Walnut pie has a nuttiness that tastes amazing. Every bite is a delicious combination of flaky crust, earthy nuts, and caramelly filling. It’s an easy walnut pie recipe and so quick to whip up!
This recipe for walnut pie is a twist on the classic pecan pie recipe. I replaced pecans with walnuts and threw in a handful of other Tasha twists. The result? Super rich, buttery crust and luscious filling!
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Why You’ll Love The Recipe
It has gooeyness in spades.
It’s a showstopping dessert for Thanksgiving, much like a burnt basque pumpkin cheesecake.
It's easy to make this pie ahead of time. It freezes well, for up to 1 month.
It’s the pie that wants for nothing and can be customized to your taste!
Walnut Pie Recipe Ingredients
Flour: All-purpose flour is the best choice.
Sugar: I used powdered sugar for the crust and coconut sugar for the walnut pie filling.
The butter needs to be cold, to make the crust. Cut into cubes so it’s easier to work into the flour. The butter has to be melted and cooled for the walnut pie filling.
Water must be chilled.
Eggs need to be at room temperature to make a smooth filling.
Walnut: Cut them two ways. Roughly chop them up for the pie filling and halve them for the topping.
Vanilla extract adds a depth of flavor to the easy walnut pie.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutes and Variations
Honey: Typically, pecan pies (the original muse for this recipe) are made from light corn syrup. I didn’t have any and substituted it with honey. You can even replace it with maple syrup.
Butter: Chilled coconut oil will work in a jiffy. For a vegan walnut pie, try plant-based butter.
Eggs: Swap regular eggs with flax eggs. To make two flax eggs, mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water. Set that to chill in the fridge for 10–15 minutes.
Cinnamon is optional. It brings a wonderful winter flavor to many dishes, which is why I use oodles of cinnamon honey butter during these months. But feel free to skip it.
Nuts: Don’t have walnuts? Use pecans. Want more nuts? Add some. Want a nuttier taste? Toast the walnuts. I know it’s one more step in the recipe, but the flavor toasted nuts bring is addictive. On low heat, roast the nuts for five minutes till they’re fragrant. You can use either the oven or your stovetop.
Add-ins: Add a tablespoon of rum to give the walnut pie a boozy touch.
How To Make Easy Walnut Pie
Step 1: Sift flour with a tablespoon of powdered sugar and then rub in chilled, cubed pieces of butter. When the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs, fold in 3 to 4 tablespoons of cold water.
Step 2: Working with your hands, gather the walnut pie dough and form a ball. You don’t need to knead; it comes together rather easily.
Step 3: Flatten the dough slightly, wrap it in foil, and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. It’ll make the dough firm and easy to handle.
Step 4: Dust your work surface lightly with flour, then roll the walnut pie crust to 1/8th inch thickness and about 10"-11" diameter.
Step 5: Gently pick up the crust and place it in an 8-inch pie dish. With a firm hand, press it inwards along the base and edges so it takes the shape of the dish. Cut off the extra dough around the edge with a knife.
Step 6: Prick the base with a fork and then slide the whole thing into the fridge or freezer while you make the walnut pie filling.
Step 7: In a bowl, beat 2 eggs with coconut sugar till they're voluminous. Mix in flour, honey, vanilla extract, and a teaspoon of cinnamon.
Step 8: Now add melted butter that’s been cooled to room temperature, and fold in roughly chopped walnuts.
Step 9: Pour the walnut pie filling into the chilled pie crust. Top it with halved walnuts.
Step 10: For the first 15 minutes, bake the pie at 200°C. Then lower the temperature to 180°C and bake for 30 minutes more till the pie appears to be set but has the teeny, the tiniest wiggle in the center.
Step 11: Let the pie cool for at least 2 hours before you cut.
Final step: Serve and savor!
Pro Tips
- It’s very, very important that all ingredients are at room temperature, except butter for the crust. I let mine sit on the countertop for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Butterand water for making the pie crust must be chilled!
- Use your fingertips to rub the butter in when making the crust dough. Why not the palms? Because they generate more heat that melts the cold butter, something you do not want.
- If your eggs are cold, and you’re short on time, keep a pan of warm water under the bowl you’re using to mix the filling. You’ll get a nice, smooth, and creamy filling.
- Pie fillings have a rude tendency to curdle. They’re finicky like that. Adding a bit of flour to the filling helps stabilize it.
- Most recipes for pies cream butter and sugar first and add the eggs later. It has never worked for me. Every time, pie after pie, the filling curdled. To avoid that, I incorporate butter at the end, and it works like magic.
- Each oven is different, and bake times tend to vary. So, I suggest keeping an eye on the pie after it’s crossed the 25-minute mark.
