Pumpkin Pecan Pie — 🎃🤤 Merging two favorite pies in one so that the whole family can agree on a holiday dessert! This EASY pie is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, holiday entertaining, and can be made in advance with store bought crust to save time!
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Pumpkin Pie… with Pecan Topping!
If your family is anything like mine, we end up with so many versions of pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas because no one can agree. This pumpkin pecan pie is the best of both worlds!
The soft and tender pumpkin filling is topped with an ample layer of praline pecans. They’re crunchy and candied and even people who don’t like nuts will love pecans like this.
There’s just the right amount of pumpkin pie spice in the pie, coupled with maple syrup, to really give you all those cozy comfort food fall flavors.
This family favorite pie recipe is a cinch to make. No mixer, nothing complicated!
Ingredients in Pumpkin Pecan Pie
For this family favorite pumpkin pie with pecan topping, you’ll need the following easy-to-find fridge and pantry ingredients:
Crust
- Homemade pie crust (or refrigerated crust)
- Egg
- Water
Pumpkin Filling
- Eggs
- Pumpkin puree
- Maple syrup, corn syrup, or honey
- Light brown sugar
- Heavy cream
- Unsalted butter
- Pumpkin pie
- Salt
Praline Pecan Topping
- Unsalted melted butter
- Eggs
- Pecan halves
- Light brown sugar
- Corn syrup or maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Pumpkin Pecan Pie
For this pumpkin and pecan pie, begin by either making a scratch pie crust or just using a store bought refrigerated pie crust. (If you’re like me, you’ll go with store bought!)
Here’s a rough overview of how to make a pumpkin pie with pecan topping:
- Blind bake the pie crust: Get the crust in the pie pan, brush it with an egg wash, cover with foil, add dried beans to weight it down, and bake it for 15 minutes at 425F. Take it out and turn the oven down to 350F.
- Make the pumpkin pie filling: Mix together all the filling ingredients with a whisk in one bowl and add it to the blind-baked crust.
- Make the pecan topping: Mix together all the topping ingredients with a spoon in another bowl, spread it over the pumpkin filling layer.
- Bake: Bake the pie covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 minutes more.
- Chill: Allow it to cool, then chill it, and voila, your pecan pumpkin pie is ready for serving!
Recipe FAQs
In the pie filling itself, maple syrup will make the filling runnier than corn syrup or honey will. You’ll get the maple flavor, but the pie doesn’t set up quite as firmly compared to using corn syrup or honey. In the photos shown, I used maple syrup in the filling. Make sure you are using 100% pure maple syrup and not imitation which is often called “pancake syrup”.
For the pecan topping, if you already used maple syrup like I did for the filling, then I recommend using corn syrup for the topping so that the maple flavor doesn’t dominate. While you technically could use maple syrup for both the filling and topping, I wouldn’t. I would use corn syrup in one or the other.
Yes, you MUST blind bake (i.e. partially bake) the pie crust before adding the pumpkin pecan filling. Blind baking the crust helps prevent it from getting soggy.
Even when your pumpkin pecan pie has finished baking, it will still jiggle like Jello when it is done. This is what I’d call a less wiggly jiggle. I know this isn’t scientific, but I am trying to be very descriptive.
If your pie jiggles like eggs or a half-baked cake that in the oven, it isn’t done. I’d call this a very wiggly, wavy type of jiggle.
If you use a thermometer, the internal temperature should be 170°F. This is scientific, however I wanted to add the aforementioned visual cues so that you’re not surprised when you see 170F, yet your pie is still jiggling a bit, but yes, it is quite likely done at this point.
If the filling is beaten too much, it can get too much air incorporated into it, and get too light, and then the topping will also sink.
I use heavy cream in the pecan pumpkin pie because it helps the pie set up better in comparison to half-and-half. You could probably get away with half-and-half, noting though that your pie will be looser. Do not use whole milk, 2%, or skim milk. I’ve never tried making the pie with a dairy-free milk so can’t advise on that.
