Food and Recipes Holiday and Occasion Food 33 Pecan Recipes You'll Love To Make By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on September 1, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 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. 01 of 33 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. 02 of 33 Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies 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. 03 of 33 Mini Pecan Monkey Bread Loaves 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. 04 of 33 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. 05 of 33 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. 06 of 33 Putt's Butter Pecan Sundae 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. 07 of 33 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. 08 of 33 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. 09 of 33 Caramel Pecan Tart 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. 10 of 33 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. 11 of 33 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. 12 of 33 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. 13 of 33 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. 14 of 33 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. 15 of 33 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. 16 of 33 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. 17 of 33 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. 18 of 33 Bourbon-Butter-Salted Pecan 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. 19 of 33 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. 20 of 33 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. 21 of 33 Creamy Grape Salad with Pecans 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. 22 of 33 Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herbed Butter Sauce 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. 23 of 33 Turkey Pot Pie with Cranberry-Pecan Crusts 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. 24 of 33 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. 25 of 33 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! 26 of 33 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. 27 of 33 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. 28 of 33 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. 29 of 33 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. 30 of 33 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. 31 of 33 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. 32 of 33 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. 33 of 33 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. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit