Sweet and Festive Pecan Desserts

Your celebration won't be complete without one of these delicious pecan desserts.

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Butter Pecan Layer Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

Photo: 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.

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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.

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Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies

Victor Protasio

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.

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Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans

Photo: 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.

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Putt’s Butter Pecan Sundae

Photo: 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.

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Mini Pecan Monkey Bread Loaves

Photo: 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.

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Toasted Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Toasted Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

Coconut and pecans are the dessert pairing we never knew we were missing. These cupcakes would be an easy-to-serve dessert for a large holiday party.

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Chocolate-Pecan Mousse Tart

Photo: Helen Norman

Recipe: Chocolate-Pecan Mousse Tart

You can make and freeze crust ahead of time; thaw in your refrigerator overnight before preparing the filling.

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Salted Chocolate Matzo Madness Toffee

Greg Dupree

Recipe: Salted Chocolate Matzo Madness Toffee

Take a crack at this Southern spin on a traditional Passover treat. But it’s not only relegated to the holiday. In fact, 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. So do yourself a favor and indulge!

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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.

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Pecan Pie Bars

Photo: Helen Norman

Recipe: Pecan Pie Bars

These chewy, bite-size bars require just 20 minutes of prep time.

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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.

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Pecan-Espresso Toffee

Photo: Helen Norman

Recipe: Pecan-Espresso Toffee

Take a crack at this intensely rich and buttery holiday treat.

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Decadent Cream Puffs with Praline Sauce and Toasted Pecans

Photo: Helen Norman

Recipe: Decadent Cream Puffs with Praline Sauce and Toasted Pecans

It may be tempting to use a stand mixer for the cream puff batter, but it pays to mix by hand. You need to see when the mixture is smooth and shiny, which will prevent overmixing. Top with Praline Sauce.

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Chocolate Chip-Toasted Pecan Pancakes

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Chocolate Chip-Toasted Pecan Pancakes

Add a generous dollop of whipped cream for an unexpected dessert.

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Caramel-Pecan Tart

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett; Food Styling: Angela Sellers

Recipe: Caramel-Pecan Tart

Surprisingly easy to make, this pecan and caramel dessert recipe pairs the cookie-like crispness of shortbread with a buttery-rich brown sugar-and-honey topping.

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Pecan Bourbon Balls

Photo: Iain Bagwell

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.

Recipe: Pecan Bourbon Balls

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Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie

Photo: 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.

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Crispy Praline Cookies

Recipe: Crispy Praline Cookies

In Louisiana it’s “prah·leen.” In Georgia it’s “pray·leen.” No matter how you pronounce it, these crunchy, nutty cookies are sure to please.

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Pecan Squares

Recipe: Pecan Squares

If you like the taste of pecan pie, you'll love this easy alternative. Serve the squares with vanilla ice cream for an over-the-top dessert.

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Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Jennifer Davick / Styling Buffy Hargett / Food Styling Angela Sellers

Pecan Cheesecake Pie starts with a creamy bottom layer of batter that rises to the top of the crust during baking.

Recipe: Pecan Cheesecake Pie

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Praline Pecans

Recipe: Praline Pecans

Pralines are best made when the weather is dry--humidity tends to make them grainy. Be sure to use a heavy saucepan, and work quickly when spooning the pecan mixture onto the wax paper.

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Caramel-Pecan Pie

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Caramel-Pecan Pie

Create this rich gooey caramel pecan pie for your family and friends. It is a perfect special occasion pie.

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Pecan Toffee

Recipe: Pecan Toffee

The tender-crisp texture of this rich toffee will quickly make it your holiday guilty pleasure.

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Pecan Crescents

Recipe: Pecan Crescents

These nutty cookies are much like traditional wedding cookies. Let your kids help roll the dough into logs and bend them into shape.

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Roasted Pecan Fudge

Jennifer Davick / Styling Buffy Hargett / Food Styling Angela Sellers

Roasted Pecan Fudge is a delectable holiday treat. This recipe received our Test Kitchens highest rating.

Recipe: Roasted Pecan Fudge

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Pecan Tassies

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett; Food Styling: Angela Sellers

Recipe: Pecan Tassies

These mini pecan pies are perfect for holiday get-togethers. They're a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and surprisingly easy to prepare!

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Sweet Potato-Pecan Cupcakes

Jennifer Davick / Styling Buffy Hargett / Food Styling Angela Sellers

Scrumptious Sweet Potato-Pecan Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting make a delightful sweet ending.

