This pecan pie is made without corn syrup and adds raisins to the filling for an extra layer of rich flavor and sweetness. This pecan raisin pie may be a bit nontraditional, but it’s one of the best pies you’ll ever try!
Two events happened in our family’s lore to turn my mother into the family’s Pie Queen.
The first occurred when she was in college and learned how to make a perfect pie crust. The second was a number of years later when, while flipping through that year’s Southern Living cookbook, she stumbled across a recipe for Pecan Raisin Pie.
I suppose you could say that the marriage of these two things – my mother’s pie crust with this most unique pie recipe – pretty much altered the way my family would forever celebrate any holiday.
Now, you think I’m exaggerating. But no. I’m not.
I am certainly not exaggerating when I tell you that my mother was not allowed in the house at Thanksgiving or Christmas if she didn’t at least have the ingredients for this pie with her. Who made this declaration? Her little brother.
Yes, my uncle – a grown man – would revert into a pouting 7-year-old if he did not get his pie. But not just any pie; it had to be THIS pie.
It is also the pie that somehow, over the years, became my birthday pie. It’s the pie that Momma made for Alex and I to cut on our wedding day. After Momma passed, it was this handwritten recipe card that my aunt had professionally framed and sent to me to cherish always.
That’s how big of a deal pecan raisin pie is in my family.
What makes pecan raisin pie so special?
So really, what is so spectacular about this pie? Isn’t it just like any other pecan pie recipe?
Well, in short, no.
Firstly, this recipe does not use corn syrup, which is a major ingredient in most pecan pie recipes. The result is that this pie, while still being rich, does not have the heavy stickiness that so often occurs with pecan pie.
Secondly, there is something about the addition of raisins in this filling that creates an element of perfection that you never realized was missing before. The crunchy, toasty pecans pair perfectly with the chewy fruitiness of the raisins.
If you don’t usually like raisins…well, neither do my cousins. Or a bunch of people who have tried this pie. But all of them still love this recipe, because the raisins simply add to the sweet richness of the filling.
Combined with a perfectly flaky crust…well, say goodbye to pecan pie as you once knew it.
You’re going to be ruined after one bite. Just like my whole family.
(More of a chocolate person? Try corn-syrup-free cocoa pecan pie!)
How to make pecan pie without corn syrup
If you haven’t made a pecan pie without corn syrup in it before, it’s super easy. It’s actually a very quick pie to assemble and only needs 30 minutes to bake, so it’s a bit faster to make than sweet potato pie or even my rhubarb pie.
Ingredients you’ll need
To make this pecan raisin pie, you will need:
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Now, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that there is absolutely NO SHAME in using a pre-made pie crust here. I always make this pie with my homemade pie crust, but you should do what is most accessible for you.
If it means making best friends with the Pillsbury Doughboy, I promise I won’t tell anybody.
For the vinegar, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar both work will in this recipe.
My mom always used red raisins when I was growing up. These days I tend to use golden raisins because I generally prefer them, but either one is delicious here.
Making this recipe
Start by prepping and blind baking your pie crust.
If the pie dough is not already in a pie plate, roll it out and place it into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim and crimp the edges as desired.
Prick the bottom and sides of the pie dough with a fork or line the crust with parchment paper and pie weights. My pie crust recipe and shortening-based pie crusts work well without pie weights, but I suggest using them if you are using an all-butter pie crust.
Bake the crust at 450°F for 6-8 minutes, until set and barely starting to turn golden. Set aside to cool while you make the filling, removing the pie weights if you used them.
Now lower the oven temperature to 350°F and start on the filling.
Add the butter, sugar, and salt to a saucepan over low heat. Whisk constantly until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot and well combined. The sugar may still be grainy, but that’s ok.
Remove the pan from the heat.
In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, vinegar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Slowly whisk about 1/3 cup of the hot butter mixture into the eggs, then add all of the egg mixture into the pot with the butter mixture.
Whisk until smooth, then stir in the pecans and raisins.
Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 30 minutes or until the pie is set.
Let the pie cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Storage
If you are planning to serve your pecan raisin pie the same day that you baked it, you can leave it out at room temperature until after serving.
Because of the eggs in the filling, leftovers should technically be stored in the fridge, covered, for 2-3 days.
My friend Megan will often freeze her maple pecan pie (which is also made without corn syrup) in order to get some of her holiday baking done early. If you want to freeze this pie, I suggest following the freezing recommendations in her post.
Pecan Raisin Pie
Equipment
- Pie weights optional
- Pie shield optional
Ingredients
- Pastry for (1) 9-inch single-crust pie
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 Pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup raisins red or golden
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Roll pastry on a lightly floured surface and place in 9-inch pie plate, trimming and crimping the edges as desired. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork or line with parchment paper and pie weights. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until set and barely starting to turn golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool, removing pie weights if used.
- Lower oven temperature to 350°F.
