PECAN CREAM PIE RECIPE
Are you a fan of traditional pecan pie? I have never loved classic pecan pie. It's overly sweet, gooey, and just not my favorite. Which is why when I found this pecan cream pie I was so obsessed.
It tastes like pecan pie but with a creamy, thick, light & fluffy texture. The only thing you have to cook is the pie crust! So it's almost no-bake and completely irresistible.
No Holiday dessert table is complete with out it!
HOW TO MAKE PECAN CREAM PIE
Cooked & Cooled 9-inch Pie Crust - Make your own pie crust or use a store-bought crust. Either way works just make sure that it's cooked and cooled before making this pecan cream pie.
Heavy Whipping Cream - This recipe calls for homemade whipped cream!
Powdered Sugar - Used to sweeten the whipped cream.
Cream Cheese - For best taste and texture use full-fat, real cream cheese.
Brown Sugar - I only ever keep light brown sugar on hand so I use that. If you're wanting a richer, deeper flavor then use dark brown sugar.
Pure Maple Syrup - Do not try and use maple pancake syrup. Just don't! Buy pure maple syrup and you will have plenty left to make this pie all the time!
Chopped Pecans - Chop them as small or leave them in larger chunks. Whichever you prefer.
MY TIPS FOR THIS PECAN PIE RECIPE
- Use pure maple syrup NOT pancake syrup. They're not the same thing. You will find the pure maple syrup by the other syrup and breakfast items in the grocery store.
- I prefer the homemade whipped cream in this recipe but if you are wanting a shortcut then replace the heavy whipping cream & powdered sugar with 1 container (8 oz) Cool Whip.
- Make sure the pie crust is cooked and cooled before adding the pecan cream filling. And make sure you plan ahead of time so this pie has time to refrigerate before serving. I always make it the night before and let it refrigerate overnight (covered).
- This pie needs at least 8 hours of refrigeration time but it does really well if it's more. I always make this the day before Thanksgiving (or whenever else I need it) and let it sit in the fridge all night and all day the next day until we eat Thanksgiving dinner in the early evening.
BE SURE AND TRY THESE OTHER FABULOUS PIE RECIPES
Raspberry Cream Pie - A graham cracker crust, cheesecake filling, and topped with an easy homemade raspberry pie filling. Top with some whipped cream and fresh raspberries for one of my personal favorite Holiday desserts.
Maple Pumpkin Pie - Classic pumpkin pie seasoned with real maple syrup!
Pistachio Cheesecake Pie - It's no bake and uses pistachio pudding. This is so light, creamy, fluffy, and just delicious.
Banana Cream Pie - If you're not a fan of mushy browned bananas in your pie then this is the recipe for you. The only way I will eat a banana cream pie.
Pecan Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) uncooked pie crust
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 bars (8 oz each) cream cheese softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Cook pie crust according to package or recipe instructions. Let cool completely before adding the cream pie filling.
- In a small bowl, combine heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar. Beat with a hand mixer, or stand mixer, until stiff peaks form. This will take several minutes.
- In a separate larger bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and pure maple syrup. Beat together until combined and creamy.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and stir together until combined. Stir in 1 cup of the chopped pecans.
- Spread mixture into the baked and cooled pie crust. Sprinkle the remaining pecans on top of the pie. Cover and let refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight before serving.
- I like to whip some additional cream to decorate the top with right before serving (as pictured above). You don't have to do this at all. Serve plain and it's really delicious too.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe found years ago at www.laurenslatest.com We've ♥ it ever since!
I'm not a big Maple syrup fan...is there something else I could add instead?
I can't think of anything that would be a good substitute. If it helps at all, you don't taste this pie and think that it tastes like maple syrup. You could always try not adding it but then I am afraid you would end up with a bland cream pie that does not really taste like anything.
Delicious cream pie! Made it for Thanksgiving! I now have a new favorite! Thank you for sharing the recipe! I loved it!
You're welcome! So happy to hear you loved this pie.
You could carmelize honey and use that
Try molasses.
Honey is an excellent substitute.
Thank you for this recipe!! We love pecan pie so this recipe was a big hit in my house! I made it per the recipe, but I drizzled some Magic Shell on top at the end before refrigerating! Sooo good!!!
add a splash of bourbon. or brandy.
throw in some cinnamon.
for a really fun twist, add a dash of cardamom.
