Texas Pecan Pie appears as a signature dish in 3 United States cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Texas Pecan Pie · Austin
Buttery short crust holding a filling of pecan halves, dark corn syrup, bourbon and brown sugar, baked until the centre sets to a sticky, jewel-like custard. The Texas dessert, peaking October-December at pecan harvest.
Pecan pie became a Texas staple after the 1930s when the state's pecan industry boomed (Texas designated the pecan its state tree in 1919). The corn-syrup version popularised by Karo Syrup advertising in the 1930s is the dominant form; the bourbon-and-brown-sugar variant is the Austin gourmet standard. Joann's Fine Foods, Cisco's and Magnolia Cafe carry it.
Where to eat in Austin:
- Joann's Fine Foods
- Magnolia Cafe (South Congress)
- Cisco's Restaurant Bakery & Bar
- Kerbey Lane Cafe (Central)
Texas pecan pie · Fort Worth
A deep-fill pecan pie with whole toasted Texas pecans in a bourbon-spiked brown sugar and corn syrup custard, baked in a flaky lard crust until the centre holds with a slight tremor. A Fort Worth dessert constant.
Pecan pie is a Texas institution tied to the state's designation of the pecan as its official state tree in 1919 and to the abundant wild pecan groves along Texas river bottoms that predated commercial orchards. The dessert reached its definitive form in the early twentieth century when Karo syrup became widely available and provided the standard custard base that still defines the genre. In Fort Worth, the pecan pie tradition is reinforced by proximity to the pecan-growing heartland of Palo Pinto and Comanche counties to the southwest, as well as the Millican Pecan Company in San Saba, which supplies roasters and bakers across North Texas.
Where to eat in Fort Worth:
- Kincaid's Hamburgers
- Cattlemen's Steakhouse
- Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine
Texas Pecan Pie · Houston
Houston's defining sweet: native Texas pecans baked in a buttery pastry shell with a dark Karo-and-brown-sugar custard, served warm with vanilla ice cream.
The pecan tree is Texas's state tree, and Texas leads the United States in native pecan production (followed by Georgia and New Mexico). Pecan pie as a sweet dessert was popularised by Karo syrup in 1930s advertising and adopted as a Texas Thanksgiving fixture by the 1950s. Goode Company's Hill Country Pecan Pie, baked at 5015 Kirby Drive since 1977, ships to all 50 states for the holidays.
Where to eat in Houston:
- Goode Company Barbeque
- Brennan's of Houston
- Killen's Steakhouse
- Killen's Barbecue
- State of Grace