How To Serve
The best way to serve walnut pie, according to me, is as-is. The deep bronze pie has a rustic beauty that I didn’t want to spoil, even with a simple dusting of sugar. But you do, you. Feel like making the easy walnut pie recipe extra decadent? Serve it with:
- A scoop of vanilla, like I did my mulberry pie with crumble.
- A drizzle of homemade vegan caramel sauce
- Whipped cream
Recipe FAQs
If the dough feels too dry or is not sticking together, you need to add more chilled water when gathering the pie crust into a smooth dough.
The great thing about walnut pie recipes is that you can prep it ahead. Make the dough a couple of days in advance. You can keep the rolled-out pie dough in the refrigerator for 3 days.
We’re not blind baking the pie crust like we did in my mushroom quiche. That’s why we need to bake it at high temperatures first. To make sure the crust is cooked through. For the same reason, I advise placing the pie on the lower rack of the oven rather than the middle.
You can, of course, pre-bake the crust, especially if you love the crunch of a well-done tart shell. Use my quiche recipe for the steps to blind baking a crust. When you reach the final baking stage, keep the oven temperature at 180°C and bake for 25 minutes.
The top of the pie should be deep golden brown. The crust should be puffy. And the middle of the pie will jiggle if you shake it.
Loosely cover the top of the pie with a foil ring if the crust is threatening to burn.
Cool the pie completely and wrap it well in plastic wrap and then foil. This will stay well for up to 1 month in the freezer. You can also refrigerate the pie for up to 3 days. Reheat in a preheated oven.
📖 Recipe
Easy Walnut Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1.5 cup All-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup Butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 3-4 tbsp Cold water
Walnut Pie Filling
- 2 Eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup Coconut sugar You can also use brown sugar instead
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder (optional)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp Butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
- 8-10 Walnut Halves, for topping (optional)
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Combine the flour and butter in a mixing bowl.
- Rub the butter into the flour, using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Pour in the water, 1 tbsp at a time, and bring the dough together.
- You don’t have to knead it. Using only the heel of your hand push the dough away from you. Then bring it back with your fingertips till smooth.
- If the dough feels dry whisk in more chilled water.
- Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, cover in cling wrap and then refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
- Keep an 8" pie dish handy.On a very lightly floured surface (you don’t want excess dry flour), roll out the dough to an approximately 10" circle.
- Pick it up gently and place it in your pie dish. Push the dough inwards along the edges and the base with a very firm hand.
- After you’ve made sure the dough fits the pan well, trim the dough that’s hanging over with a sharp knife. Prick the base with a fork and place the pie crust in the freezer while you work on the filling.
Walnut Pie Filling
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- Toast the walnuts lightly ( about 5 minutes) in an oven or in a skillet over the stovetop. Let cool.
- In a bowl, beat together the eggs and coconut sugar until thick and pale.
- Add honey, flour, vanilla extract, and cinnamon powder ( if using).
- Whisk in the melted butter. You'll have a smooth, thickish batter.
- Fold in the toasted, cooled walnuts.
- Pour this batter into your chilled pie crust. Top with walnut halves if you like.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 200C, on the lower rack. Then lower the oven temperature to 180C and continue baking for 35-40 minutes until the pie filling is slightly puffy and is a bit firm to touch in the center.
- Let the pie cool for at least 2 hours. Slice and serve as is or with whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy!
Lesley G says
Hi,
Natasha, I found your recipe amd wanted to try it, but I am from across the pond(USA) confused about how to convert GSM to cups.
Thought the recipe had a bit of a cheet sheet but the math doesn't seem to be the same between the crust ingredients and the filling ingredients.
I would greatly appreciate help with this, so I can make for Thanksgiving.
Thank you,
L
Natasha Minocha says
Hello Lasley, my apologies for delayed response. I have now updated the recipe card with cup measurements.I hope this will help.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Diana Patel says
Hi,awesome recipe. If I have to bake in microwave please help.
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Diana, thank you! I'm afraid I really don't know how to bake this in a microwave as I have never tried doing so myself.
Neha says
The recipe looks divine.. Thanks for sharing.
Is there a solution if the butter gets curdled.. I followed the recipe to the T but I think I over mixed the butter and my batter seems to be curdled now.
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Neha, thank you so much for your kind words. xx
I have addressed the issue of batter curdling, in the blog. It happened to me a few times, that's why I add a little flour to stabilize it and the butter is added right at the end.
By the way, the pies that I baked with curdled batter also tasted great, so don't worry about the taste at all! 🙂
xx
Easyfoodsmith says
Your pies are always so perfect and tempting, its hard to tell which one I would pick, if I had to 😀
Natasha Minocha says
Aw, thank you so much, Taruna! That's the best thing I heard today xoxo