This Maple Walnut Pie is easy, cozy, and super delicious! The flavors of walnuts, maple syrup, butter, and brown sugar come alive when baked in a flakey pie crust!
The end result is a thick, gooey, and deliciously sweet pie that’s chock full of chopped walnuts and laced with maple flavor!
I don’t know if it’s a New England thing, but maple and walnut is one of my favorite flavor combos! I’m obsessed with Maple Walnut Ice Cream and when I was dreaming up this Walnut Pie, I thought why not add maple to it!
This recipe is adapted from my Pecan Pie that’s made with light corn syrup. To make this recipe, I simply swapped the corn syrup for maple syrup. And of course, used walnuts instead of pecans too!
Why This Recipe Works
- The filling is precooked BEFORE baking! This reduces the amount of corn syrup needed in the pie and helps the pie filling set quicker and also adds a more caramel-like flavor to the pie. Trust me, this extra step is worth it!
- You don’t need to par-bake your crust, you can just pour the filling right in after cooking it.
- Chopped walnut pieces make for a more enjoyable bite and easier slicing.
- It cools and sits at room temperature for several hours before enjoying it. This ensures that it’s sliceable and not gooey.
- Because this pie sets up really well, you can warm it up by the slice and it is SO GOOD! Don’t forget to serve it with vanilla ice cream!
What’s In Walnut Pie?
This is a very basic recipe and you probably have most of the ingredients already! Any 9-inch pie crust can be used for this recipe and the filling is made with a blend of maple syrup, butter, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, vanilla, eggs, and walnuts.
RECIPE TIP: If you’re not big into the maple flavor, you can use light corn syrup instead. Or you can amp up the maple flavor by adding a 1/2 teaspoon of maple flavoring.
How To Make Walnut Pie From Scratch!
Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and preparing your pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan. You can use your favorite homemade pie crust recipe or use a store-bought pie crust.
Then add the maple syrup, sugar, and butter to a small saucepan and cook until melted. Mix together the cornstarch and water separately and then add to the syrup mixture along with the vanilla and salt and bring to a rolling boil.
Add the eggs to a large bowl or stand mixer and beat until light and foamy like in the image below. Continue beating the eggs while slowly pouring in the syrup mixture.
This will temper the eggs slowly so they don’t begin to cook. Once the syrup is fully combined the mixture should be foamy and golden brown.
Fold in the chopped walnuts.
Pour the walnut mixture into the prepared pie shell and place it on a large baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes.
PRO TIP: If the crust starts to get too dark, you can add a pie crust shield or loosely dome aluminum foil over the pie to prevent it from burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you freeze walnut pie?
This is a really easy recipe to make ahead and freeze. Simple make the pie as directed and once fully cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature.
How do you store walnut pie?
You can store this pie in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. So you can definitely make it a day or two in advance if you have a lot of cooking to do for the holidays!
Can you make walnut pie without syrup?
The bottom line is no. While you can avoid corn syrup and high fructose maple syrup if you choose, you will need some sort of syrup to help keep everything together. See my maple syrup alternative below!
Substitutions & Variations
- Pretty Topping: If you want a more statement of a top layer, you can use halved walnuts and arrange them on the top of the pie after adding the filling, as you might do with a pecan pie.
- Pure Maple Syrup: If you want to avoid the corn syrup altogether, you can use 100% pure maple syrup instead. However, since it’s thinner, it will create a slightly gooier pie filling. You can add a tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the mixture to help thicken it a bit.
- Extra Maple: If you really love maple, I highly recommend adding a 1/2 teaspoon of maple flavoring to the filling.
More Pie Recipes
You can find all of my pie recipes here, but these are some of my favorite!
- French Silk Pie – Silky chocolate filling topped with a mountain of whipped cream!
- Dutch Apple Pie – The American classic with a delicious crumble topping!
- Perfect Pumpkin Pie – Two secret ingredients make this pie stand out amongst all the rest!
- Berry Pie – This easy 4-berry pie is juicy, fruity, and perfect all year round!
- Mississippi Mud Pie – Luscious and decadent this chocolate pie is sure to impress the whole family!
👋 Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review; I love hearing from you! And don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Busy Family Recipes Facebook Community and share them there!
Walnut Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
- ¼ cup high fructose maple syrup like Log Cabin brand, see notes for using 100% pure
- 1½ cups light brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare your crust in a 9-inch pie dish; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, sugar, and butter and cook over medium heat until the butter has melted, stirring frequently.
- In a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch. Add it to the butter mixture along with the vanilla and salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and remove from heat.
- Add the eggs to a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until foamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the butter mixture while beating the egg mixture on medium speed to incorporate the two together and temper the eggs.
- Add in the walnuts and mix to combine then pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Check halfway through and if the crust is starting to brown, loosely cover with aluminum foil or a crust guard.
- Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Warm it up by the slice or serve at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- The reason for the cooking before baking is to thicken the filling and heat it up so that it bakes evenly without raw spots. Other nut pie recipes rely on the thickness of corn syrup, you’re basically making your own “syrup” this way.
- If you’re not big into the maple flavor, you can use light corn syrup instead. Or you can amp up the maple flavor by adding a 1/2 teaspoon of maple flavoring.
- You can store this pie in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. So you can definitely make it a day or two in advance if you have a lot of cooking to do for the holidays!
- This is a really easy recipe to make ahead and freeze. Simple make the pie as directed and once fully cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature.
- If you want to avoid the corn syrup altogether, you can use 100% pure maple syrup instead. However, since it’s thinner, it will create a slightly gooier pie filling. You can add a tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the mixture to help thicken it a bit.
- If you want a more statement of a top layer, you can use halved walnuts and arrange them on the top of the pie after adding the filling, as you might do with a pecan pie.
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