The rich flavor of this Irish Cream Pie is irresistible. A favorite twist on a classic dessert!
Homemade Pecan Pie with Irish Cream
Pecan pie is one of my favorite pies, especially for the holidays. To keep things fresh, I like to put little twists on it with various additions or tweaks. This latest version ups the deliciousness ante with a nice dose of Irish cream in the filling.
The flavor of the added liqueur won’t hit you over the head, but it rather adds a depth and complexity to give this version a high spot on the best pecan pies ever list. It’s richer and tastier and just so irresistible!
I usually have Irish cream on hand, mainly because it’s my favorite hot chocolate addition. If you don’t have Irish cream, you can easily swap it with another liquor or liqueur. And if you want to skip the alcohol completely, you can simply omit it and add 2 more tablespoons of milk.
All that Irish cream goodness aside, there’s something else I like about this pie. There’s no corn syrup! I don’t often bake with corn syrup, but it does lend itself well to certain recipes like traditional pecan pie. That little bit of infrequent use isn’t a big deal to me, but I know it is for some of you.
This filling accomplishes the gooey sweetness of pecan pie without adding any corn syrup to the mix. The basic filling tastes very much like what you’d expect from a pecan pie. What you are likely to notice, however, is that the filling isn’t quite as sturdy as the classic. You’ll want to keep this pie refrigerated and then bring to room temperature for serving. Just be aware that it can tend to get extra gooey as it warms up.
As I was making this pie, I thought I would want to serve it with ice cream or whipped cream. But as I took my first bite, I decided that it didn’t need anything else at all. Of course, I’m not saying it wouldn’t be fantastic with a scoop of ice cream. Just know that it doesn’t really need it. However you serve it, I do hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do!
More Pecan Pie Recipes
Irish Cream Pecan Pie
It just takes a little bit of Irish cream to turn pecan pie into a richer, bolder dessert that's irresistible!
Ingredients
For the crust:*
- 1 & 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 to 4 tablespoons very cold water
For the filling:
- 2 & 1/4 cups (450g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) Irish cream liqueur**
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (110g) pecan halves
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the butter is the size of small peas. (You can also do this in a food processor.)
- Add 1 tablespoon of water and continue mixing. Add more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a dough forms.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If necessary, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly softened but still cold.
- Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick.
- Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp the edges as desired. Place the pie plate in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
To make the filling:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine the brown sugar, flour, and salt. Add the milk and eggs, and mix well.
- Stir in the Irish cream and vanilla.
- Stir in the cooled butter and the chopped pecans.
- Pour the mixture into the crust. Scatter the pecan halves over the top of the filling.
- Place the pie plate on a lined, rimmed baking sheet to catch any potential spills. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until the top is puffed and set. The center should wobble just a bit when you gently shake the pan.
- Place the pie on a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
*Any recipe for pastry for a 9-inch pie is fine.
**Other liquors or liqueurs should work, too. If you want to omit it, add an additional 2 tablespoons of milk to the filling.
Basic filling recipe adapted from King Arthur.
Recommended Products
Bake or Break is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Irish Cream Pecan Pie
It just takes a little bit of Irish cream to turn pecan pie into a richer, bolder dessert that's irresistible!
Ingredients
For the crust:*
- 1 & 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 to 4 tablespoons very cold water
For the filling:
- 2 & 1/4 cups (450g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) Irish cream liqueur**
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (110g) pecan halves
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the butter is the size of small peas. (You can also do this in a food processor.)
- Add 1 tablespoon of water and continue mixing. Add more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a dough forms.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If necessary, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly softened but still cold.
- Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick.
- Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp the edges as desired. Place the pie plate in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
To make the filling:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine the brown sugar, flour, and salt. Add the milk and eggs, and mix well.
- Stir in the Irish cream and vanilla.
- Stir in the cooled butter and the chopped pecans.
- Pour the mixture into the crust. Scatter the pecan halves over the top of the filling.
- Place the pie plate on a lined, rimmed baking sheet to catch any potential spills. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until the top is puffed and set. The center should wobble just a bit when you gently shake the pan.
- Place the pie on a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
*Any recipe for pastry for a 9-inch pie is fine.
**Other liquors or liqueurs should work, too. If you want to omit it, add an additional 2 tablespoons of milk to the filling.
Basic filling recipe adapted from King Arthur.
Recommended Products
Bake or Break is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
4 Comments on “Irish Cream Pecan Pie”
Absolutely delicious! I made this for Thanksgiving using my own pie crust recipe but followed the rest of this recipe for the filling exactly and it turned out very well. I think the subtle taste of Irish cream is just perfect! I will definitely make this recipe again. I think I even prefer it to a traditional corn syrup pecan pie. Thank you so much for sharing it!
I’m so glad you liked the pie, Karli!
Would the recipe for pastry for the Pecan Hand Pies work for the pie crust in this recipe?
It’s a little bit more delicate than a traditional pie crust, but it might work if you’re careful with it. It’s will also make more dough than you’d need for the pie. Half of the recipe might be about right.