Southern-Style Pecan Chess Pie
A rich, buttery chess pie with a crisp crust and a gooey pecan topping, a classic Southern dessert. This Southern American-inspired recipe, ready in about 75 minutes, layers all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, ice water into a dessert worth slowing down for — great for weekend baking, holiday tables, or any time you want a sweet payoff at the end of a meal. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 8, so it slots into a weekend bake or a special-occasion dessert tray. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (1 stick), cold and cubed unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp ice water
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cornmeal
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (melted) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup, chopped pecans
The food processor we’d make this in → Best Food Processors in 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. To make the crust, combine 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup cold cubed unsalted butter in a food processor; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Step 2: Gradually add 3 tbsp ice water, pulsing just until dough comes together. Press dough into a 9-inch pie pan evenly and chill for 15 minutes.
- Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 1 tbsp cornmeal.
- Step 4: Beat in 3 large eggs until smooth, then whisk in 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp white vinegar, and 1/4 cup light corn syrup until fully incorporated.
- Step 5: Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans evenly.
- Step 6: Pour filling into chilled pie crust and bake for 50-55 minutes until the filling is set around the edges but slightly jiggly in the center.
- Step 7: Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to allow the filling to firm up.









