23 Desserts Featuring Pecans

October 24, 2020

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These pecan dessert recipes are so delicious, they’ll have you going nuts. Pecans add a great, crunchy texture to any dessert. Whether it’s pie, cookies or other desserts, you can use pecans in the batter, as a filling or as a topping. Recipes like Pecan, Date & Pumpkin Bread Pudding and Peach Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel are healthy and will satisfy any sweet tooth.

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Pumpkin Pecan Pie

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This recipe mash-up marries the sweet, subtle flavor of pumpkin with the nuttiness of pecans. Not only do the pecans create a beautiful pattern on top, their addition to classic pumpkin pie also creates an amazing textural combination of creamy and crunchy. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream to make it even more delicious.

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Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel

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This riff on the Thanksgiving favorite combines a traditional pumpkin pie filling with swirls of sweetened cream cheese. And since it's only Thanksgiving once a year, we've topped it all off with a buttery spiced-pecan topping. This easy pie recipe will please anyone at your table this holiday.

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Peach Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

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This fresh peach coffee cake with pecan streusel would be lovely for a summertime brunch or afternoon tea. A combination of Greek yogurt and buttermilk in the batter makes for a moist and tender cake, and swapping out all-purpose flour for white whole-wheat flour ups the nutritional value without affecting the taste or texture of this delicious coffee cake.

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5-Layer Homemade Pecan Pie

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The "magic" ingredient in the filling of this chocolate-bourbon pecan pie (and many gooey baked goods) is sweetened condensed milk, which delivers that craveable texture. This pecan pie recipe without corn syrup is a wonderful Thanksgiving dessert. A little bourbon adds its complex, oak-aged perfume to the sweet mix but, if you prefer, vanilla extract tastes great too.

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Instant-Pot Apple Crisp

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Apple crisp in your Instant Pot?! Yes, you can! This easy Instant-Pot apple crisp has a nice balance of flavors from lemon zest and juice, brown sugar and sweet Honeycrisp apples. The whole-wheat flour and pecans add texture to the topping, which remains moist and delicious as it melds with the other flavors. To keep the texture from getting mushy, be sure not to cut the apple pieces too small. One-inch cubes will do the trick!

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Pecan, Date & Pumpkin Bread Pudding

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In this healthy pumpkin bread pudding recipe, whole-wheat bread, Vitamin A-rich pumpkin and toasted pecans come together for a praiseworthy dessert. To make individual bread puddings instead of one large pan, divide the batter among 12 small oiled individual baking dishes (about 8 ounces each). Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, uncover, sprinkle with pecans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more.

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Mini Pecan Pies

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The key to these decadent treats is the portion size--baking them in mini-muffin tins keeps the carbs and saturated fat in check. And maple syrup allows you to make this pecan pie recipe without corn syrup.

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Pecan-Cinnamon Wafers

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These healthier pecan butter cookies are made with whole-wheat pastry flour and plenty of nuts.

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Apple Coffee Cake

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Apples lend their sweet-tart flavor to this warm and comforting apple coffee cake. The nutty oat and pecan filling in the middle of the cake also acts as a crispy topping that's drizzled with a sweet vanilla glaze.

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Pecan Turtle Bars

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What's not to love about buttery shortbread and pecans paired with rich, dark chocolate and topped with salty caramel? This easy turtle bar recipe is best with a gourmet finishing sea salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel, for best texture and flavor.

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Pecan-Apple Custards

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Unsweetened applesauce, fat-free milk, and oatmeal transform traditional custard into a yummy good-for-you treat.

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Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake

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The tableside flambéing of bananas Foster sure is impressive ... if someone else is making it for you. This cake has all the flavors of the New Orleans classic in easier-to-prepare cake form that's just as stunning as the original for a healthier dessert you'll be proud to serve.

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Maple-Pecan Apple Dippers

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Caramel apples can contain up to 60 grams of carbs, but these apple dippers are a lower-carb option. These apple slices--dipped in melted butterscotch, drizzled with sweet maple syrup, and sprinkled with savory pecans--will remind you of your grandmother's pecan pie.

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Pecan Biscotti

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Drizzled with white white chocolate, these twice-baked cookies are an Italian-inspired classic.

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Chocolate Crepes with Banana-Pecan Topping

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Grilling the bananas for this dessert recipe brings out their sweetness without adding any sugar. Whole-wheat flour and egg product in the chocolate crepes makes them higher in fiber and lower in fat.

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Cinnamon Streusel Rolls

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You don't have to make a special trip to the bakery when you can whip up a batch of these heavenly cinnamon streusel rolls at home.

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Chocolate & Pecan Macaroons

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We love the rich chocolate flavor in these chewy cookies that are like a cross between higher-fat coconut macaroons and low-fat, low-calorie, egg-white-based meringues.

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Maple Pecan Tart with Dried Cherries

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This pecan tart gets added tang from dried cherries. Instead of corn syrup, which is found in most pecan pie recipes, we've opted for maple syrup. If you can find it, choose dark amber or grade B, because it has the richest maple flavor. The crust, made with heart-healthy pecans and canola oil, couldn't be easier to whip together. Just blend it in the food processor and pat it into your tart pan.

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Miso Apple Bars

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Miso is not just for soup! This fermented bean paste's rich umami flavor balances the sweetness in this apple dessert recipe. More ways to use miso: whisk into a dressing or stir into sautéed vegetables with a bit of butter too.

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Pecan-Chocolate Chip Whole-Grain Blondies

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This whole-grain chocolate chip blondie recipe has half the amount of brown sugar and butter as a traditional recipe and is made with 100% whole-wheat flour. The results: scrumptious toffee-flavored treats with fewer calories and less added sugars per serving.

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Strawberry Fudge Brownies

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Change up your go-to brownie recipe by adding pecans and strawberries! This delicious, diabetic-friendly treat is ready in under an hour.

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Pecan Pie Bars

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These delectable bar cookies are great for holiday cookie trays, to bring out at casual gatherings, or just to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

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Pecan-Gingerbread Cookie Thins

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This healthy gingerbread cookie recipe incorporates white whole-wheat flour and uses less butter than traditional gingerbread cookies. These thin, sugar-kissed cookies are then topped with a pecan for a Southern-inspired treat. If you don't like pecans, try other nuts, such as macadamia nuts, walnuts or hazelnuts.

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