Easy Gluten Free Pecan Pie (No Corn Syrup!)

This classic gluten free pecan pie recipe combines the perfect sweet, salty, and nutty tastes, all in an impossibly flaky gf pie crust that browns and never burns. You won't believe how easy the filling is to make—all without corn syrup!

You may have come looking for a gf pecan pie for the holidays, but you'll find yourself making it all year long. Stash some slices in the freezer and defrost at room temperature for a little treat any time!

Why this recipe works

The star of any gluten free pie, for me, is always an extra flaky gluten free pie crust. And I always start this pie with that perfect recipe for 1 single pie crust—but the simple, mouthwatering filling is what makes this recipe special.

Pecan pie filling is really just a cooked custard made with sugar, butter, and eggs, poured over chopped pecans. But this filling can hold up even without the pecans—and it doesn't call for any corn syrup. Most pecan pie fillings call for 1 full cup of Karo corn syrup.

I don't mind using corn syrup in general, which is designed to prevent sugar crystals from forming, leading to a smoother result. But it makes a different type of pie—and many prefer to avoid using a whole cup of it in a pie.

To help the filling set up stable even without corn syrup, we cook it at a lower temperature and add a bit of superfine white rice flour in the filling mixture. The flour helps the pie set up properly during baking, and keep its shape when it cools.

Expert tips

Don't reduce the sugar in the recipe

This filling recipe has 3 main ingredients: sugar (light brown and granulated), melted butter, and eggs. You can't make it without any of those 3 ingredients.

If you try reducing the sugar at all, you won't just have the less-sweet pie you're going for. You'll have a filling that never sets up and tastes oily and eggy.

Chill the pie crust before rolling

All pastry dough must be cold at all times other than when it's in the oven. Pie crust is no exception.

Pie crust and other pastry dough become crispy and flaky in the oven when there are cold pieces of butter, or another solid fat, that expand in the oven heat. If they're warm when they go into the oven, they'll just melt without expanding.

Experiment with the cooking time

I prefer to bake this pie until the filling is completely set, so it slices very cleanly. If you'd rather have a pie with filling that melts out of the slice a bit, reduce the cooking time by about 10 minutes.

For completely set pie filling, it will resist being pressed in the center when it's done. For a softer filling that's still fully baked, it's done when the filling still jiggles slowly when shaken gently from side to side.

Only slice a chilled pie

Whether your pie is set fully, or set softer, you must wait for it to cool completely before serving. Otherwise, the filling will cave in on itself when you try to slice it.

In fact, I prefer to let it cool completely and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing. It's easier to slice, even if you've made a softer filling pie.

Ingredient substitutions

Dairy free

The dairy in the gluten free pie crust can be replaced if you use our recipe for classic gluten free pie crust and follow the instructions under the heading “How to make a gluten free pie crust without sour cream.”

The butter in the filling can be replaced with vegan butter. My favorite brands are Melt and Miyoko's Kitchen.

For the bit of milk, just use your favorite unsweetened unflavored nondairy milk. Any will really do.

Egg free

In place of all 3 eggs, try using 1/4 cup milk at room temperature whisked fully with 2 tablespoons (18 grams) tapioca starch.

Rice flour substitute

You can use sweet white rice flour, also called glutinous rice flour, or tapioca starch. Avoid cornstarch if possible because when it's used to thicken heated fillings, they tend to leak moisture as they cool.

Pecan-free

In place of pecans, try another semi-soft nut like halved walnuts or skinned hazelnuts.

Nut-free

You can make gluten free pecan pie without pecans—or any other nut. The filling is a simple brown sugar custard that's poured over chopped pecans and baked. The pecans on the top do help the custard rise and set evenly on the top, but they're definitely not essential.

Try making the filling without any nuts at all, or try sprinkling some chocolate chips on top of the filling before baking. They should sit right on top of the raw filling, and sink a bit during baking but still hold their shape.

FAQs

Storage instructions

You can make this pecan pie long before you're ready to serve it. You can make and bake the whole pie, then let it cool, cover, and freeze it for at least 3 months.

Just defrost it at room temperature, slicing it once it's cool but not cold. Then, serve the slices still cold or at room temperature.

If you have leftover slices, chill them and wrap them each tightly in freezer-safe wrap. Store them in the refrigerator or the freezer and serve whenever you like!