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Maple pecan cream pie sliced open, revealing silky custard, whipped cream swirls, and toasted pecan halves on top

Maple Pecan Cream Pie: Silky Custard, Toasted Pecans

A chilled maple custard pie in a baked pastry crust, topped with maple whipped cream and toasted pecans.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 460
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crust
  • 1 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought blind baked and fully cooled
Maple Custard Filling
  • 2 cups whole milk (480 ml)
  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, grade A dark (180 ml)
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch (40 g)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter (28 g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped (90 g)
Topping
  • 1 cup heavy cream, cold (240 ml)
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup for whipping into the cream
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves (60 g)
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup for drizzling

Method
 

Prep the Crust and Pecans
  1. Preheat oven to 190C / 375F. Blind bake the pie crust with pie weights for 20 to 22 minutes until the edges are golden. Cool completely on a rack.
  2. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Chop half for the filling and keep the rest as halves for topping.
Cook the Maple Custard
  1. Whisk milk, maple syrup, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan until smooth with no lumps.
  2. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (170F/77C). Don't stop whisking near the end, it scorches fast once it starts to thicken.
  3. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla until glossy. Fold in the chopped pecans.
Assemble and Chill
  1. Pour the warm custard into the cooled crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
  2. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to stop a skin from forming. Chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until fully set.
Top and Serve
  1. Whip the cold cream with 2 tablespoons maple syrup to soft peaks, 2 to 3 minutes with a hand mixer.
  2. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled pie. Scatter toasted pecan halves on top and drizzle with the remaining maple syrup. Slice with a warm, clean knife between cuts.

Notes

  • Cook the custard on medium, not high, heat if your stove runs hot, scorched milk ruins the flavor fast.
  • Blind bake the crust fully before filling, a pale crust turns soggy under the custard.
  • Chill the pie uncovered for the first 30 minutes so condensation doesn't drip onto the whipped cream later.
  • Toast pecans separately for folding in and for topping, so both stay fresh looking when plated.