Food and Recipes Holiday and Occasion Food 51 Sweet Pecan Desserts That Are Southern Favorites By Zoe Denenberg Updated on August 11, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Southerners are crazy for pecans. The pecan is the South's signature nut, and we sneak it into lots of sweet and savory recipes. But we can't resist pecan desserts. We grew up snacking on Pecan Pralines and we know that no Thanksgiving dessert spread is complete without a classic Pecan Pie. After all, the smell of roasting butter pecans is the signature scent of Southern holidays. One of the best traits of pecans is their versatility. They pair beautifully with bittersweet chocolate and bourbon, like in our Kentucky Derby Pie, but they also complement the sweetness of fresh fruit like peaches (have you tried our Pecan-Peach Cobbler? Now's the time). From Carrot Cake Cheesecake to Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, pecans play the supporting role in fresh twists on our favorite seasonal recipes. We've compiled our favorite classic and inventive pecan desserts to spice up your holiday table this year. 01 of 51 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 Switch up your holiday cake rotation with this dreamy three-layer cake. A tip from the test kitchen: When browning the butter for the frosting, pour the butter into a bowl as soon as it turns golden brown, or it will continue to cook and get too dark. 02 of 51 Flourless Pecan-Chocolate Cake Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Flourless Pecan-Chocolate Cake Toasted pecans add a nice crunch to this smooth chocolate cake. 03 of 51 Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake Greg DuPree Recipe: Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake The inviting swirls of brown butter toffee frosting topping this cake are so inviting, you'll have to resist the temptation to cut into the cake before the party guests arrive. 04 of 51 Caramel Pecan Icebox Cake Joy Howard Recipe: Caramel Pecan Icebox Cake This icebox cake comes together with just 25 minutes of hands-on time. 05 of 51 Spiced Pecan Pie Bars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Spiced Pecan Pie Bars If you're preparing Thanksgiving for a crowd, swap out the Pecan Pie for these portable, pre-portioned Pecan Pie Bars. 06 of 51 Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines Make a batch of these indulgent candies and they'll have disappeared by the end of the weekend. 07 of 51 Double-Chocolate Pecan Pie Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Double-Chocolate Pecan Pie Amp up your pecan pie this holiday season with a double dose of chocolate. 08 of 51 Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Jennifer Causey Recipe: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Brown butter and pecans add new dimension to the classic chocolate chip cookie in this indulgent recipe. 09 of 51 Pumpkin Spice Magic Cake Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Magic Cake They call this cake magic for a reason. With surprising layers and flavor combinations, this cake is a standout on any spread. 10 of 51 Georgia Pecan Double-Decker Brownies Jennifer Causey, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Recipe: Georgia Pecan Double-Decker Brownies A crust made from chocolate wafers makes these brownies even more decadent. 11 of 51 Pecan Tassies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pecan Tassies A cross between a cookie and a slice of pecan pie, these cute-as-a-button tassies will be the star of the holiday cookie swap. 12 of 51 Double-Decker Pecan Cheesecake Pie Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Double-Decker Pecan Cheesecake Pie This pretty dessert combines the flavors of pecan pie and cheesecake into one slice. Plus, it takes just 20 minutes of hands-on time to pull together. 13 of 51 Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies The dough for these cookies can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until baked. 14 of 51 Pecan Pie Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Oxbow Bakery Pecan Pie You can't go wrong with the classics. If you really want to impress at Thanksgiving this year, bring this perfect pecan pie. 15 of 51 Coconut-Pecan Truffles Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Coconut-Pecan Truffles No baking is required to pull together these bite-sized treats. 16 of 51 Maple-Pecan-Pear Cheesecake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Maple-Pecan-Pear Cheesecake In-season pears not only add flavor to the cheesecake but come together with maple syrup and pecans to create a gorgeous finish. 17 of 51 Texas Pecan Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis Recipe: Texas Pecan Cake You can whip up this pecan cake in just 15 minutes. 18 of 51 Caramel Pecan Tart Will Dickey Recipe: Caramel Pecan Tart A pecan pie is an incredibly easy pecan dessert, but this tart is even easier, if you can imagine it. A simple caramel is cooked up and poured into a tart shell. It solidifies while baking and cooling so it's easy to dish up whether you're at a potluck or holiday gathering. 19 of 51 Kentucky Bourbon Pie Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Kentucky Bourbon Pie Make Derby day every day with this decadent pie that combines chocolate, bourbon, and pecans. 20 of 51 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 This Bundt cake has all the flavors of fall, and it's picture-perfect for a Thanksgiving dessert spread. A tip from the test kitchen: For the smoothest texture and most impressive presentation, make sure the icing is still warm when you spoon it over the cake. 21 of 51 Mama's German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting Southern Living Recipe: Mama's German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting You'll be requesting this indulgent layered chocolate cake every year for your birthday. 22 of 51 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 go back to a pie plate. Simply press a refrigerated pie crust into the skillet, sprinkle with sugar, top with the pecan mixture, and bake. Serving it in the skillet is also easy and makes the dish even more Southern. 