Use a coffee syrup such as Vanilla, pecan flavors, praline, or buttered pecan.
even a coffee creamer would work great. I usually get one called simply vanilla or something like that. It is supposed to be 5 ingredients. My latest obsession that I add to my shots of espresso to make latte's is a coffee creamer that Starbucks makes. Its called caramel macchiato. .They also have a white chocolate mocha, a pumpkin spice and a cinnamon dolce. I love this creamer ! I use it to sweeten up oatmeal when I make a large pan. I add milk but also a splash of this, makes it creamy and sweet with an extra flavor
Try using Karo syrup instead of maple. In the south we make all pecan pies with Karo syrup which is a type of corn syrup. It’s the syrup used to make popcorn balls, often found on the baking isle of the supermarket.
You might consider using Agave or honey instead of the maple syrup.
Corn syrup is in the original recipe... give that a try
Do you pack the brown sugar when measuring it? I don't want it to be too sweet!
I always pack brown sugar in every recipe. The pie is sweet but I don't think overly sweet at all. It's up to you if you want to pack brown sugar or not. I think it's fairly common to always pack it but that's just me 🙂 Enjoy!
I made this pie last night for a dinner party and it was amazing. Everyone loved it. The texture was firm and I only had it in fridge for 4 hours before serving.
I did use a ready to use graham cracker crust and I toasted my pecans knowing it would create a richer flavor.
I will make this again!
Thank you for sharing.
Butter rum extract, flavored liqueurs, molasses, Torani sugar free hazelnut, English toffee or caramel syrup, would all be worth trying as a maple syrup alternative.
Try a caramel sauce & it will be like pecan praline pie😉
What if you used a southern pecan syrup or even a caramel? I think they both sound good,
Maybe you can increase the brown sugar versus maple syrup.
I am not a maple syrup fan either, but this pie is absolutely delicious. Don't substitute anything - just try it!!!!
You could try honey...
My tusband will love this recipe. I did have a question though, he is a big German chocolate Cake fan and I was wondering if there is some way to add baker's chocolate or something to it to make it more like the German chocolate cake?
That's a good question. I don't know how you could incorporate german chocolate into the recipe. Not sure it would work because of the maple syrup in the pie. It seems like those two flavors might clash? Maybe it would be delicious for all I know. Maybe a chocolate drizzle?
German chocolate is coconut caramel pecan. So instead of maple syrup you would add something like caramel, add coconut.... I would likely do a chocolate crust or chocolate shavings on top.
I used chocolate syrup over the top like on peanut butter pie..drizzle it
If you google it, there are several German chocolate pie recipes out there, including no bake.
I'm glad your tusband will like it.
What's the point of making this when you can make a German Chocolate cake - smh.
This sounds delicious! I have a question though...In the past I've had trouble getting granulated sugar to dissolve enough in cream cheese to become a smooth mixture. Did you notice any sugar grit from the brown sugar? If not, how long did you cream the cheese and brown sugar? Thanks!
That's a great question! You can use powdered sugar instead of the granulated sugar OR make sure your cream cheese is soft before adding the granulated sugar to it and mixing. If you try and mix a colder block of cream cheese it will end up not mixing well which can cause the grainy thing you're talking about. Things mix better when they are room temperature. My trick is to place the cream cheese (unwrapped) on a microwave safe plate and let it cook for 15-20 seconds (depending on how powerful your microwave is). You don't want it melted and runny, you just want it soft and warmer. Hopefully that makes sense 🙂 I use granulated sugar in this recipe with the cream cheese trick and I never have problems with a grainy texture. But, again powdered sugar would be just find also. Hope that helps!
I'm usually a last minute impulse baker. But all of the cream cheese that I know of (I always use Philadelphia) have foil wrapper. How do you warm it in the microwave?
Just unwrap it and place it in a dish before microwaving. Impulse baking is the best baking!
Can this pie be frozen? I am making it in Tennessee and driving to Thanksgiving in Ohio. Would like to avoid getting up super early on Thanksgiving morning to put it together.
