Bacon-Maple-Bourbon Pecan Pie | A Texas-Style Holiday Dessert

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners deserve a grown-up dessert, and this Bacon-Maple-Bourbon Pecan Pie definitely delivers. Originally posted back in 2018, I’ve refreshed this post with new photos and clearer instructions—while keeping all the Texas-style holiday flavor that made us fall in love with it in the first place. We first discovered the original version — a Bacon-Maple-Walnut Pie — in a monthly newsletter from our realtors, and of course we had to try it. It was already good, but we couldn’t resist upgrading it for some extra Texas flair.

The first thing we did was add bourbon. (Obviously.) We’d seen a cooking show where bourbon found its way into several desserts, and it felt like the missing piece. The next change came naturally—swapping walnuts for pecans. We live in Texas, after all, and pecans are always our nut of choice when there’s an option.

Since this recipe came to us thanks to the guys who sold us our house 18 years ago, here’s a proper shoutout to Doug Jacobs & Jeff Mikeska of Jacobs & Mikeska Realtors. They still send us their newsletters and calendars every year, and their 2016 holiday newsletter is where this recipe appeared. The moment we saw it, we knew we were making it. They’re great guys and fantastic realtors, and we’re always happy to credit them when one of their newsletter recipes becomes a keeper.

This pie has become one of our favorite holiday desserts — rich, sweet, smoky, and just a little boozy. It’s the perfect grown-up twist on classic pecan pie and a sure crowd-pleaser for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anytime you want a show-stopping dessert.

NOTE: We don’t usually get quite as much bacon fat from the bacon in this recipe as the original version calls for. That’s why we usually pull from our little container of saved bacon fat — just like my Granny kept on her stove when I was growing up. If you don’t have enough bacon fat on hand and don’t have your own backup reserve, just substitute the missing amount with vegetable shortening. It works perfectly.

If you want an easy, no-fuss method for rolling out pie dough, check out this trick using a recycled plastic bag or wax paper: How to Roll Out Pie Dough Using a Plastic Bag or Wax Paper.

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Bacon-Maple-Bourbon Pecan Pie

A grown-up twist on classic pecan pie, loaded with smoky bacon, dark maple syrup, and a generous splash of bourbon. We discovered the original bacon–maple–walnut version in a newsletter from our Austin realtors and couldn’t resist turning it into a Texas-style pecan pie.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8 people

Course: Dessert, Holiday Dessert

Cuisine: American, Southern, Texas

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

Bacon

• 4 oz thick-cut bacon, plus the bacon fat, separated
• save 2-3 tablespoons bacon fat for the crust dough
• crumble the bacon for the pie filling

Pie Crust

• 2–3 tablespoons bacon fat (from the cooked bacon above)
• 5 tbsp vegetable shortening
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp very cold water
• ½ tsp apple cider vinegar

Filling

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup dark maple syrup (grade B or "grade A – dark")
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp bourbon (use the good stuff!)
• 4 oz Reserved crumbled bacon (about 4 ounces, cooked from above)
• 2 cups pecans, crushed or halves
• 1 cup pecan halves to decorate the top before baking

Method

 

Crust

1. Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 3–5 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
2. Measure out 2 tablespoons bacon fat and set aside for the filling. Pour the remaining bacon fat into a heat-safe measuring cup. Let cool about 10 minutes, then add enough shortening so you have 6 tablespoons total fat (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons).
3. In a mixing bowl, add the flour. Cut in the bacon fat/shortening mixture with a fork until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the cold water and apple cider vinegar. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until a soft, non-sticky dough forms.
5. Shape the dough into a ball, dust lightly with flour, and roll into an 11-inch circle. Fit into a pie plate and set aside.
6. Note: We rarely get quite enough bacon fat from a single batch of bacon, so we often supplement with extra bacon drippings saved from earlier (yes, we keep a little container like my Granny did). If you don’t have enough bacon fat, just make up the difference with more shortening.

Filling and Baking

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, maple syrup, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Mix in the reserved 2 tablespoons bacon fat.
3. Crumble the cooked bacon into small pieces and stir into the bowl. Fold in the pecans until everything is evenly distributed.
4. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.
5. After pouring the filling into the crust, gently place pecan halves over the top, covering the surface. This gives the pie its signature toasted pecan top. Arrange pecan halves on top of the filling in a circular pattern for a polished bakery-style look.
6. Bake at 350°F for about 55 minutes, until the pie is puffy and browned and the center has only a slight jiggle.
7. Let the pie cool completely before slicing and serving.

Notes

Bacon Fat Tip: You may not get enough bacon fat from the 4 ounces of bacon used in this recipe. We usually supplement with bacon drippings we keep on hand (yes — in a little container just like my Granny used to have). If you don’t have enough, simply substitute the remaining amount with vegetable shortening.

Rolling Out Pie Dough: For an easy method that avoids sticking, try rolling out your pie dough inside a recycled plastic bag or between sheets of wax paper: How to Roll Out Pie Dough Using a Plastic Bag or Wax Paper.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!