Dreamy Pecan Butter Pie

Melanie Lorick
by Melanie Lorick
10 slices
1 hr 15 min

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


Recipe details
  • 10  slices
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 1 Hours Total time: 1 hr 15 min
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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.
Melanie Lorick
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Comments
  • Gail Gail on Jan 02, 2021

    His many pecans do you need to get 1/3 cup butter

    • See 1 previous
    • Melanie Lorick Melanie Lorick on Jan 03, 2021

      Hi, Gail and Eve! Yes, 1 cup pecan halves breaks down to 1/3 cup butter after processing. I used Mammoth pecan halves, so keep in mind that smaller pecans (like Elliotts) might require 1/4 cup more. And, store-bought nut butter is more than fine. I've made this successfully with peanut butter (a legume, I know  ) and other nut butters would also be delicious. Happy New Year!

  • Ann Smith Ann Smith on Jan 03, 2021

    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?

    • See 1 previous
    • Melanie Lorick Melanie Lorick on Jan 05, 2021

      Ann - it looks SO good! I'm glad you liked it with the Cool Whip and please keep me posted with what your granddaughter thinks of the peanut butter version. If she's a peanut fan, I think she'll really enjoy it.  The spoon might give you more control when starting to mix the filling ingredients...it does feel a little weird at first, but is interesting to see how smooth it gets after they combine with each other. I also like using the back of the spoon to break up any powdered sugar clumps, which can happen every so often. Thank you for sharing!

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