Healthy Pecan Recipes

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

Staff Picks

Baked Blueberry & Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups

Muffins meet oatmeal in these moist and tasty grab-and-go oatmeal cups. The nutty flavor of the pecans and the sweetness from fresh blueberries and banana make for an extra tasty snack or breakfast.
By Carolyn Casner

Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups

Rating: 4.24 stars
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

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.
By Karen Rankin

Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Overnight Oatmeal

Rating: 4.2 stars
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

Apple-Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Rating: 4 stars
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

Carrot Cake Energy Bites

Rating: 5 stars
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

Grilled Chicken with Red Pepper-Pecan Romesco Sauce

Rating: 5 stars
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

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

These chewy and moist carrot cake sandwich cookies are packed with carrots, crunchy pecan pieces and chewy raisins and filled with an orange-scented cream cheese frosting. They are rich and satisfying and would pair perfectly with a hot cup of coffee.
By Karen Rankin

Classic Dill Chicken Salad

Rating: 5 stars
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

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Muffins

Rating: 4.5 stars
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

Candied Sweet Potatoes

These candied sweet potatoes are super simple to make. The sweet potatoes are tender and buttery, while cinnamon and cardamom add warmth and flavor. The pecans add a great crunch.
By Jasmine Smith

Maple-Nut Granola

Rating: 4.69 stars
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
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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.
Blueberry-Pecan Pancakes

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.
Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Oatmeal

Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Oatmeal

Rating: Unrated
2
Cranberry-Almond Granola Bars

Cranberry-Almond Granola Bars

Pork Medallions with Lemon-Pecan Spinach

Pork Medallions with Lemon-Pecan Spinach

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Rating: Unrated
3

Chocolate & Pecan Macaroons

Rating: 4 stars
2

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.

All Healthy Pecan Recipes

No-Sugar-Added Sweet Potato Casserole

Instead of loading up this comfort food side with tons of brown sugar and marshmallows, we have turned to sweet spices, vanilla and inherently sweet dried fruit to enhance the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes. A topping of pecans and pepitas replaces traditional marshmallow topping to keep it healthy and add texture and color for a beautiful casserole.
By Carolyn Casner

Apple & Pecan Stuffed Butternut Squash

Let this cute little vegetarian stuffed squash side dish steal the show at the dinner table! Butternut squash is stuffed with a sweet and savory filling that gets a crispy finish under the broiler. If you can't find small butternut squash, honeynut squash is a great alternative. Shaped much like a butternut squash (but smaller), the honeynut squash has a deep orange skin and sweet flesh.
By Karen Rankin

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

Cranberry-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Rating: 3.33 stars
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

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

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

Blueberry-Pecan Energy Balls

Dried blueberries and pecans team up with cacao nibs for a chocolaty treat any time of day. The cacao is a bit more bitter than chocolate, but the maple syrup helps tame it. Almond butter and chia seeds provide protein to make these bites substantial snacks to fuel your body.
By Katherine Martinelli

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

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

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

Mini Pecan Pies

Rating: 5 stars
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

Pecan-Berry Coffee Cake

Rating: 4.33 stars
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

Slow-Cooker Edamame-Rice Bowl with Cherries & Pecans

With wild and brown rice, edamame, dried cherries and pecans, this dish boasts varied textures as well as an abundance of nutrients. Wild rice is rich in fiber and protein while brown rice is high in manganese, which helps the body digest fats. Cherries are packed with antioxidants, while pecans are loaded with healthy unsaturated fat.
By Cooking Light

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Rating: 5 stars
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

Watercress Salad with Grapes, Blue Cheese & Pecans

This salad formula will never let you down: toss leafy greens with fruit, cheese, nuts and a simple vinaigrette. If you can't find watercress, try substituting arugula, baby spinach or baby kale.
By Carolyn Malcoun

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

Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball

Rating: 4.67 stars
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

Upside-Down Cinnamon-Pecan Coffee Cake

Rating: 2 stars
2
Layering the ingredients in this coffee cake recipe right into the pan lets you skip the steps of making the batter and the nut topping separately. To make this healthy one-bowl dessert so it can be served like pull-apart rolls, dollop 16 equal portions of batter over the nuts. If you don't want to fuss with that, dollop the batter on top however you like.
By Stacy Fraser

Wild Rice & Roasted Beet Salad

Rating: 5 stars
1
This delicious grain salad is great to have on hand for weekday lunches. Wild rice, beets, toasted pecans and Gorgonzola combine in a sweet maple vinaigrette for a truly satisfying meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

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

Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake

Rating: 4 stars
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

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

No-Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars

Rating: 4 stars
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

Pacific Sole with Oranges & Pecans

Rating: 3.47 stars
14
Not so long ago, Dover sole meant an overcooked fillet swimming in butter, dotted with tasteless dried herbs and soaked in too much lemon juice. But sole deserves a comeback: it can become a satisfying, sophisticated, one-skillet dinner with very little effort. The recipe can easily be doubled.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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