Pecan Tart Recipe

Pecan tart cut into slices on white plate sat on pink napkin.

5 from 11 votes

A twist on the old-fashioned All-American Pecan Pie. This Pecan Tart has all the classic hallmarks with a caramel-like pecan filling and all-butter flaky pastry but baked in a tart. It makes a fabulous make ahead dessert for Thanksgiving.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Chill Time1

Total Time2 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 23cm (9-inch) tart

Calories: 4937kcal

Author: Emma Duckworth

Equipment

23cm (9-inch) shallow fluted tart tin with removable base

Ingredients

All-Butter Pastry Tart Base

220 g plain flour (all-purpose)
¼ teaspoon fine salt
115 g unsalted butter cold and cubed
45-60 ml water ice-cold
1 small egg lightly beaten

Pecan Tart Filling

3 large eggs room temperature
60 g unsalted butter melted
165 g brown sugar
120 ml (90g) golden syrup
30 ml (40g) molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ fine salt
110 g pecan halves finely chopped
110 g pecan halves to decorate

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

All-Butter Pastry Tart Base

Rub the butter into the flour. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add in the cubed butter and rub the butter and flour together between your fingers until it resembles a bread crumb consistency with a few large pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
Add water. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in half the ice-cold water and use your hands to bring the dough together. Add more water sparingly if needed.
Bring dough together and refrigerate. Bring the dough together with floured hands and shape into a flattened disc being careful not to overwork the dough. Wrap well in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll out dough. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and transfer it to a clean, lightly floured surface. Allow pastry to sit for about 10 minutes or so to soften ever so slightly. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a coin (⅛” thick) and into a 12in (30cm) circle.
Prepare dough in tart tin. Flour the base of a 9in (23cm) fluted tart tin. Fold the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to the prepared tin. Use your fingers to push the pastry onto the sides of the tin and into the grooves.
Roll the rolling pin over the edges to trim off the excess dough. Refrigerate the prepared pastry shell for at least 1 hour to allow the pastry to relax further and butter to harden.
Blind bake. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Once the pastry is chilled, prick the pastry base all over with a fork and then line with greaseproof paper and fill with pie weights or rice (or both) all the way up the sides.
Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove the greaseproof paper and pie weights. Brush the base of the pastry with the lightly beaten egg. Return the pastry back to the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the base is dry and a light golden colour. Remove from the oven and leave the tart base to cool fully.

Make the Pecan Tart Filling and Bake

Whisk eggs. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add in the melted butter, brown sugar, golden syrup, molasses, vanilla extract, salt and finely chopped pecans. Stir together until well combined.
Pour pecan filling into the par-baked tart base and spread out the chopped pecase evenly. Place remaining pecan halves in you desired pattern. Cover the edges of the tart with a tart shield if you are worried about the crust browning too quickly.
Bake. Place Pecan Tart in the 180°C (350°F) oven checking at 30 minutes. If the pecan tart crust starts to brown too quickly then tent with aluminium foil. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the edges are set but the very centre has the slightest jiggle.
Note: the tart will puff up and crack and then deflate once removed from the oven. This is normal.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack in the tin for a minimum of one hour until the filling has set. Serve with vanilla ice cream or cream.

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.

To store: Pecan Tart lasts well at room temperature for two days. Or refrigerate wrapped well in plastic wrap for up to 5 days.

To freeze: Let the pecan tart cool completely. Wrap well in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe ziplock bag Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

TIP 1: Don't overwork the dough. Add just enough water for the dough to clump together and don't knead it too much.

TIP 2: Refrigerate the dough when required to allow the butter in the dough to be re-harden but also the flour to hydrate which helps with a tender, flaky pastry.

TIP 3: Blind bake the pastry.The only way that you can guarantee no soggy bottom!

TIP4: Toast the pecans that you're adding into the filling. This wee extra step really brings out their flavour.

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