Recipe: Sweet Potato-Pecan Cupcakes

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Apple-Pecan Pie Cobbler

Recipe: Apple-Pecan Pie Cobbler

Tart Granny Smith apples, sautéed in brown sugar and butter, get topped with the tender, sweet crunch of a pecan-pie muffin batter. Bake this fall favorite in individual ramekins or a single casserole dish.

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Double Chocolate Brownies with Caramel Frosting

Southern Living

Recipe: Double Chocolate Brownies with Caramel Frosting

These indulgent bars are filled with toasted chopped pecans and semisweet chocolate morsels and topped with a warm caramel frosting. What more can you ask out of a brownie?

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Mocha-Pecan Mud Pie

Recipe: Mocha-Pecan Mud Pie

Round out your meal with a slice of decadent mocha-pecan mud pie. This dessert is so rich, your guests will never know it was lightened.

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Velvety Pecan Candy

Jennifer Davick / Styling Buffy Hargett / Food Styling Angela Sellers

Recipe: Velvety Pecan Candy

Make two batches of Velvety Pecan Candy, one each of chocolate and vanilla. Then prepare to see them disappear.

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Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

Package Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites in pretty airtight containers to add holiday jazz to your kitchen countertops. They can also be frozen in large zip-top plastic freezer bags for up to one month; just bring to room temperature before serving.

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Peanut Butter-Toffee Turtle Cookies

Recipe: Peanut Butter-Toffee Turtle Cookies

These turtle cookies have every indulgent flavor we could pack in a recipe: chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, and toffee. You’re already baking a batch, aren’t you?

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Mudslide Brownies

Photo: Oxmoor House

Recipe: Mudslide Brownies

Yummy ingredients from the popular drink—chocolate, espresso, and whipping cream—make a splash in these decadent bars filled with chopped pecans and garnished wtih chocolate-covered espresso beans.

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Chocolate Velvet Cake With Coconut-Pecan Frosting

Recipe: Chocolate Velvet Cake With Coconut-Pecan Frosting

A lavish amount of melted chocolate and sour cream gives these moist cake layers a tender, velvet-textured crumb. You'll find lots of imaginative ways to bake and frost the cake layers listed with the recipe for the batter.

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Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy

Ralph Anderson, Charles Walton IV / Styling Mindi Shapiro Levine, Rose Nguyen / Food Styling Marian Cooper Cairns, Angela Sellers

Recipe: Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy

The hardest part about making Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy is waiting for the chocolate to firm up before devouring it.

To get the marbled effect, alternate white and dark chocolate squares on a baking pan. Bake as directed, remove from oven, and immediately swirl the warm chocolate with a wooden pick.

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Oatmeal Carmelitas

Photo: Alzbeta

Recipe: Oatmeal Carmelitas

Caramels, chocolate morsels, and pecans are combined for a fast-disappearing treat.

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Thumbprint Cookies

Photo: Oxmoor House

Recipe: Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies have a bit of crunch from the finely chopped pecans, sweetness from the almond extract, and richness from the butter. Strawberry and peach jams make beautiful jewel-colored fillings, but you can use other Southern favorite jams, such as blackberry, muscadine, or apple. They’re the perfect cookies to make with the kids―let them make the thumbprints and choose the filling.

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Sweet and Festive Pecan Desserts

1 of 40

Butter Pecan Layer Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

2 of 40

Double-Chocolate Pecan Pie

3 of 40

Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies

4 of 40

Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans

5 of 40

Putt’s Butter Pecan Sundae

6 of 40

Mini Pecan Monkey Bread Loaves

7 of 40

Toasted Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

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Chocolate-Pecan Mousse Tart

9 of 40

Salted Chocolate Matzo Madness Toffee

10 of 40

Pumpkin-Pecan Streusel Pie

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Pecan Pie Bars

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Pecan Pound Cake

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Pecan-Espresso Toffee

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Decadent Cream Puffs with Praline Sauce and Toasted Pecans

15 of 40

Chocolate Chip-Toasted Pecan Pancakes

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Caramel-Pecan Tart

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Pecan Bourbon Balls

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Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie

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Crispy Praline Cookies

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Pecan Squares

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Pecan Cheesecake Pie

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Praline Pecans

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Caramel-Pecan Pie

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Pecan Toffee

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Pecan Crescents

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Roasted Pecan Fudge

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Pecan Tassies

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Sweet Potato-Pecan Cupcakes

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Apple-Pecan Pie Cobbler

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Double Chocolate Brownies with Caramel Frosting

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Mocha-Pecan Mud Pie

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Velvety Pecan Candy

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Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

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Peanut Butter-Toffee Turtle Cookies

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Mudslide Brownies

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Chocolate Velvet Cake With Coconut-Pecan Frosting

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Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy

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Oatmeal Carmelitas

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