a store-bought frozen pie crust saves a lot of prep time, and best of all, there is no pre-baking the crust before adding the filling. Here’s an overview of the process. Get the full step-by-step directions in the recipe card below.
- Fire Up the Grill. Preheat the grill to 275-300 degrees F.
- Boil the sugar and corn syrup. Boil in a saucepan for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
- Beat eggs lightly and slowly pour the syrup mixture. Whisk constantly.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps.
- Stir in butter, salt, vanilla extract, and pecans. Then pour the pie filling into the pie crust.
- Smoke the pie checking every 20-30 minutes for the first hour, only opening the grill to add more wood and charcoal to maintain the temperature and smoke.
- Remove the pie from the grill and allow it to cool completely.
- Slice and serve as is or topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How To Store Smoked Pecan Pie
Store leftover pie in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you want to keep it longer, we recommend freezing it.
How To Freeze Smoked Pecan Pie
Regular pecan pie freezes pretty well. However, we have tested freezing and thawing the pie. We can recommend trying it as you would a normal pie. We cannot say for sure if freezing and thawing affect the smokiness of this pie.
- If you are making the pie in advance, allow the cooled pie to refrigerate overnight, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil for up to a month.
- To thaw the frozen pie, place it in the refrigerator overnight. Slice it and allow the slices to come to room temperature. You nuke it in the microwave for about 30 seconds if you like to eat it warm.
Tips For This Pie
- Chop the pecans before measuring. It will make a difference when measuring them for the pie.
- For more intense smoke, use wet maple chips. Soak the chips in a bowl of water while you are making the pie. You will only need a few handfuls for each charcoal basket.
- It’s important to slowly temper the hot syrup mixture to temper the eggs so they don’t cook. If the hot syrup mixture is added too quickly, it will curdle the eggs.
- Cut the butter into slices before adding it to the pie filling. This will help the butter melt faster.
- Place the pin pan onto a metal sheet pan so that the bottom doesn’t get smutty.
- Chilled pies slice the best, so let it cool, then refrigerate for 4 hours before slicing.
FAQs
The pecan pie is ready when an instant-read thermometer reads 185 degrees F in the center, about 70 to 90 minutes. The crust should be a nice golden brown color, and the filling should puff up a bit. The pie should wiggle like jello but does not ripple when tapped.
Grainy pecan pie is a sign the pecan pie is overcooked. When the eggs overcook, they cause a grainy texture. Cook the pie just until the filling reaches 185 degrees F. If the temperature rises above 200 degrees F. It will be overcooked.
This pie is a real treat for those who like grilled and smoked food. We hope you will try this pie, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
See ya on the mountain!
Smoked Pecan Pie (Baking Instructions Included)
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark corn syrup see notes
- ½ cup light corn syrup see notes
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into slices
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups pecans coarsely chopped
- 1 deep-dish pie shell unbaked, frozen or fresh chilled
Instructions
- Set up a charcoal grill for an indirect 3-zone split fire (2 zones of heat and a neutral zone in the middle). Light about 12-16 coals and divide between the two heat zones. Add a couple of maple wood chunks. Place on the lid and allow the grill to preheat the grill to 275-300 degrees F. (see notes)
- Bring the sugar and corn syrup to a boil over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. Boil the mixture for 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a spoon or spatula. Use caution and turn down the heat slightly if the mixture tries to bubble over. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool slightly for at least 3-5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly with a whisk. Then very slowly, pour the syrup mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve to ensure the filling is smooth and lump-free.
- Stir in butter into the warm filling mixture. When the butter is melted, stir the salt, vanilla extract, and pecans.
- Place the prepared pie crust onto an old (or disposable) metal sheet pan. Pour the pie filling into the unbaked pie crust.
- Place the pie in the center of the grill over indirect heat. Place the lid on and smoke the pie for 20-30 minutes.
- After 20-30 minutes, check the temperature of the grill. Add a couple more pieces of wood and charcoals if the temperature and smoke start to fade. Place the lid back on and continue to smoke the pie.
- Continue to monitor the temperature and smoke, only opening the grill to add more wood and charcoal to maintain the temperature and smoke.
- The pecan pie is ready when an instant-read thermometer reads 185 degrees F in the center, about 70 to 90 minutes. The crust should be a nice golden brown color, and the filling should puff up a bit. The pie should wiggle like jello but does not ripple when tapped.
- Remove the pie from the grill and allow it to cool completely. The pie will set as it cools.
- Slice and serve as is or topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Conventional Oven Directions
- You can bake this pie in a preheated 350-degree oven for 45-60 minutes.The pecan pie is ready when an instant-read thermometer reads 185 degrees F in the center, about 70 to 90 minutes. The crust should be a nice golden brown color, and the filling should puff up a bit. The pie should wiggle like jello but does not ripple when tapped.
Notes
- You can use 1 cup of either light OR dark corn syrup if you don’t have both on hand.
- Chop the pecans before measuring. It will make a difference when measuring them for the pie.
- For more intense smoke, use wet maple chips. Soak the chips in a bowl of water while you are making the pie. You will only need a few handfuls for each charcoal basket.
- It’s important to slowly temper the hot syrup mixture to temper the eggs so they don’t cook. If the hot syrup mixture is added too quickly, it will curdle the eggs.
- Cut the butter into slices before adding it to the pie filling. This will help the butter melt faster.
- Place the pie pan onto a metal sheet, so the bottom doesn’t get smutty.
- Chilled pies slice the best, so let it cool, then refrigerate for 4 hours before slicing.
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