33 Pecan Recipes You'll Love To Make

Double-Chocolate Pecan Pie
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

However you say it, these pecan recipes are some of the best we've ever tasted. From chocolate pies and cookies to pasta and salads, there is a way to use pecans in every meal of the day.

Pecans add sweet, buttery, nutty flavoring to any dish. Growing naturally in North America, pecans incorporate seamlessly into desserts, but there are plenty of ways to use this nut in salad dressing, pasta sauces, and toppings for meats.

Here are some new and timeless recipes you need to try. Discover ways to spice up your favorite desserts or find a new appetizer or main dish to serve at your next dinner party.

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Double-Chocolate Pecan Pie

Double-Chocolate Pecan Pie
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Double-Chocolate Pecan Pie

Sweet chocolate-pecan filling in a dark chocolate crust with a chocolate drizzle? Using dark chocolate adds the perfect amount of sweetness to this pie, which is absolutely decadent. Toast extra pecans and have them on hand for your next dish.

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Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies

Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies Recipe
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies

See if your holiday guests can guess which baking ingredient these rich cookies lack—we'll bet you they can't. These flourless creations make a brownie-like cookie, which is light and airy but still crispy on the outside. These will be your new favorite cookie between the toasted pecans and gooey chocolate.

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Mini Pecan Monkey Bread Loaves

Mini Pecan Monkey Bread Loaves Recipe
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Mini Pecan Monkey Bread Loaves

Start your day off in the sweetest way with this caramel-topped monkey bread. You can make this recipe a day ahead, store it in the refrigerator overnight, and bake it when you're ready to serve. Use frozen yeast roll dough and add sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and chopped toasted pecans for a spice-filled breakfast treat.

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Butter Pecan Layer Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

Butter Pecan Layer Cake with Browned Butter Frosting
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Butter Pecan Layer Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

When the holidays come around, it's time to bring out the layer cakes. A tip from the test kitchen: When browning the butter for the frosting, pour it into a bowl as soon as it turns golden brown. It will continue to cook and get too dark if you don't.

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Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans

Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans

We can already picture this fancy Bundt cake on your Thanksgiving dessert table. Make sure the icing is still warm when you spoon it over the cake for the smoothest texture and most impressive presentation. The candied pecans are actually the icing on top of this cake.

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Putt's Butter Pecan Sundae

Putt’s Butter Pecan Sundae Recipe
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Putt's Butter Pecan Sundae

We're lucky that Putt Wetherbee shared this oh-so-good sundae recipe. This sundae, made with homemade coffee ice cream and praline sauce, is perfect for special occasions or a sweet treat on a weekday night. It only takes 30 minutes of hands-on time to make, but leave enough time for it to chill.

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Praline Sauce and Toasted Pecans

Cream Puffs with Praline Sauce and Toasted Pecans
Helen Norman

Recipe: Praline Sauce and Toasted Pecans

It only takes 10 minutes to make this decadent praline sauce. In a saucepan, mix light brown sugar, half-and-half, butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt for a sweet topping. Add some crushed pecans and pair this sauce with your favorite pecan desserts or a scoop of ice cream.

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Salted Chocolate Matzo Madness Toffee

Salted Chocolate Matzo Madness Toffee
Greg Dupree

Recipe: Salted Chocolate Matzo Madness Toffee

Try this traditional Passover treat, but with a Southern twist. It's not only relegated to the holiday. You can make this sweet snack year-round using saltine crackers for a crispy, salty base that makes the chocolate and pecans pop in your mouth.

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Caramel Pecan Tart

Caramel Pecan Tart on a blue background
Will Dickey

Recipe: Caramel Pecan Tart

The great thing about this pecan tart is that it's equally welcome at a holiday gathering or a summer picnic. It looks elevated and decadent but is incredibly straightforward to make. Remember to toast the pecans and top the final result with whipped cream, ice cream, or praline sauce.

