Dreamy Pecan Butter Pie
Growing up, my mother's peanut butter pie was a favorite at summer gatherings. I remember the excitement when she would pull the finished product out of the freezer, topped with coarsely-chopped nuts and a cloud of soft Cool Whip, ultimately revealing a smooth peanut butter and cream cheese center. Naturally, when it was time to put my own stamp on the recipe, I decided to substitute peanuts with pecans, peanut butter with homemade pecan butter, and Cool Whip with stabilized whipped cream. The result? A dreamy combination of flavors that makes this cold pie a favorite, even during the winter months.
What makes this version especially flavorful:
- Making homemade pecan butter with lightly-toasted raw pecans. You are welcome to use store-bought pecan butter or a flavored pecan butter...think chocolate pecan butter as a creamy base.
- Regular, heavy whipping cream offers a luxurious texture and flavor. It might not be a health food, but I prefer controlling the ingredients and using less preservatives whenever possible.
- Adding cornstarch to the whipped cream (yes, I know, the oldest trick in the book) stabilizes it well enough to maintain structure and allow it to replicate Cool Whip.
- Bonus points? Add a drizzle of dessert sauce to your plate before placing pie on top and enjoy a hint of chocolate, caramel, or whatever flavor you choose!
Looking for a few more dessert recipes? Check out some of my favorites at: Inspired Epicurean.
Pecan butter and whipped cream are the rockstar ingredients of this pie.
Pecan butter pie filling
Dreamy Pecan Butter Pie
Recipe details
Ingredients
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pecan Butter Pie
- 9" graham-cracker pie crust (I use store-bought)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup pecan butter
- 3 oz. plain cream cheese (I prefer full fat, but have successfully used "1/3 less fat" from the store)
Homemade Pecan Butter
- 1 1/4 cup raw pecans (reserve 1/4 cup pecans for pie topping)
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
Homemade Pecan Butter
- Add pecans to food processor and start blending. Every few minutes (or less), use a rubber spatula to scrape the edges of the bowl, in a downward motion. Depending upon how the pecans are behaving, alternate between pulsing and letting the processor run continuously for a minute or two at a time.
- The pecan butter will become smooth after 10 - 15 minutes of processing.
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- Chill mixing bowl in freezer for a few minutes before whipping.
- Add cream, pure vanilla extract, and powdered sugar to mixing bowl and whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- Just before finishing, add cornstarch and whip just until incorporated.
Pecan Butter Pie
- Blend the cream cheese, pecan butter, and powdered sugar in a bowl (using a spoon) until all ingredients are completely merged. Put a little muscle into it, but it does come together relatively quickly.
- Once blended, add half of the stabilized whipped cream and stir until it is smoothly incorporated. The mixture will become lighter, fluffier, and much more malleable.
- Spoon mixture in a graham cracker pie crust (I use a store-bought crust), or other crust of your choice. Spread until even.
- Top with the remaining whipped cream and spread until it completely covers the pie. Sprinkle with ¼ c. chopped, plain pecans.
- Freeze for several hours, or overnight. Enjoy!
Tips
- Remove from freezer about 15-30 minutes before serving and cut with a knife that has been warmed with hot running water for a few seconds.
- If you use a larger pie crust, like Keebler's "Two Additional Slices" variety, increase the whipped cream and pie filling ingredients by an additional 1/3.
Comments
Share your thoughts, or ask a question!
His many pecans do you need to get 1/3 cup butter
I'm wondering, for lactose intolerance, could you substitute artificial whipped cream (Cool-Whip) for the stabilized cream? I am thinking of trying this but wonder if anyone else has, and if so, what the results were?