Healthy Pecan Recipes

Find healthy, delicious pecan recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups

Rating: Unrated
15
Muffins meet oatmeal in these moist and tasty grab-and-go oatmeal cups. Feel free to swap out the pecans for any other nut--walnuts would be great--or omit them altogether. Make a batch on the weekend and keep them in your fridge or freezer for quick and easy breakfasts all week. Reheat in the microwave for about 40 seconds.
By Carolyn Casner

Apple-Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Rating: Unrated
1
It takes just a few minutes in the evening to mix rolled oats and almond milk and you have a head start on a healthy breakfast the following morning. In the morning, top the oatmeal with fresh fruit and toasted nuts. Make up to 4 jars at once to keep in the fridge for quick grab-and-go breakfasts throughout the week.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Overnight Oatmeal

Rating: Unrated
5
In this no-cook overnight oatmeal recipe, just quickly reheat the oats in the morning and top with berries, maple syrup and pecans for an easy, on-the-go breakfast.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cinnamon Streusel Rolls

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.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Carrot Cake Energy Bites

Rating: Unrated
1
These no-cook energy bites keep well in the fridge or freezer and are easy to grab on the go for a healthy snack.
By Beth Lipton

Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Oatmeal

Rating: Unrated
2
In this satisfying, on-the-go oatmeal recipe, protein-rich Greek yogurt, crunchy pecans and sweet berries make this the perfect healthy breakfast. Short on time in the morning? Try our overnight oatmeal variation.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Blueberry-Pecan Pancakes

Rating: Unrated
3
Dried blueberries give these pancakes a rich blueberry flavor and pecans liven up the texture with a bit of crunch.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Muffins

Rating: Unrated
3
These healthy pumpkin-oatmeal muffins will get you in the mood for fall. Sprinkling the muffins with pecans adds a nutty crunch to every bite. Serve them for breakfast or as a grab-and-go snack.
By Pam Lolley

Maple-Nut Granola

Rating: Unrated
13
We love the maple-nut flavor combination of this heart-healthy granola, but feel free to substitute your favorite nuts or dried fruit for your own custom blend.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Grandpa's Homemade Granola

Once you make this super-nutty, not-too-sweet granola, courtesy of Chris Johnson, father of EatingWell's social media editor Sophie Johnson, you'll never go back to store-bought. Nuts, seeds, coconut, dried fruit, Rice Krispies--this easy granola recipe has it all. Feel free to mix and match your favorite add-ins based on what's in your kitchen.
By Chris Johnson

Mini Pecan Pies

Rating: Unrated
2
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.
By Lauren Grant

Classic Dill Chicken Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
We lightened up the creamy dressing in this healthy chicken salad recipe with a combo of mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt. Dill, grapes, celery and walnuts make up this classic chicken salad but feel free to experiment with your favorite fruit, vegetables and herbs. Serve it open-face on toasted bread or scoop it on top of fresh salad greens.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

23 Desserts Featuring Pecans

23 Desserts Featuring Pecans

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.
Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

This orange-scented carrot cake cheesecake has a wonderfully moist and flavorful carrot cake shell which holds the creamy cheesecake portion. The swirl effect of dollops of cheesecake batter is a fun and festive way to round out this rich dessert.
Cranberry-Almond Granola Bars

Cranberry-Almond Granola Bars

Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Dried Cherries & Pecans

Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Dried Cherries & Pecans

Rating: Unrated
3
No-Sugar-Added Sweet Potato Casserole

No-Sugar-Added Sweet Potato Casserole

Morning Glory Scones

Morning Glory Scones

Rating: Unrated
3

Nutty Pimiento Cheese Balls

Rating: Unrated
1

These bite-size pimiento cheese balls from Jamie and Bobby Deen are a huge hit with kids (of all ages). They're the perfect appetizer to bring to a summer picnic. Jamie and Bobby share a passion for great home-cooked food with a Southern flair with their celebrity-chef mom, Paula Deen. These brothers are following in their mom's footsteps with their own TV shows, books and website. Our favorite part of what they're up to: healthy makeovers of some of Paula's recipes! Recipe adapted from The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up, by Jamie & Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark (Ballantine Books, 2011).

All Healthy Pecan Recipes

Grilled Chicken with Red Pepper-Pecan Romesco Sauce

Rating: Unrated
3
Many variations of the Catalonian roasted tomato sauce, romesco sauce, add roasted red peppers for a little sweetness. Here, we scorch the peppers and tomato on the grill alongside the chicken to keep things simple.
By Adam Dolge

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Rating: Unrated
3
The batter for this healthy one-bowl brownie recipe is stirred together right in the saucepan used to melt the butter and chocolate--no mixing bowl needed and less cleanup for you. Using shredded zucchini in this healthy dessert recipe creates a tender, moist brownie with about half the amount of butter and sugar found in a classic recipe--and it's virtually undetectable in the baked brownies.
By Stacy Fraser