I prefer to make this pie a day ahead of time so there would be no need to wake up early. I don't think it would freeze well but I have never tried it, so maybe it would?? I would suggest just making it the day ahead of Thanksgiving once you get to Ohio. Hopefully that will work. Good luck. Happy Thanksgiving.
Just looking at the ingredients, which are very similar to cream cheese and peanut butter pies that I have made, it should freeze just fine.
You can definitely try freezing this pie. I guess it comes down to personal preference. I don't freezer hardly anything because I don't like the texture of it once it's thawed. But if you don't mind it, then yes go ahead and freeze this pie 🙂
This makes a beautiful cream pie! I made it with a graham cracker crust and toasted the pecan's before I folded them in. IT WAS SO GOOD! Thank you for this recipe!
You're welcome. So glad you loved it!
What a great time to discover this recipe! I love the pecans for a fall dessert and the maple syrup tops it all off for me. Cannot wait to make this!
Thanks Carol! So glad you discovered this recipe too. It's always a staple at Thanksgiving dinner for my family. Enjoy!
Do you think Steen's syrup would work? The real deal!
I don't know what Steen's syrup is, but as long as it's like maple syrup then it might work. I have only ever used real maple syrup so I can't say for sure.
This pie looks amazing, and I can’t wait to try it out for thanksgiving dinner, however I have a question,I was going to opt for the cool whip instead of the heavy whipping cream. If I do that, do I still add in the powdered sugar as well or is that only if I use heavy whipping cream?
If you use cool whip do not add the powdered sugar. The sugar is only to sweeten the heavy cream. So just add the tub of cool whip. Enjoy!
I made this for Thanksgiving and I am sick that I wasted these ingredients, especially the pecans. No one ate their piece and the remainder will go in the trash. It was awful. Can I score less than one star?
Hmmm, so sorry to hear this. I’ve never heard such a bad review about this recipe. Thanks for letting me know ?.
I wonder why Jaryn didn’t like it? Steen’s is cane syrup and I think it will substitute just fine. I plan to make this for Christmas and will use cane syru. I’m thinking of making it in a square pan with just a bottom crust and cut into squares. Will the filling hold up to that?
That’s just nasty... this pie is DELICIOUS! YOU probably did something wrong!
Thanks Geri! I do love this pie a whole lot and I am so glad others do as well.
I just made this pie because I was craving something sweet. It's awesome. I used a graham cracker crust instead, but followed the recipe otherwise. I will be making this pie again.
Wow! Who doesn’t like cream cheese or whipped cream? I find it hard to believe someone didn’t like the pie! It was yummy!?.
That's what I said too! 🙂 We love this pie.
Do you think you can use maple bourbon pecan skinny syrup ?
Possibly? I have only ever used pure maple syrup so I can't say for sure.
Can you use maple extract for the maple flavor? I am on Keto and can't have maple syrup. Can sub out with Keto products all except the maple syrup.
You could try it. Maple extract can give off a fake or imitation maple flavor which may not be appealing in this pie.
Can I double this recipe and use ladyfingers in my spring form pan? Can't wait to see your answer. By now I assume you have had the baby, I send you congratulations and blessings be on your child.
Thank you so much. Yes, I had the baby and that baby is 4 now! It's funny with blog posts cause I write them and people can read them years later 🙂 Doubling the recipe would work fine and I assume ladyfingers would too, I have never worked with ladyfingers so not sure exactly but it seems that It would be just fine.
I messed up 🙁 I accidentally mixed the cream cheese in the beginning with the heavy cream and powdered sugar. Is there any saving it? With everything mixed together now it looks like a cheesecake batter that I should bake. Any suggestions?? The batter tastes amazing and I don't want it to go to waste.
Perfect just the way you have it! Rave reviews from all who tasted it. It is great all year not just at Thanksgiving. Thank you!
This recipe looks great and I can't wait to try it. I notice that it says "9-inch pie shell" Is that deep dish or regular? The amount of ingredients look like it could fill a deep dish. I just wanted clarification.
Good question! It really does not matter. I normally buy the deep dish frozen pie shells from the store. If you use the non deep dish then the pie will be taller. I've honestly probably used both kinds, and just not paid attention to what crust I was buying. I hope that helps!
What could I use instead of maple syrup? We don't like maple. Could I use Karo syrup?
