42 Sweet Pecan Desserts That Are Southern Favorites
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.
Butter Pecan Layer Cake with Browned Butter Frosting
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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Spiced Pecan Pie Bars
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.
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Pecan Snowball Cookies
Recipe: Pecan Snowball Cookies
Rolled in powdered sugar, these Pecan Snowball Cookies look like they've been coated with a fresh dusting of snow.
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Pecan Pralines
Recipe: Pecan Pralines
Make a batch of these indulgent candies and they'll have disappeared by the end of the weekend.
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Pecan Tassies
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.
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Mini Pecan Pies
Recipe: Mini Pecan Pies
The spirit of Thanksgiving distilled into tiny bite-sized pie crusts.
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Pecan Pie
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.
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown butter and pecans add new dimension to the classic chocolate chip cookie in this indulgent recipe.
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Kentucky Bourbon Pie
Recipe: Kentucky Bourbon Pie
Make Derby day every day with this decadent pie that combines chocolate, bourbon, and pecans.
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Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Recipe: Carrot Cake Cheesecake
A base layer of carrot cake meets a fluffy stripe of cheesecake topping in this best-of-both-worlds dessert.
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Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie
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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Tropical Carrot Cake
Recipe: Tropical Carrot Cake
Warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger combine with pineapple and coconut in this Hummingbird-carrot cake fusion.
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Coconut Pound Cake
Recipe: Coconut Pound Cake
Use a ridged Bundt pan to achieve the gorgeous shape of this unique pound cake.
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Millionaire Pie
Recipe: Millionaire Pie
This pink pie will be the belle of the ball at your next potluck.
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Mini Bananas Foster Sticky Buns
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.
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Impress at the Dinner Party With These Scrumptious Pecan Desserts
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Buttery Toasted Pecans
Recipe: Buttery Toasted Pecans
Once you taste these simple pecans, you'll want to keep a bowl of these nuts on your countertop at all times.
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Overnight Eggnog-French Toast Casserole
Recipe: Overnight Eggnog-French Toast Casserole
This extravagant French toast bake will feed a crowd—it's perfect for holiday mornings or family brunches.
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Seven-Layer Cookies
Recipe: Seven-Layer Cookies
Graham crackers, coconut, pecans, chocolate, and butterscotch all mingle together in these decadent vintage cookies.
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Hummingbird Pancakes
Recipe: Hummingbird Pancakes
A twist on the beloved hummingbird cake that we can pass off as breakfast? Count us in.
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Tenntucky Blackberry Cobbler Sundaes
Recipe: Tenntucky Blackberry Cobbler Sundaes
It's creamy, it's crunchy, and it's absolutely decadent. This sundae hits all the right notes.
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Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Once you've put pecans in your cinnamon rolls, you'll never go back to the plain kind.
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Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
Recipe: Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
Buttermilk adds a creamy, smooth shine to these classic Southern candies.
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Mama's German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting
Recipe: Mama's German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting
You'll be requesting this indulgent layered chocolate cake every year for your birthday.
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Pumpkin Spice Magic Cake
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.
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Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Recipe: Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Banana pudding and cheesecake, all in one bite? We must be dreaming.
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Amy Grant's Banana Nut Bread
Recipe: Amy Grant's Banana Nut Bread
When you have company, always have a loaf of this favorite breakfast or dessert bread on hand.
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Double-Chocolate Pecan Pie
Recipe: Double-Chocolate Pecan Pie
Amp up your pecan pie this holiday season with a double dose of chocolate.
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Hummingbird Bundt Cake
Recipe: Hummingbird Bundt Cake
No Southern dessert spread is complete without some variation of the Hummingbird cake, and this one is in Bundt form.
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Pecan-Peach Cobbler
Recipe: Pecan-Peach Cobbler
Two Southern favorites, pecans and peaches, come together in this ultimate summer dessert.
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Sweet Potato Soufflé
Recipe: Sweet Potato Soufflé
This inventive way to incorporate sweet potatoes into a dessert will impress all the dinner party guests.
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Pig Pickin' Cake
Recipe: Pig Pickin' Cake
There's no better way to finish off a Southern Pig Pickin' or cookout than with this signature cake.
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Peach Crisp
Recipe: Peach Crisp
A crisp peach crumble is the effortless dessert of the summer, and pecans add new dimension to this carefree treat.
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Brown Butter-Maple-Pecan Blondies
Recipe: Brown Butter-Maple-Pecan Blondies
The brownie's blonde sister gets a serious makeover with brown butter, maple, and pecans.
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The Ultimate Carrot Cake
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.
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Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies
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
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
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
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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Pumpkin-Pecan Streusel Pie
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 Bourbon Balls
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.
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Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake
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.