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Pecan Pound Cake

Pecan Pound Cake
Photo: Helen Norman

Recipe: Pecan Pound Cake

A drizzle of lemon-infused Citrus Glaze gives this creamy nut-filled cake a sweet finish. Combining pecans and lemon helps make this pound cake perfect for any time of the year. After adding the glaze, allow it to cool completely, for at least an hour, before serving.

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Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan Pie Bars
Photo: Helen Norman

Recipe: Pecan Pie Bars

You only need around 20 minutes of prep time to make these chewy, bite-size bars. These sweet bars have double the nutty pecan flavoring because you use it in the crust and filling. Chill the bars for at least an hour before cutting so that the filling has time to settle and you get an evenly distributed topping on each bar.

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Pumpkin-Pecan Streusel Pie

Pumpkin-Pecan Streusel Pie
Photo: Helen Norman

Recipe: Pumpkin-Pecan Streusel Pie

This pumpkin pecan streusel pie, filled with autumnal flavors, is the sweet pumpkin pie variation you didn't know you needed. Leave some extra-big pecan pieces to create a chunky texture in the topping. Refrigerated pie crust helps make this a simple go-to recipe.

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Pecan Gremolata

Pecan Gremolata
Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Recipe: Pecan Gremolata

This recipe is truly as simple as it gets. Combine the finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley with chopped toasted pecans, lemon zest, garlic cloves, and salt for a straightforward garnish to use in any dish. Serve it alongside meat, fish, or as salad dressing.

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Chocolate Chip-Toasted Pecan Pancakes

Chocolate Chip-Toasted Pecan Pancakes
Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Chocolate Chip-Toasted Pecan Pancakes

Pancakes are classic breakfast food. Adding chocolate chips makes it an ideal breakfast-sweet combination food, but this recipe combines that mixture with pecans, making it a must-have food at your next brunch. Add a generous dollop of whipped cream for an unexpected dessert.

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Chocolate-Pecan Tassies

Chocolate-Pecan Tassies
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Chocolate-Pecan Tassies

It's hard to make a classic Southern cookie like pecan tassies any better, but adding chocolate is as good an idea as any. You'll love the gooey, sugary filling instead the chocolate crusts. For the perfect cookie tin gift, top them with extra chocolate and toasted pecans.

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Spicy-Sweet Pecans

Spicy-Sweet Pecans
Helen Norman

Recipe: Spicy-Sweet Pecans

You can prepare these spicy pecans before your next gathering, but make extra because you want to snack on them immediately after the delicious smells from your oven. Store the pecans in an airtight container for up to seven days after cooling. To give the spicy pecans an extra glossy, crisp appearance, coat them with egg white before adding the spice mixture.

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Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie

Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie

Once you've made a pecan pie in a cast-iron skillet, you may never return to a pie plate. Press a refrigerated pie crust into the skillet, sprinkle with sugar, top with the pecan mixture, and bake. Serving it in the skillet is easy and makes the dish even more Southern.

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Bourbon-Butter-Salted Pecan Ice Cream

Blueberry-Lemon Zest Ice Cream
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Bourbon-Butter-Salted Pecan Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is easier than you think. Make this salted pecan flavor in under 10 minutes for a salty-sweet combination. Before freezing, stir extra bourbon and pecans into the ice cream for more flavoring.

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Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins

Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins
Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins

Sticky buns and pumpkin bread combine in this amazing muffin recipe. Toasted pecans, butter, and brown sugar create the sweet topping. Serve these for breakfast, or skip the "sticky" part and make Pecan-Pumpkin Bread instead.

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Pecan Soup

Pecan Soup
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Pecan Soup

Pecans aren't just for dessert. Try them in this soup with celery, onions, and potatoes. This easy weekday dinner recipe comes together with only nine ingredients.

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Creamy Grape Salad with Pecans

Creamy Grape Salad
therecipecritic.com

Recipe: Creamy Grape Salad with Pecans

Pecans add crunch and a hint of nutty flavor to this delicious fruit salad. Brown sugar, fresh grapes, sour cream, cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar combine for a flavorful side dish. For best results, chill overnight.

