Candied Pecan Pumpkin Pie
Two of the most classic holiday treats are combined to create this delicious candied pecan pumpkin pie! A rich and spiced pumpkin pie filling is baked in an incredibly flaky pie crust. Halfway through baking, the pie is topped with candied pecans. Once heated, the pecans turn into this delicious and sweet consistency that makes every bite of this pie unforgettable. It’s basically the PERFECT pie to bake for Thanksgiving!
How to Make Candied Pecan Pumpkin Pie
This recipe was tricky to get right because pumpkin pie and candied pecans bake at two very different times and temperatures.
So first, the pie crust is blind baked. This is the process of fulling baking the pie crust before adding the filling. Since pumpkin pie filling is very fluid and wet, blind baking prevents a soggy bottom.
Then the pumpkin pie filling is quickly mixed together. I say quickly because it is very easy! It just requires a can of pumpkin puree, a can of sweetened condensed milk, some sugar, spices, salt, vanilla, and eggs.
But what makes this filling is good is the use of dark brown sugar, TONS of warm spices, and an extra egg yolk. The later adds an extra layer of richness while the sugar and spices create so many layers of flavor.
The liquid batter is poured into the crust and the edges are wrapped in foil. Since the crust is already fully baked, we do not want to further bake and burn the edges.
First, the pie bakes at 425F for 15 minutes. This will create a really rich color.
Then, the temperature is dropped to 350F and the pie continues to bake for 30 minutes. This temperature and time will cook the filling almost all the way through.
After those 30 minutes the pie is not done baking but it’s ALMOST there. The pie is removed from the oven and topped with our candied pecan mixture. It’s a combination of pecans, egg white, lard, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
The egg white and lard not only allow the cinnamon sugar to adhere to the nuts, but it also helps to break down the sugar to create a smooth and sweet crust around the pecans.
After a ring of pecans is added, the pie goes back in for another 15 minutes to fully bake the pie and toast those sweet pecans.
The pie will be somewhat jiggly in the center, so it must cool and then chill in the refrigerator before serving. It needs at least 2 hours but I like to chill it overnight to ensure it’s fully set.
How to make an all lard pie dough
To be completely honest, I always struggle with pie dough. I have to try really hard to get the consistency just right and it always cracks on me when I roll it out.. that is until I made this all lard pie dough.
Since lard is so soft, the process of making the pie dough itself is SO quick and easy. There’s no cutting in hard lumps of butter, so working the lard into the flour takes seconds.
It also has a higher melting point than butter, so it doesn’t soften as rapidly while handling the dough. And because of this, the lard doesn’t dissolve into the flour as fast as butter which produces the FLAKIEST pie crust.
To enhance the flakiness even more, a bit of vinegar is added to the pie dough. This slows the strengthening process of the gluten strands in the flour, creating a super tender pie crust.
The dough then goes in the refrigerator for only 30 minutes which is just enough time to bring the lard back down to a chilled temperature.
The best way to roll out pie dough
To prevent the dough from cracking while rolling AND to make it so easy to transfer it to a pie dish, roll the dough out between two sheets of plastic wrap.
Then, peel back the top sheet to be left with the rolled out pie dough on a bottom sheet of plastic wrap. Since the pie dough is adhered to the plastic, this holds the pie dough in place while transferring it to the pie dish.
Simply flip the pie dough onto the pie dish, nudge it into place, and peel back the sheet of plastic wrap to reveal a perfectly placed pie shell.
Pecan Pumpkin Pie FAQs
Yes, you can use a frozen pie shell for this recipe to make it even easier. Skip the blind baking step and just pour the batter straight into the unbaked crust. Then bake the pie as instructed in this recipe.
You can, but the pie won’t bake with as deep of a color or flavor.
Sure! I think cashews would be delicious or a blend of pecans, cashews, and almonds. Whichever you choose, just make sure they are raw and roughly chopped.
Once the pie has baked and then cooled at room temperature, the pie chills in the refrigerator uncovered. This is to prevent any condensation. After it has fully chilled, transfer the pie to a container and keep storing it in the refrigerator.
This pie is best served chilled, so serve it the next day after it has set in the refrigerator overnight. You can serve it with whipped cream or ice cream, but I find it really doesn’t need it!
Store in the refrigerator, this pie will keep for about a week.
Sure! Instead of baking the pie at 350F for 30 minutes, bake it at 350F for 45 minutes. It should bake all the way through at that point. Then chill overnight as instructed and serve with whipped cream.
