Are you indecisive at the Thanksgiving dessert table? Pumpkin pie? Pecan pie? Well, I’ve got a solution. This pumpkin pecan pie. (A pumpcan pie? Peckin pie?) Around here, I call it Compromise Pie–because I adore pecan pie, and The One is an inveterate pumpkin fan. One dessert for both of us. I took inspiration from the cookbook Plated by Elana Karp and Suzanne Dumaine but simplified the crust and amped up the flavors a bit.
Why Our Testers Loved This
Our testers were delighted to discover a “two-in-one pie” that allowed them to enjoy pumpkin and pecan pie together. They loved the “flaky and crisp” crust, custardy pumpkin filling, and crunchy pecan topping.
Notes on Ingredients
- Unsalted butter–If you need to substitute salted butter, don’t add extra salt to your pie crust.
- Pumpkin puree–Use canned pureed pumpkin here, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin pie spice–Use store-bought, or make your own spice blend if you prefer.
- Corn syrup–Use dark corn syrup for the pecan topping. It adds much more depth of flavor than the light variety.
- Pecans–Chop your pecans into small, bite-size pieces to make slicing easier. You don’t need to toast the pecans before baking.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- To make the pumpkin filling, beat the egg in a medium bowl.
- Add the pumpkin, sugar, cream, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and salt.
- Whisk the filling until smooth.
- Pour it into the pie shell and bake for 20 minutes.
- To make the pecan topping, whisk the eggs and sugar together, then mix in the remaining ingredients.
- Gently pour or spoon the pecan filling over the partially baked pumpkin filling, then continue to bake until cooked through. Cool before serving.
FAQs
The crust can be made and frozen for up to 3 months before using. You can even roll the pie crust, crimp it, and freeze it directly in the pie plate.
The baked pie will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, but it’s best served on the day it’s made.
While testing this recipe, I first used my favorite all-butter crust. It was delicious, but because the melting point of butter is low, the half-filled crust slumped, making for a shallow pie that couldn’t cradle all the filling. Lard has a higher melting point than butter and, therefore, has the brio to hold up in the first minutes of baking. A store-bought crust is usually made with shortening, which has an even higher melting point than lard and will also work.
A dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream is great, or get creative and serve it with chai-spiced whipped cream, or spike your cream with a bit of bourbon or spiced rum.
Pro Tips
- If your pie crust is browning too quickly, cover it with a pie shield or a foil ring.
- Be very gentle when pouring or spooning the pecan layer onto the partially cooked pumpkin layer, as it’s still soft, and you don’t want the pecan to sink. To help disperse the pecan layer gently and evenly, pour it over the back of a large spoon.
- The pie can be stored in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.
More Great Pie Recipes
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If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Ingredients
For the pie dough
- One (9-inch) store-bought crust or our lard and butter pie crust (use half of the recipe)
For the pumpkin-pie filling
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup unsweetened canned or fresh pumpkin purée
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
For the pecan topping
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Prepare the pie dough
- Position an oven rack in the middle position and slide a baking steel, pizza stone, or heavy baking sheet onto the rack. Crank the oven to 425°F (190°C). Because of the baking steel, the oven needs a good 30 minutes to reach temperature.
- Nestle the pie dough into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges decoratively. Chill the pie dough while preparing the filling.
Make the pumpkin-pie filling
- Beat the egg in a medium bowl. Whisk in the pumpkin, sugar, cream, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt.
- Pour the filling into the crust. Slide the pie onto the baking steel and bake until the custard is just set but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 20 minutes.
Make the pecan topping
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and dark brown sugar in a medium bowl until well combined. Pour in the corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt and whisk until homogeneous. Stir in the pecans.
- After the pumpkin layer of the pie has baked for 20 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and place it on a dish towel. Gently spoon the pecan filling over the cooked pumpkin layer.
- Return the pie to the oven and bake it until almost set, about 30 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue baking until the crust is golden and the filling is no longer wiggly, 10 to 15 minutes more.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Protect the crust–If your pie crust is browning too quickly, cover it with a pie shield or a foil ring.
- Adding the pecan layer–Be very gentle when pouring or spooning the pecan layer onto the partially cooked pumpkin layer, as it’s still soft, and you don’t want the pecan to sink. To help disperse the pecan layer gently and evenly, pour it over the back of a large spoon.
- Make-ahead–Make the pie crust up to 3 months in advance and freeze it until ready to use.
- Storage–The pie can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
An LC Original
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Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
In this house, a pie recipe is always worth a try. After reading the recipe, I knew the combination of pumpkin pie with pecan topping meant I had to make it!
The recipe comes together very easily. Making the first steps was familiar as I have made lots of pumpkin pies. The next set of steps, I felt like I was making my butter tart recipe (a treat that no one here gets tired of).
We had a friend coming for dinner, so the taste test results had an additional person weighing in….and the results were unanimous: this pie is a 12 out of 10!
This pumpkin pecan pie answers that eternal Thanksgiving dilemma: pumpkin pie or pecan pie? However, it’s entirely different from traditional pies. The pumpkin portion has a delicate, almost custardy texture. And the pecan topping is crunchy, not gloppy or chewy.
For me, it’s a perfect combination because I don’t like pumpkin pie. The crust is phenomenal—flaky and crisp. I will definitely make it my go-to pie crust for single-crust pies.
This is a pie for the indecisive. No more choosing between a slice of pumpkin pie or a scoop of pecan pie cobbler. With this easy pecan pumpkin pie recipe, you get both.
The flavors go well together, but I’ll admit to taking a bit of pecan and then scooping out a smidgen of pumpkin after, alternating each bite. Pie is my happy place, and not having to choose what kind, well, that’s just icing on the cake. Or should I say a two-in-one pie?
☞ TESTER TIP: Be very gentle when pouring in the pecan topping, as it was very easy to upset the pumpkin pie filling. The middle of the pie didn’t have perfect layers because of this, but it ended up fine.
I did have to add a foil covering to the crust to keep it from over-browning.
I’d definitely chop the pecan pieces relatively small because the larger pieces made the pumpkin layer smoosh out when getting a bite with your fork.
Great filling. Loved the ratio of pumpkin to pecan layers with the perfect amount of sweetness. I did make one change and baked this with a shortbread crust packed into a 9×5 loaf pan. I love the ease of storing and slicing. Crust was par baked and then I followed the rest of the recipe. Perfect. My new go-to recipe.
Wonderful, Terri! I love the idea of using the shortbread crust.