23 of 51 Pecan Pie Cake with Browned Butter Frosting Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Pecan Pie Cake with Browned Butter Frosting This dessert starts with pecan pie cake layers that are filled with pecan pie filling and then covered with a browned butter frosting. 24 of 51 Georgia Pecan Mist Cake Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Erin Merhar; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Recipe: Georgia Pecan Mist Cake You may be surprised to see the short ingredient list for this recipe, but trust us, that's all you need to whip together this pecan dessert. 25 of 51 Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole Once you've put pecans in your cinnamon rolls, you'll never go back to the plain kind. 26 of 51 Butter Pecan Cheesecake Photo: Alison Miksch, prop styling: Prissy Lee, food styling: Erin Merhar Recipe: Butter Pecan Cheesecake You'll find pecans in the crust and topping of this cheesecake. 27 of 51 Pecan Pie Bread Pudding Recipe: Pecan Pie Bread Pudding While this dish is made to be a dessert, we also think it's great to enjoy for breakfast alongside a cup of coffee. 28 of 51 Pecan Snowball Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pecan Snowball Cookies Rolled in powdered sugar, these Pecan Snowball Cookies look like they've been coated with a fresh dusting of snow. 29 of 51 Carrot Cake Cheesecake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Carrot Cake Cheesecake A base layer of carrot cake meets a fluffy stripe of cheesecake topping in this best-of-both-worlds dessert. 30 of 51 Banana Pudding Cheesecake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Banana Pudding Cheesecake Banana pudding and cheesecake, all in one bite? We must be dreaming. 31 of 51 Amy Grant's Banana Nut Bread Southern Living Recipe: Amy Grant's Banana Nut Bread When you have company, always have a loaf of this favorite breakfast or dessert bread on hand. 32 of 51 Hummingbird Bundt Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Hummingbird Bundt Cake No Southern dessert spread is complete without some variation of the Hummingbird cake, and this one is in Bundt form. 33 of 51 Seven-Layer Cookies Southern Living Recipe: Seven-Layer Cookies Graham crackers, coconut, pecans, chocolate, and butterscotch all mingle together in these decadent vintage cookies. 34 of 51 Pecan-Peach Cobbler Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Pecan-Peach Cobbler Two Southern favorites, pecans and peaches, come together in this ultimate summer dessert. 35 of 51 Peach Crisp Micah A. Leal Recipe: Peach Crisp A crisp peach crumble is the effortless dessert of the summer, and pecans add new dimension to this carefree treat. 36 of 51 Brown Butter-Maple-Pecan Blondies Linda Pugliese Recipe: Brown Butter-Maple-Pecan Blondies The brownie's blonde sister gets a serious makeover with brown butter, maple, and pecans. 37 of 51 The Ultimate Carrot Cake Alison Miksch Recipe: The Ultimate Carrot Cake This carrot cake's thick layers and sweet-and-savory brown sugar-cream cheese frosting earn it high praise. Top with candied carrot curls for extra flair. 38 of 51 Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies These crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside cookies are so much richer than their short ingredient list lets off. 39 of 51 Coconut Pound Cake Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Coconut Pound Cake Use a ridged Bundt pan to achieve the gorgeous shape of this unique pound cake. 40 of 51 Putt's Butter Pecan Sundae Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Putt's Butter Pecan Sundae Putt Wetherbee knows how to do sundaes. This one has homemade toasted-pecan ice cream and a praline sauce that's richer than rich. 41 of 51 Mini Pecan Monkey Bread Loaves Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Mini Pecan Monkey Bread Loaves This caramel-drizzled monkey bread can be enjoyed any time of day. To lessen your load, make this recipe a day ahead, store in the refrigerator overnight, and bake when you're ready to serve. 42 of 51 Pumpkin-Pecan Streusel Pie Photo: Helen Norman Recipe: Pumpkin-Pecan Streusel Pie Create the chunky texture by leaving those extra-big blueberry-size pieces in the pecan streusel topping mix. 43 of 51 Candied Pumpkin Spice Pecans Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Candied Pumpkin Spice Pecans Whether you use these candied pecans to top a cake or enjoy them on their own, they'll pack plenty of fall flavor into every bite. 44 of 51 Pecan Pie Cobbler Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pecan Pie Cobbler Two classic dishes come together in one skillet for a decadent dessert. 45 of 51 Pecan Bourbon Balls Photo: Iain Bagwell Recipe: Pecan Bourbon Balls Think a bourbon ball is a bourbon ball is a bourbon ball? Think again. Try coating them in spiced toasted pecans for a sweet-salty variation and you'll be a convert for life. 46 of 51 Mini Pecan Pies Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Zapalowski Recipe: Mini Pecan Pies The spirit of Thanksgiving distilled into tiny bite-sized pie crusts. 47 of 51 Mini Bananas Foster Sticky Buns Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Mini Bananas Foster Sticky Buns These sticky buns may technically be breakfast, but they're so divine, we'll eat these for dessert, too. 48 of 51 Tenntucky Blackberry Cobbler Sundaes Photo: Jennifer Davick / Food Styling Marian Cooper Cairns Recipe: Tenntucky Blackberry Cobbler Sundaes It's creamy, it's crunchy, and it's absolutely decadent. This sundae hits all the right notes. 49 of 51 Tropical Carrot Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Tropical Carrot Cake Warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger combine with pineapple and coconut in this Hummingbird-carrot cake fusion. 50 of 51 Millionaire Pie Micah A. Leal Recipe: Millionaire Pie This pink pie will be the belle of the ball at your next potluck. 51 of 51 Pig Pickin' Cake Southern Living Recipe: Pig Pickin' Cake There's no better way to finish off a Southern Pig Pickin' or cookout than with this signature cake. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit