13 Pecan Pie Recipes From Bourbon- to Chocolate-Flavored

No matter how you slice it, pecan pie provides a perfect pop of sweetness to end holiday meals and casual meals alike.

Texas State Fair Pecan Pie
Photo:

Carson Downing / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans

Pecan pie is a beloved fixture of the holiday dessert table, but unlike its pumpkin counterpart, this popular dessert transcends seasons. And for good reason: The classic, irresistible combination of toasty pecans and gooey caramel lends itself to punctuating meals of all types. Plus, its simplicity serves as an open invitation for riffs, including boozy flavor enhancements, additions like chocolate and candied ginger, and being made in an assortment of shapes and sizes. From bite-sized pecan tassies to easy-to-serve bars and deep-dish delights, these are the pecan pie recipes to make for festivities all year long.

01 of 13

Brandy Pecan Pie

Brandy Pecan Pie
Gerard + Belevender

Three sweeteners — turbinado sugar, dark maple syrup, and honey — plus fine yellow cornmeal go into this rich pecan pie filling. Apple brandy accentuates the fruity fall flavors while lifting the nuttiness of the pecans.

02 of 13

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This is a pie that has it all. Fragrant toasted pecans, rich chocolate, and caramel-y bourbon come together in harmony for a beautifully balanced dessert.

03 of 13

Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan Pie Bars

Julia Hartbeck

Pecan pie bars have all the virtues of pecan pie without the need to roll out a crust — and we're here for any way to save on steps when baking for a crowd. Plus, you can cut them as you like and serve them as part of a dessert spread.

04 of 13

Texas State Fair Pecan Pie

Texas State Fair Pecan Pie

Carson Downing / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans

This award-winning Texas pie features an all-butter crust and a gooey pecan filling, which is given a custard-like body with the inclusion of a whopping four whole eggs.

05 of 13

Nutty Baklava Pie

Nutty Baklava Pie
Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Stylist Torie Cox / Prop Stylist Claire Spollen

This hybrid of pecan pie and baklava is crunchy, sticky, and sweet with a hint of orange and spice from Grand Marnier and cardamom — use all pecans instead of a mix of nuts if you'd like to keep it squarely in pecan pie territory. A garland of crispy phyllo adds a wow factor and delicate crunch that shatters with every bite.

06 of 13

Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Pie

Joanne Chang's Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Pie
Tara Donne

No need to choose between pecan pie and pumpkin pie when you can have both in a single slice. This pie from pastry chef Joanne Chang is baked in two phases to yield a gooey, syrupy pecan filling on the bottom and a velvety pumpkin custard on top, all beautifully accented with whipped cream stars.

07 of 13

Boozy Bourbon-Pecan Tassies

Boozy Bourbon-Pecan Tassies
Alison Miksch

"These diminutive pecan pie poppers, with a higher crust-to-filling ratio, offer the perfect bite," says cookbook author Andrea Slonecker. "I spike them with bourbon to both cut through and complement the sweetness."

08 of 13

Bourbon-Pecan-Apple Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Bourbon Pecan Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Kelly Marshall

Pecans and apples are fabulous together, especially when enhanced with bourbon. Chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls serves his sticky-sweet pie with dollops of cinnamon-scented whipped cream.

09 of 13

Pecan Pie with Candied Ginger and Rum

Pecan Pie with Candied Ginger and Rum
© John Kernick

Baker Alice Medrich brings us a pecan pie filled with tingly candied ginger and warming rum.

10 of 13

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Bourbon-Pecan Pie
© Con Poulos

Baker and cookbook author Cheryl Day's gooey pecan pie tastes of dark caramel, toasted nuts, and a hint of bourbon. The press-in crust means you don’t even need to drag out your rolling pin. 

11 of 13

MoKan Nut Pie

MoKan Nut Pie
John Kernick

This regional pie from Kansas City pastry chef Megan Garrelts has a great flaky crust and fragrant Missouri pecans and Kansas black walnuts, with a classic sticky pecan pie filling.

12 of 13

Georgia Pecan Pie

Georgia Pecan Pie
© John Kernick

Los Angeles chef Lee Hefter's classic pie is made with a generous amount of vanilla plus a combination of dark and light corn syrup to yield its signature caramel flavor. Top it with ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

13 of 13

Caramel-Pecan Hand Pies

Caramel-Pecan Hand Pies
© Dana Gallagher

Dani Cone, owner of High 5 Pie in Seattle, makes these "flipsides" year-round due to overwhelming customer demand. Each recipe makes 12 hand pies; double up to bake for a large holiday crowd.

Was this page helpful?

Related Articles