I would use Kalhua, the liquor. I used to make brandy Alexander pie which is similar to this one but with a chocolate wafer crumb pie crust.
Thank you for adding the note about the Cool Whip. I am allergic to dairy. I can use a non-dairy crème cheese but have not found a suitable substitute for whipping cream. I will try it this week at home but already thinking about the mission trip in southern Texas this summer. It should be great after a hard days work.
I hope you all enjoy this! And yes, if there is a dairy free cool whip alternative it can definitely be used in this.
Delicious! Thank you! I did not change a thing! It is going to be one of my favorites! So easy! Why is it that immediately Folks want to change a recipe??
Yay! So glad to hear this. I love this one so much. One of my very favorite pies.
Very good. I think I will use a graham cracker crust that is baked next time. I also drizzled a little carmel sauce on top.
Please correct your recipe to read NOT to use powdered sugar if you are using Cool Whip. If I had not read through the reviews I would have added the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture. Thank you.
The recipe calls for homemade whipped cream. That is the recipe. In the notes section of the recipe I do say that if you choose to use Cool Whip then don't add the powdered sugar. Thanks for your feedback 🙂
This is exactly what I am looking for...very light dessert with lots of flavor. I love pecans and am always seeking out recipes that show them off! Thank you for sharing. Great pictures, too.
As an original Pecan Pie uses Karo Syrup, could that be used instead of the maple syrup? It sounds AMAZING and I can’t wait to try it!! Thanks for sharing!
The maple adds such a delicious flavor so if you use karo (which it is the same consistency so it's probably fine) it may change the flavor of the pie slightly, either good or bad I am not sure cause I have never tried it 🙂 Enjoy!
If this pie tastes as good Cold as the beaters did when I was making it, this will be a another favorite in my household! My family loves, LOVES pecan pie, and its a mutiny in my family if I don’t make it for the holidays. I found a ready-made Diamond pecan pie crust (and a walnut one) this week in our local grocery store. Knew it was going in my cart, and paired it with your pecan cream pie recipe. Simple recipe, don’t make any changes, and it was perfect for this ready made crust. Thanks for this new addition to my repoirtoir for the holidays!
I love licking the beaters when I make this! So yummy. And the crust you found sounds amazing. I truly hope y'all love it as much as we do.
I hope you turned your mixer off before licking the beaters! lol, just kidding! Looks yumilicious and I know these ingredients will be terrific together when I get up and actually mix it. And yes, I too, will fight for the beaters to lick with my husband...! Thanks for taking time to post and sharing with us!
I loved this pie! I made it following the receipe exactly. Made the whiping cream (did not use Cool Whip). It was a big hit at Thanksgiving. It's perfect for people who are wanting an alternative to Pecan Pie. I am not a big Pecan Pie fan but I loved this pie. I will definitely be making this one again. It's perfect for Thanksgiving.
I totally agree. Not a fan of regular pecan pie but I could eat this one all day. Thank you for leaving your comment and for making the recipe. So happy to hear it was a hit.
made this pie, it was wonderful! bf says it's a keeper!
It will taste better with lightly toasted pecans. Great flavor!
Could I use regular sweetener instead of brown sugar? I’m trying to make this as low carb as possible?
....... You're the Devil.....oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YUM-O-RAMA!!!!!!! Easy AND terrific!
This pie came out exactly as expected. It's pretty sweet! And a lot of filling! I may play with the recipe and make half or 1.5x the filling instead, but it's definitely a keeper! I used a shortbread crust but I think a regular pie crust may make a slightly less sweet? Yum! Great recipe!
Yes the shortbread is significantly sweeter than a regular plain pie crust. So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for leaving your comment. I appreciate it.
This was simple and easy for a beginner turned out great
Do you think you could use walnuts in this pie?
Yes I think that would work just fine. Just make sure that you like walnuts cause they can be stronger in taste than pecans.
We're big fans of traditional pecan pie (my husband is from New Orleans)! This is FANTASTIC, and not just for the Fall baking season. Please don't let the need for pure maple syrup hold you up - it's a wonderful flavor addition for the filling. Like some others, I used a graham cracker crust. We LOVED this pie!