Absolutely! I would say up to 48 hours in advance is the sweet spot although I doubt anyone would actually know or notice if you made it closer to 72 hours in advance.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
At room temp: You can store this pie covered and airtight at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
In the fridge: Store pie airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
In the freezer: Bake it and cool it completely. Wrap the entire pie and pie pan in plastic wrap a few times to seal. (Make sure you’re using a freezer-safe pie dish if you know you’re going this route.) Place it in the freezer and store for up to 3 months. Thaw completely at room temp before serving.
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Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 homemade crust or store bought refrigerated crust
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Pumpkin Filling
- 2 large eggs
- one 15-ounce can pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- ½ cup 100% pure real maple syrup, light-colored corn syrup, or honey* (See Notes
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
Pecan Praline Topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cup pecan halves
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup light-colored corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and spray a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Make homemade pie crust OR use store bought refrigerated pie crust.
- Place the pie crust in the prepared pan and crimp the edges.
- In a small bowl, beat together the 1 egg with 1 teaspoon bater.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush this all over the crust.
- Cover the crust entirely with aluminum foil or parchment paper, add dry uncooked beans to weigh it down or use pie weights if you have them, and bake this crust for 15 minutes; this process is called blind baking a crust. Tip – Pie crust should be cold going into the oven. If your crust got warm rolling it out or getting it in the pan, refrigerate the pan with crust in it for 20 minutes before baking.
- Remove the pie pan from the oven and set it on the counter to cool while you make the filling. Tip – Save the foil, you'll need it in step 13.
Pumpkin Filling
- Turn the oven down to 350°F.
- To a large bowl, add all the filling ingredients, and whisk to combine.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust; set aside.
Pecan Praline Topping
- To a separate large bowl, combine all the topping ingredients, and stir well to combine.
- Evenly pour the topping over the filling, and smooth it with a spatula.
- Cover the pie with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pie from the oven, uncover the pie, and bake for about 25 additional minutes; start checking at 20 minutes.
- Check for doneness** (See Notes). If the pie isn't done, bake for 5 additional minutes, or until it is done.
- Allow pie to cool at room temp on a wire rack for about 1 hour before covering and transferring in the fridge to chill. Although you can serve pie at room temp, I prefer it chilled. Pie will keep airtight at room temp for up to 24 hours, airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days, and airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months, thaw at room temp before serving. Pie can be made up to 48-72 hours in advance, and stored airtight in the fridge until ready to serve.
- I prefer to serve this pie with Cool Whip, although another type of whipped topping, real whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream are all good options
Notes
For the pecan topping, if you already used maple syrup like I did for the filling, then I recommend using corn syrup for the topping so that the maple flavor doesn’t dominate.
While you technically could use maple syrup for both the filling and topping, I wouldn’t. I would use corn syrup in one or the other. Honey can be used, too. It’s not my favorite for this pie because when I think of a fall-themed pie, I also think maple syrup. But honey doesn’t give the same fall-inspired flavor profile. However, from a baking perspective, you can use it in the filling portion. **Even when your pumpkin praline pecan pie has finished baking, it will still jiggle like Jello when it is done. This is what I’d call a less wiggly jiggle. I know this isn’t scientific, but I am trying to be very descriptive. If your pie jiggles like eggs or a half-baked cake that in the oven, it isn’t done. I’d call this a very wiggly, wavy type of jiggle. If you use a thermometer, the internal temperature should be 170°F. This is scientific, however I wanted to add the aforementioned visual cues so that you’re not surprised when you see 170F, yet your pie is still jiggling a bit, but yes, it is quite likely done at this point. Judging doneness is always the baker’s responsibility and sometimes you have to go with your instinct and hunch. Baking times listed in any recipe are always just provided as a courtesy because all ovens, climates, ingredients, and so forth will cause your baked good to bake at a different rate than mine did.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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