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If you love Southern pecan pie, you’ll love this French-inspired pecan tart. The ratio of pecans to gooey maple filling is almost 1:1, all tucked into a sweet butter shortcrust that tastes like a buttery cookie. The classic filling gets its rich caramel flavor from golden syrup and dark brown sugar, with a little maple, orange zest, and warm spice. No corn syrup needed!

Overhead of a pecan tart topped with tuille leaves.

Pecan Pie or Pecan Tart
Key Ingredients for Pecan Tart
How to Make a Pecan Tart
Expert Pecan Tart Tips
Classic Pecan Tart Recipe

Pecan Pie or Pecan Tart

Think of this tart as the French cousin to the Kentucky Pie in my cookbook, which is essentially a chocolate pecan pie. For that recipe, I use maple syrup in place of corn syrup, where it thickens beautifully alongside the dark chocolate. But for this tart, I wanted something closer to a classic pecan pie filling, with less maple and more rich, buttery caramel flavor.

Here in France, Lyle’s Golden Syrup is easy to find in the “English” sections of most grocery stores. It’s thicker than maple syrup, with a consistency similar to corn syrup but a lovely buttery, caramel-like flavor. Paired with a touch of maple syrup and dark brown sugar, it makes a wonderfully gooey filling that’s practically begging for a spot at your holiday dessert table.

The filling for this tart also has a sliceable consistency that holds its shape without leaking all over the plate. My grandmother’s classic pecan pie had a 2:1 ratio of gooey center to pecans with a slightly softer texture. This tart has a closer 1:1 ratio of brown sugar custard to roasted pecans, which I feel gives a better experience of cookie crust, filling, and pecans with each bite. You can also pick up a slice and eat it by hand without a fork, which works for sneaking desserts out of the kitchen.

Key Ingredients for Pecan Tart

Pâte Sucrée – Sweet Shortcrust Pastry: Basically a buttery, tender cookie like tart crust. This is the crust I like to use for all of my sweet tart recipes. It comes together easily in a stand mixer, rolls out like a dream, and gives a snapply, crumbly contrast texture to the gooey pecan pie filling.
Pecans: I like to roast my pecans first, before adding them to the filling. This little extra step boosts their nutty flavor and softens them slightly so they won’t break your teeth.
- Roasting also adds a touch of bitterness that balances out all the sugar.
Dark Brown Sugar: You can’t have pecan tart without the touch of molasses provided by dark brown sugar.
- It can be swapped evenly for light brown sugar if you’re in a pinch.
Maple Syrup: Pecans and maple are a classic pairing that can’t be overlooked. I use Grad B, for a more intense flavor.
Lyle’s Golden Syrup: I actually never used golden syrup until moving to France and now I’m obsessed. It provides a lovely thick invert sugar thickness to the filling with a bit of buttery flavor that corn syrup just can’t do.
Cornstarch: Just a touch helps the gooey layer to stay thick for nice clean slices. I think a tart should hold it’s shape, whereas pie filling can be a bit more loose.
- If you like a more gooey center, you can omit the cornstarch and the filling will still have structure thanks to the eggs.
Armagnac: A tablespoon of Armagnac gives the filling a bit of additional fruity, caramel and woodsy notes to the pie. The French brandy, is a bit smoother than bourbon and for me really compliments the toasted pecans.

How to Make a Pecan Tart

Dough lines tart pan with overhanging dough.

Roll out cold tart dough and line the tart pan. Press dough into the corners and against the sides.

Trim away overhanging dough, dock the bottom all over with a fork and freeze until sold.

Par-bake the tart crust and seal with a light coating of egg wash.

Pecan filling in a saucepan with a whisk.

Melt the butter in a medium-large saucepan on medium heat, whisk in the brown sugar and cornstarch. Then add in the maple syrup, golden syrup and other flavorings. Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs.

Fold the pecan halves into the sugar mixture for an even coating.

Partially baked tart crust filled with pecan pie filling in a tart pan.

Pour the pecan pie filling into the partially baked tart crust and gently level out the pecan halves.

Overhead of a baked pecan tart on a wire cooling rack.

Bake the tart until the filling is mostly set, a very slight jello jiggle in the very center is perfect. The internal temp should read 200°F / 93°C on an instant read thermometer.

Closeup of a pecan tart topped with leaf shaped tuile on a plate.

Once cooled to room temp, remove the tart from the pan. Paint a thin coating of apricot glaze across the top and decorate with tuile leaves. Let it rest about 2 hours for the filling to set before slicing.

Expert Pecan Tart Tips

Make Ahead: Toast the pecans and make the dough for the crust the day before. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, store it the fridge overnight. The next day, let it warm slightly at room temperature until pliable enough to toll out and then line your tart pan.
Pecan Sizes: I prefer a big bite of a pecan half, but this isn’t for everyone. If you prefer smaller chunks of pecans, give them a rough chop before adding to the filling. Or do a mixture of pecan halves and chopped pecans.
Let it Cool: Anytime you bake a tart of pie with a gooey filling or custard mixture, it will need time to set up after being in hot oven. I always wait at least 2 hours for a sliceable texture.