- Combine butter, sugar, and salt in a saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and mixture is hot and well combined. The mixture may still be grainy. Remove from heat.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, vinegar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Slowly whisk ⅓ cup of the butter and sugar mixture into the egg mixture, then add all of the egg mixture into the pot with the remaining butter mixture. Whisk until smooth, then stir in the pecans and raisins.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pastry shell. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pie is set.
- Let pie cool on a wire rack before serving.
Looks good.
I had this recipe and lost it. So glad to have found it again. I love to bake these up, then they freeze very well. Just remove from freezer and warm in oven. Great to have when you need something good quickly. Also made them and gave as gift during thanksgiving and Christmas holidays .
I love a good pecan pie and the addition of raisins sounds amazing.
I promise I will make this pie! I am actually kind of excited about it!
Let me know how you like it!
Made it. Loved it. My in-laws have declared it THE pie. Thank you for this!
I’m so glad you loved it! It definitely is THE pie for my family! 😉
I tried, twice, no luck. This looks delicious but I’m not really a baker and the first time I tried the sugar and butter got hard when added the eggs. The second time I thought I’d got it but then when I added the eggs they just became scrambled. After wasting 6 eggs I gave up. Maybe I’ll call my mom and ask for some advice. I’m sure the problems were mine and not your recipe.
I am Stephie’s mom, and have made this pie for almost 26 years (multiple times a year). There are a couple of things that you might have done. Make sure that you continually stir the butter and sugar while it is melting, and make sure that the heat is on medium-low. Don’t let it go too long–it isn’t going to become a liquid, and will be rather “thick” (and still a bit grainy). I always have my eggs beaten and ready to go in. Let the butter/sugar cool for just a minute before adding the eggs, and stir, stir, stir while pouring the eggs in. I use a wooden spoon, which makes the stirring easier to get to all the parts of the pan. I really hope this helps. This pie is the bomb!
I’m sorry you had trouble but I hope my mom’s suggestions help you out and that you give it another shot!
Use a wire whisk works much better. Let cool a lot before adding eggs. Use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar
Maria
Made it for Thanksgiving at the in-laws and they loved it so much!!
My father in-law says I have to make it every holiday now because its his new favorite, thanks for the amazing recipe!
Sounds like your FIL is now on the same team as my Uncle Mike regarding this pie. 🙂 So glad you guys loved it!
I have one questions and four comments:
1. Should I temper the eggs before I add them?
1. Pillsbury Pie Crust is the very best not-from-scratch pie crust. I found out about it from a friend who is a culinary celebrity in her church.
2. Raisins make the pie much more nutritious. They are a good source of iron, potassium and fiber.
3. Pecans are a good source of protein. Thus, Pecan Raisin Pie is beneficial to your health as well as delicious.
4. The traditional Thanksgiving menu includes some very healthy foods–turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin, A homemade Thanksgiving dinner is usually prepared with love and intention and gratitude.
Is there anything else you would like reframed for you?
Your comments are (as always) perfection. Thanksgiving is basically a diet meal! 😉
As for your question: Momma does not temper her eggs. She does allow the heated mixture to cool slightly before adding the eggs, but she just goes for it and beats the tar out of them with a wooden spoon. That being said: You may absolutely temper your eggs if you’d feel more comfortable (which I totally understand). It certainly won’t hurt, can only help. 🙂
xoxo
I had planned to make my traditional Pumpkin Custard pie and my Raisin pie, which you seldom hear people talk about. My recipe is more like a berry pie would be, kind of gooey with grated lemon peel and a crumb top. My grandmother’s recipe I have been baking for many years. Just for kicks I googled Raisin pie, even though I had no intention of altering my plans. That was until I stumbled upon your Raisin Pecan recipe. I thought why not change it up a bit, since I am a big fan of Pecan pie as well. I made your pie first, popped it in the oven while I prepared my pumpkin pie. Early this morning I thought I better sample that new pie before I serve it later today. All I can say is…OH MY!!!!!!! Amazing! This is definitely a keeper.
I love this comment! Thank you so much for sharing. I am glad you were able to add to your pie repertoire with this one. 🙂
I must make this pie, I am one that loves raisen pie and also mincemeat pie. I will make this for the hoidays, thank you so much.
I do suggest you add some more information to your method. The sugar does not ever dissolve. The first time I made it, the sugar came to a golden brown and then separated from the butter and crystallized. Specify in the directions about how long this cooking process takes and change the word from “dissolve” to incorporate.
Secondly, in the interest of saving eggs, you absolutely should temper them..I.e. Put a bit of the warm sugar mixture in with the eggs and stir before adding the whole lot to the sugar mixture.
I wasted sugar and butter. I hate wasting!!! 🙁
As soon as one reader has an issue, you would do well to edit the method.
Having said that, thanks! Haven’t eaten it yet, but looks good.
Just wondering, can brown sugar be substituted for the white?
I have never tried it! It might make the pie caramelize too much before it is baked, but you could certainly give it a try.
This was not the pie my husband wanted. Far too little pecans or raisins. A typical pecan pie with just much sweet custard.