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This classic single serving pecan pie recipe has all the flavors you love in a pecan pie. With a buttery shortbread crust and a rich, pecan filled filling, this wonderful dessert is perfect by itself or topped with whipped cream.
This homemade pecan pie recipe is a scaled down version of a classic holiday dessert. It’s perfectly sweet and so easy to make too!
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- If you find yourself celebrating the holidays on a smaller scale, or perhaps you’re cooking for just one or two people, you’ll be happy to know that you can enjoy one of the best parts of a holiday meal without the burden of leftovers. The pie is baked in a small baking dish and can technically be enough for two people to enjoy if necessary.
- This traditional pecan pie has all the flavors you love in a pecan pie but in a smaller size.
- Filled with pecans, the sweet filling rests on a buttery shortbread crust. It can be assembled in minutes and is a dessert I think you’ll enjoy making all throughout the year
- Pecan pie is one of my favorite pies. This is why I created this single serving pecan pie recipe, so that I can enjoy my pie and not be left with the temptation of leftovers.
You might like to browse through our single serving Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes.
Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
For The Shortbread Crust
- Butter: Use softened salted butter. Softened butter should still be cool to the touch but when you press your finger into the butter, your finger will leave an indentation. The best way to soften your butter is to put it out on the kitchen counter for a half hour before you want to use it. Another way to quickly soften butter is to put the cold butter in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. If you use this method, be sure to watch carefully – you don’t want the butter to melt at all.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds a delightful sweet flavor to the crust.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
- Cornstarch: This ingredient softens the rigid proteins of the flour, resulting in a lighter crust.
- Salt: For flavor.
For The Pecan Pie Filling
- Corn syrup: This ingredient sweetens the pie and helps to prevent the sugar from crystalizing during baking. You can use light or dark corn syrup.
- Egg: Use 1 large egg.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar.
- Salt, butter, and vanilla: For the traditional flavor we know and love in a pecan pie.
- Pecans: The star of the pie!
How To Make Pecan Pie
- Make the crust by first creaming together the butter and sugar. Then, mix in the dry ingredients and press the dough into the bottom of a small baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the crust is golden.
- While the crust cools, make the filling by combining the ingredients together and pouring the mixture over the shortbread crust. Bake for 30 minutes.
Expert Tips
- I don’t have any substitutions for corn syrup and this ingredient is traditionally used in most pecan pie recipes. You can use light corn syrup if you’d like.
- Some people like to toast the pecans before mixing them into the pie. To do this, toast them in a 350 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until they’re a deep mahogany color. Let the nuts cool before using them.
RELATED: How To Make A Mini Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
What To Do With Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients left over from this pecan pie recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Corn syrup: Lace Cookies
- Pecans: Apple Cinnamon Scones, Butter Pecan Ice Cream, Apple Muffin, Cowboy Cookies, Breakfast Bread Pudding For One
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Frequently Asked Questions
I bake this mini pecan pie my 5-inch baking dish. It holds about 1.5 cups and has an area of 25 inches. I will sometimes use a dish that’s slightly larger, and it works well too. For best results, use a baking dish of a similar size.
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
Examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen can be found at our Store page.
Cover the pie loosely and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Other Single Serving Pie Recipes
- Apple Pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
- Key Lime Pie
- Lemon Mango Pie
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Banana Cream Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
A word about calories…
Friends, this is a pecan pie recipe. It is not a low calorie dessert. The calories are calculated using an online nutrition calculator based on half of the pie, which would be a large slice.
Keep in mind that this pie is baked in a 5×5-inch baking dish and one “slice” is one very large slice of pie – not necessarily the size of a traditional slice of pecan pie.
If you’ve tried this pecan pie or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Recipe
Pecan Pie For One
Equipment
Ingredients
SHORTBREAD CRUST
- 2 1/2 tablespoons salted butter , softened
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
PECAN PIE FILLING
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon salted butter , melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add flour, cornstarch and salt. mix until combined.
- Press dough into the bottom of a lightly greased 5-inch baking dish.
- Bake 12-15 minutes or until light golden.
- Set aside and prepare filling.
- TO MAKE THE PECAN PIE FILLING
- Mix corn syrup, egg, sugar, salt, butter and vanilla in a bowl using a spoon.
- Stir in the pecans.
- Pour filling over shortbread crust.
- Bake on center rack of oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let pie cool on wire rack for a 2 hours.
Video
Notes
- I don’t have any substitutions for corn syrup and this ingredient is traditionally used in most pecan pie recipes. You can use light corn syrup if you’d like.
- Some people like to toast the pecans before mixing them into the pie. To do this, toast them in a 350 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until they’re a deep mahogany color. Let the nuts cool before using them.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I made this with maple syrup instead of corn syrup, it was great!
Wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.