Maple Bacon Pecan Pie

Maple bacon pecan pie combines the sweetness of maple syrup with salty, crispy bacon and toasted pecans in a custard filling. The filling stays creamy while the edges set, and the bacon stays crunchy because you add it after baking. This is the pie to make when you want something richer and more interesting than the standard version.

Ingredients for Maple Bacon Pecan Pie

All-purpose flour and butter make the crust tender and flaky. Salt seasons the dough. Ice water brings the flour and butter together. Bacon adds salty crunch, cooked until crispy before the pie bakes so it stays firm. Pecans toast slightly in the oven and give the filling texture and nutty depth. Maple syrup is the main sweetener and flavoring, so use pure maple, not pancake syrup. Brown sugar adds molasses notes and helps the filling set. Eggs bind the filling and give it structure. Butter in the filling adds richness. Vanilla extract rounds out the flavors. Salt in the filling brings out the maple and bacon.

Why This Maple Bacon Pecan Pie Works

A pecan pie filling is really a custard: eggs and cream or butter set around nuts as the pie bakes. The key is knowing when to stop baking. If you bake it until the center looks completely firm, it will overbake and crack or become rubbery. You want the center to jiggle slightly when you shake the pan at 60 minutes. It keeps cooking as it cools, and by the time it reaches room temperature, the center will be set and sliceable.

Bacon goes in after the pie comes out of the oven because if you bake bacon, it dries out and loses its crunch. By crumbling it over the hot filling right from the oven, it softens just enough to eat but stays crispy. The heat from the pie is enough to warm it through.

The crust is a standard pie dough, made with cold butter so it stays flaky. Keep everything cold while you mix it, and don’t work the dough more than you have to. A blind bake (pre-baking the crust partway) keeps the bottom from soaking up the wet filling.

Mistakes To Avoid

Overbaking the pie is the most common mistake. If the filling looks totally solid, the pie is already overdone. The center should wobble like soft custard when you jiggle the pan. As it cools, carryover heat finishes setting it, and by the time it reaches room temperature, it will slice perfectly.

Using pancake syrup instead of pure maple syrup changes the flavor and the texture. Pancake syrup is mostly corn syrup and water, so the filling will not set properly and the maple taste will be thin and artificial.

Skipping the blind bake or not using a pie shield on the crust edge causes a soggy bottom and a burnt rim. The crust bakes faster than the filling, so you need to protect the edge with foil after 20 minutes and pre-bake the bottom to keep it crisp.

Adding the bacon before baking makes it dry and tough instead of crispy. The oven heat dries out the fat and makes the bacon chewy. Cook it on the stovetop until it shatters, then scatter it on top of the hot pie as soon as it comes out.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (155 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold butter, cubed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
• 8 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons (57 grams) butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Mix flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Cut in cold butter cubes with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
2. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing gently with a fork, until the dough just comes together. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
3. Roll dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, trim the edge to 1 inch overhang, and fold under to make a rim. Prick the bottom all over with a fork.
4. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 12 minutes until the bottom is set and pale. Remove weights and parchment and set the crust aside.
5. While the crust bakes, cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes until deeply crispy and shattering. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Do not discard the rendered fat in the pan.
6. Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes until fragrant. Chop roughly and place in the pie crust.
7. Whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour over the pecans.
8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50 to 65 minutes. At 60 minutes, gently shake the pan: the edges should bubble vigorously and the center should jiggle like soft custard when you move the pan. If the rim is browning too fast, cover with a pie shield.
9. Remove from the oven and immediately scatter the crispy bacon over the hot filling. Let cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 3 hours. Do not refrigerate until fully cool.
10. Slice with a warm, dry knife, wiping between cuts. Serve at room temperature or chilled.