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Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herbed Butter Sauce

Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders
Van Chaplin; Styling: Vanessa McNeil Rocchio

Recipe: Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herbed Butter Sauce

On the dinner table in under 30 minutes, this pecan-crusted chicken dish is something you'll want to make repeatedly. Finely chopped pecans will help it adhere to chicken, but larger pieces can give it extra crispiness. On top of a plate of tortellini, this complete meal will be one of your family's favorites.

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Turkey Pot Pie with Cranberry-Pecan Crusts

Turkey Pot Pie Casserole Recipes
Tina Cornett

Recipe: Turkey Pot Pie with Cranberry-Pecan Crusts

Turkey pot pie is the holiday and seasonal-inspired version of the classic chicken pot pie. The cranberry-pecan crust gives this casserole a unique sweet and savory flavoring. Make this casserole, freeze it, and bake it when you have unexpected holiday guests.

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Mama's German Chocolate Cake

Mama's German Chocolate Cake
Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Mama's German Chocolate Cake

Pure Southern perfection! Layers of moist German chocolate cake and sweet-and-nutty Coconut-Pecan Frosting make this dessert an instant favorite. The combined coconut, pecan, and vanilla flavors make this decadent treat even sweeter.

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Apple and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans

Apple and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans
Sheri Giblin

Recipe: Apple and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans

This delicious fall salad has hints of nutty flavoring from the crunchy pecans. Combine maple bacon, fresh fruit, and Gorgonzola cheese to add flavor to this unique dish. Adding a Cranberry Vinaigrette makes it even more delicious!

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Fried Pecan Okra

Fried Pecan Okra
Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Fried Pecan Okra

In under half an hour and with six ingredients, you can make an appetizer that combines two classic Southern staples. This recipe calls for frozen okra, so you can make it any time throughout the year. Don't forget to toast the pecans because that gives the coating a rich flavoring.

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Banana-Pecan Smoothies

Banana-Pecan Smoothies
Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Banana-Pecan Smoothies

This easy smoothie recipe blends summer and fall flavors by combing bananas, pecans, cinnamon, and honey in one drink. You can customize this recipe by adding more fruits or a different flavor of yogurt if you prefer.

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Chili-Lime Pecans

Chili-Lime Pecans
Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Chili-Lime Pecans

Bake these pecans for your next gathering. You won't be able to stop munching on these toasted pecans. These pecans, seasoned with chili powder, paprika, and ground red pepper, have perfectly balanced flavoring by adding citrusy lime juice to the mix.

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Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans

Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans
Greg DuPree

Recipe: Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans

This brussels sprout slaw is perfect for any time of the year. The crisp apples provide a freshness while the toasted pecans help create an earthy quality to this dish. Adjust the amount of honey in this recipe to match your preferences.

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Warm Pecan Vinaigrette

Warm Pecan Vinaigrette
Photo: Jennifer Beeler

Recipe: Warm Pecan Vinaigrette

Serve this warm vinaigrette over baby spinach for a great fall salad. Toasted pecans, apple cider vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard give it its wonderful flavor. Try this vinaigrette as a marinade for chicken or fish.

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Praline-Pecan French Toast

Praline-Pecan French Toast
Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell

Recipe: Praline-Pecan French Toast

This simple bake is great for the holidays while entertaining family overnight. The combination of maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and toasted pecans makes this decadent French toast irresistible. Prepare it the night before to allow enough time for it to chill.

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Pecan Pesto

Pecan Pesto
Photo: Jennifer Beeler

Recipe: Pecan Pesto

This sauce is simple, nutty, and delicious. Toasted pecans kick up the flavor of ordinary pesto. Use this recipe for homemade pesto or as a shortcut by adding toasted pecans (coarsely chopped in a food processor) to store-bought pesto.

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Cream Cheese-and-Olive Pecan Bites

Cream Cheese-and-Olive Pecan Bites
Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Cream Cheese-and-Olive Pecan Bites

Make mini pecan sandwiches with a filling of cream cheese, pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, and fresh chives. These bite-sized appetizers are so simple but so tasty.

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