This is hands down one of the Best pies I have ever made , thank you ! I Loved it as well as my family and friends . I've made it twice in one week, it is so addictive and tasty.
I subbed a graham cracker crust absolutely fabulous! Thank you!!
This was incredible! I toasted the pecans, added a nice crunch! There was so much filling, it was a huge pie! I may add the piped fresh whipped cream next time! Absolutely perfect recipe, not too sweet!
Made it today,we loved it, will make again.
I am going to try this using a pecan crust. I found nut crusts next to the graham cracker crusts in the store and we prefer them to graham cracker. Pecan pie is my husband's favorite so I'm hoping he loves this.
I have seen those nut crusts in the store too! I think that would be really good especially if your husband loves pecans. Enjoy!
This is one of the best pies I have ever made.
It is a new family favorite. The only thing I changed was the pure maple syrup as it is a bit expensive so I used regular maple syrup instead.
For keto/ low carb substitutes, i most certainly replaced the maple syrup with sugar free pancake syrup and i can assure you that the pie was fantastic! I also replaced both sugars with swerve and used a pecan crust in place of a flour crust. This pie will be on my menu from now on! FANTASTIC!
I used sugar free maple syrup, light cool whip, Splenda brown sugar and light cream cheese. I also added toasted coconut to the top. So easy to make! DELICIOUS!!
Thank you for sharing this! I have had many people ask about making it lower calorie like you did so thank you! Happy to hear it was a hit.
Followed directions to a T. Lacked taste let alone anything similar to a pecan pie. Slight cream cheese taste was all we got.
This was so delicious. It was a beautiful addition to our Thanksgiving table. It was a nice change from traditional pecan pie, which can be overly sweet, and It was much easier to make than traditional cheesecake. I have no doubt it will become a holiday regular.
Best cream pie ever. Easy and delicious. Every time I make it, requests for recipe. Absolutely delicious!
Easy to assemble &light fluffy.Tastes better on 2nd day. Wii be making often thank you ?
My family loves pecan pie and this is a perfect summer version of it!
Just put this bad boy in the fridge. Oh. My. So good! Made it for the hubby for father's day. I used butter pecan syrup that I found in the aisle next to the maple syrup. I also used roasted pecans (snack aisle) instead of regular pecans. Great sweet -salty flavor. Thank you for the recipe!
I made this as printed. Toasted pecans, used pure maple syrup. Couldn’t taste maple flavor but makes it more better. Will make this pie again and again.
Hello
Happy Saturday to ya,
I just made this lovely lovely pie. Unfortunately we have to wait til tomorrow to eat it. I started to late in the day to enjoy it tonight. It looks just as amazing as yours. The only thing I did differently was the pie shell. I made my own. A maple pecan pie crust with just a touch of dark brown sugar.
And I used cool whip for the piping around the pie. But everything else was 100% your deliciously looking pie recipe.
OH MY goodness. I just know it's going to be amazing.
Thank you for your time, & your expertise. And of course for sharing.
You're very welcome. Thank you for leaving your comment. Enjoy the pie!
Hi
love this recipe it sound and look so good did not make it yet can I use a Graham cracker crust instead?
I have never tried that myself but I think it would work well. Let me know how it turns out!
Costco has pure maple syrup that is cheaper and BETTER than any other store bought brand and you can get a 3 pound bag of pecans for under 16 bucks!!!
Add a teaspoon of instant nonfat dry milk to whip cream and it will hold its shape and not wilt!
This pie was amazing! It mixed together perfectly, kept it's shape after cut, and even though very rich- people wanted more!
I love the roasted pecans im going to use toasted pecans to highlight flavor!!
Oh yes, that would be incredible! Enjoy.
I have a ? I hate cream cheese, sour cream, etc, but love the idea of this lighter, creamier pecan pie. Is there any substitute for the cream cheese?
Not that I know of. At least not anything that would still taste good in this pie 🙂
I know this is almost a year later, but you can absolutely substitute mascarpone for the cream cheese. Exact same texture and no tangy flavor.
I wonder, would ricotta work as a substitute? It's not as firm as cream cheese but it is mild and does not have the tanginess of cream cheese. Just a thought.
You can try it if you want to. I have only ever made it per the recipe and I would never change it, but if you want you can experiment and see if it works.