For more pie recipes, check out my:
- Pumpkin Hand Pies
- Fudgy Brownie Pie
- Mini Maple Pumpkin Pies
- The BEST Pecan Pie
- No Bake Pumpkin Cookie Pie
- Cinnamon Sugar Apple Butter Pie
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make this pecan pumpkin pie. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
Watch how to make this candied pecan pumpkin pie:
Candied Pecan Pumpkin Pie
- Total Time: 6 hours
- Yield: 8-10 servings
Description
You no longer have to choose between pecan pie and pumpkin pie because this candied pecan pumpkin pie is a magical combination of the two! Rich and creamy pumpkin pie filling is baked with a layer of candied pecans – all atop an incredibly flaky pie crust.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 1/4 cups (300g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (156g) chilled lard shortening
- 1/2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 2–3 tbsp ice water
- 1 large egg + 1 tbsp water, for egg wash
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 1 15oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup (105g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk (save the white)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Candied Pecans
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, roughly chopped
- 1 large egg white (reserved from the filling)
- 1 tbsp lard, melted
- 1/4 cup (55g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar.
- Drop in spoonfuls of the lard all throughout the bowl. Then use your hands to work the lard into the dry ingredients until it’s well combined with fine tiny lumps throughout.
- Add the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of ice water. Use a wooden spoon to mix the dough.
- If it still appears too dry, add the additional third tablespoon of water. The dough should turn shaggy but evenly moistened and it should hold its shape when formed together without sticking to your hands.
- Form the dough into a ball and place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Pat it into a 1″ thick disk and wrap tightly. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425F.
- Once chilled, place the unwrapped pie dough on a fresh sheet of clean plastic wrap and place another sheet on top. Roll out the dough between the two sheets of plastic wrap until it’s about 1-2 inches larger than the diameter of the 9″ pie dish.
- Peel back the top layer of plastic wrap to now be left with the pie dough on a single sheet of plastic wrap. This makes it super easy to transfer and maneuver the pie dough to the pie dish.
- Simply flip pie dough onto the pie dish with the plastic wrap now facing up. Gently adjust the pie dough to fit into the bottom and sides of the dish. Once you have it where you want it, peel back to the plastic wrap to reveal a perfectly placed pie shell.
- Cut off any excess around the dish and crimp the edges to your liking.
- Lightly dust the inside with some flour and poke holes on the bottom using a fork. Brush the crimped crust edges with an egg wash.
- Crumple up a sheet of parchment paper and then unravel it flat. Mold the paper to the inside of the pie shell and fill with pie weights or dry beans.
- Bake the crust for 20-23 minutes, then remove the pie weights and paper and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until the bottom is baked through.
- Allow the crust to cool off to the side while we make the filling. Keep the oven at 425F.*I suggest placing the pie dish on a small baking pan which will make it easier to transfer the pie in and out of the oven once the filling is added.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, and brown sugar.
- Once smooth, mix in all of the remaining ingredients (salt, spices, eggs, vanilla). The batter should be pretty thin.
- Pour the filling into the crust.
- Using some small sheets of foil, create a collar around the edges of the pan to prevent the crust from burning.
- Now bake the pie at 425F for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350F and bake for 30 minutes.
Candied Pecans
- In the meantime, make the candied pecan mix.
- In a medium bowl, add the pecans, reserved egg white, and melted lard. Stir to coat.
- Add in the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir to evenly distribute. The mixture should have a syrupy quality.
- After the 30 minutes is up, remove the pie from the oven and take off the foil collar.
- Using your fingers (this part gets a little messy), sprinkle the candied pecans all around the edge of the pie. Allow any excess syrup to drip off into the bowl.
- Return the pie to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the nuts are fragrant and golden and the center of the pie has a slight jiggle.
- Allow the pie to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill uncovered overnight.
- The next day, slice and serve with any toppings to your liking (although I find this pie doesn’t need any extras). Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Chill Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
Hi Jenna love all your videos! Is there a way to replace the lard that goes into the pie crust with butter if so, does the temperature change and time frame?
This is the BEST pumpkin pie recipe I have ever tried! Really easy to make, spices were perfect, pecan topic was delicious and it wasn’t overly sweet. I could literally eat the whole pie by myself. Thank you Jenna, your recipes never disappoint!
Can you make the pie crust ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days?