Vegan Cheesecake

This luscious vegan cheesecake nixes the dairy in favor of a filling made with coconut cream, tofu and cashews or macadamia nuts instead of the traditional eggs and cream. Coconut oil and nuts make for a rich-tasting and crunchy crust, so nobody will miss the butter.
By Breana Killeen

Chopped Salad with Shrimp, Apples & Pecans

Sweet and crunchy apples and celery combine with savory shrimp and nutty pecans in this easy, colorful dinner salad.
By Carolyn Casner

Spiced Pecans

Rating: Unrated
1
Making this delicious and healthy snack is very simple but also a rare instance where the recipe is meant to take longer in order to make it easier. Most nuts can burn faster than you can say "What's that smell?"--so these spiced pecans are baked low and slow to avoid any nasty surprises.
By Sarah Simms Hendrix

Apple & Cheddar Side Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

This salad is easy and festive--the perfect healthy addition to your holiday table. The no-sugar-added dressing blends well with the sweet notes of apple and sharp Cheddar cheese, and crunchy pecans round out the dish.
By Hilary Meyer

Apricot-Pecan Muffins

Apricots, oats, pecans, and a touch of allspice are a winning combination in these easy-to-make muffins.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Apple-Crisp-Stuffed Baked Apples

This apple dessert marries the best parts of apple crisp with a baked apple to make an adorable and tasty sweet treat. Cooking an apple crisp inside an apple is a wonderful treat in summer with a scoop of ice cream, or in fall after an apple-picking trip.
By Carolyn Casner

Slow-Cooker Apple Crisp

Let your Crock-Pot do the work for this easy slow-cooker apple crisp. It tastes just like a classic apple crisp, with the apple combination adding a sweet and tart balance in each bite. It's sure to become a new fall favorite.
By Pam Lolley

Apple Coffee Cake

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By Sarah Epperson

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Rating: Unrated
2
These easy-to-make homemade granola bars are inspired by the flavors of a classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. But feel free to vary the mix-ins to your preference. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Broccoli Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

Parmesan, red onions and pecans contribute flavor and texture to this quick and easy broccoli salad that makes a great easy side dish for almost any protein. If you have leftovers, toss them with pasta for lunch the following day.
By Karen Rankin

Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Pecan Praline Sauce

The dessert menu at Brigtsen’s restaurant in New Orleans offers “Bread Pudding du Jour,” which changes with the seasons. This sweet potato version plays well during the holidays.
By Frank Brigtsen

Sweet Potato Soufflé

This scrumptious sweet potato soufflé is sweet without being cloying like some sweet potato casseroles can be. A crunchy pecan-and-oat topping nicely complements the creamy sweet potatoes. The casserole requires just 25 minutes of active time to prepare, so you can whip it up for Thanksgiving without a lot of fuss. And the filling can also be made up to five days ahead, so you just have to top it and bake it when it's showtime. With a sweet potato soufflé that's so easy, there's no need to serve it just for the holidays--try it with oven-fried chicken and green beans for a healthy dinner with a Southern accent.
By Julia Levy

Pecan-Berry Coffee Cake

Rating: Unrated
2
This scrumptious coffee cake recipe has a crumbly pecan topping and is speckled with blueberries or raspberries. You'll never guess there's apple in the berry coffee cake: it replaces some of the butter found in most coffee cakes and adds a decidedly sweet taste and moist crumb. This is a great recipe to serve at brunch and can be made the day before.
By Julee Rosso

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
This raw Brussels sprouts salad featuring shaved Brussels sprouts, toasted pecans, sweet-tart cranberries and nutty Parmesan cheese is tossed with a light and lemony vinaigrette. You can shave the Brussels sprouts using a chef's knife--or use the slicing attachment of your food processor to make it even easier. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for fall or anytime you have crisp, fresh Brussels sprouts on hand.
By Karen Rankin

Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball

Rating: Unrated
3
Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Peach Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By Mary Claire Britton

No-Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars

Rating: Unrated
2
As if no-bake weren't tempting enough, consider that the graham cracker crust for these berry cheesecake bars has pecans in it. Ooh la la! In the filling, nonfat Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese cut the calories and saturated fat.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Custard Pecan Pie

While every bit as delish as the classic pie, this one has less sugar. Cane syrup, a toasty alternative to corn syrup or molasses, sweetens the pie along with brown sugar. Because the filling for the pie is wet, we brush the crust with egg white and par-bake it to create a barrier to prevent sogginess.
By Virginia Willis

Pecan Pie Bars

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.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Pecan-Crusted Chicken

Rating: Unrated
5
This recipe coats tender chicken breasts with a buttery pecans flavored with spicy chipotle and zesty orange. Serve with a spinach salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By Ivy Odom

Cranberry-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Rating: Unrated
1
This cranberry-pecan cinnamon roll recipe is a cinch to put together--there's no kneading and no rolling of any dough. These rolls are baked in a muffin tin and are already perfectly portioned, making them great for a morning treat or as part of a brunch menu.
By Carolyn Malcoun
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