Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Can’t decide between pecan pie and pumpkin pie? With a creamy, spiced pumpkin-pie custard topped with a crunchy pecan topping, this easy Pumpkin Pecan Pie is the best of both worlds! It’s easy to make and will steal the show at your holiday gatherings.

Recipe Refresh!

On October 14, 2026, I retested this pie after readers reported their pecans sinking to the bottom. The solution: Wait to add the pecan topping until partway through baking. By this point, the pumpkin filling is set enough that the pecans won’t sink!

Confession: I’ve never particularly cared for traditional pumpkin pie. (GASP!)

I adore pumpkin in baked goods, but IMHO, there are better pumpkin desserts out there (Pumpkin Sheet Cake anyone?).

My problem with most pumpkin pies is that the texture is a bit spongy, and the spices are lacking (I fixed both problems in this Vegan Pumpkin Pie, of course!).

It also tends to lack texture and crunch, a reason I’ve always preferred Bourbon Pecan Pie or even Pecan Pie Bars.

Still, something about Thanksgiving feels incomplete without a pumpkin dessert (and without pie). That’s where this recipe comes in!

About This Dreamy Pumpkin Pecan Pie

A super-spiced, pizzazz-packed pumpkin pie filling sweetened with maple syrup, and topped with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon-toasted pecans, this pumpkin pecan pie puts the classic Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe to shame.

• It takes all the best features of pumpkin pie and pecan pie and combines them into a single, dreamy slice.
• For the fans of pecan pie: you will love this recipe too. That crunchy, toasty, pecan pie topping is still intact and just as addictive as you’ve always known it to be.

Plus, this pumpkin praline pie is also ultra-easy to make, even for baking novices.

• The pumpkin filling instructions are only one step long (stir the ingredients together until smooth)
• The pecan layer is just as simple: toss the nuts with melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then sprinkle it on top partway through the baking time.

How to Make Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Key Ingredients

• Pecans. They add crunch and create a tasty fusion of two holiday-favorite pies. You can also use walnuts or a blend of walnuts and pecans.
• Dark Brown Sugar. Light brown sugar can also be used, but I love the bold, robust molasses flavor dark brown sugar lends the pecan filling.
• Pumpkin Puree. Make sure to grab a can of pure pumkpin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling. They are very different products and cannot be swapped interchangeably.
• Maple Syrup. The maple syrup gives the pie a richer flavor than the plain white sugar in the classic Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe. It’s also a
• Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half. Heavy cream will give you a slightly richer pie that slices more cleanly, but half-and-half works too. Do not use reduced-fat or fat-free.
• Eggs. Stabilizes the filling and gives the filling its rich, luscious texture.
• Cinnamon + Ginger. A classic pumpkin pie spice duo no pie should ever be without.
• Nutmeg. In lieu of traditional cloves, I swapped them for nutmeg, a trick I learned from my Grammy, who as you recall has been eating pumpkin pie for breakfast for the past 20 years.
• Pie Crust. I like to sneak in a few health points into this pie with this Darn Good Whole Wheat Pie Crust. Want all the fun, and less of the work? Check out my recipe for Crustless Pumpkin Pie.
• Whipped Cream. For topping. Add one dollop (or two). The limit does not exist when we’re talking about whipped cream on pumpkin pie.

The Directions

1. Make your pie crust (if using homemade).
2. Line a standard 9-inch pie dish with the prepared crust. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
3. Make the pecan topping and set aside.
4. Stir together the pumpkin filling until smooth and pour into the shell. Tap the pie on the counter to remove any air bubbles and shield the pie crust with foil or a pie shield.
5. Bake the pie, starting it for 10 minutes on the lower rack to help keep the crust from becoming soggy. At 35 minutes into the total bake time, add the pecan topping, then return the pie to the oven to continue baking until set.
6. While the pie cools, prepare a few decorative pie-crust leaves with the remaining pie dough, if desired.
7. Serve, garnished with pie crust leaves and dollops of whipped cream. ENJOY!

Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Pecan Pie

• To prevent the bottom of your pumpkin pie from getting soggy: Start the pie at a high temperature on the bottom rack of your oven (this sets and crisps the bottom crust), then a few minutes later, lower the oven temperature and move the pie to the center rack to finish baking completely.
• To prevent the pie crust from burning before the pie is finished baking: Shield the pie crust with foil or a pie crust guard as needed. I use and love this adjustable pie crust shield. It’s inexpensive, won’t smash your perfectly fluted crust, and can be customized to any size of pie.
• To prevent the pumpkin pie from cracking: Do not overbake! A cracked pumpkin pie is an over-baked pumpkin pie, every single time. (If you want to nerd out with me over some cool baking science, it’s because the eggs keep cooking after the pie is removed from the oven and crack the pie.)
• And less essential but fun: For pretty decorative pie crust leaves to decorate the top, roll out extra pie crust, cut it into leaves with leaf-shaped cookie cutters, then bake the leaves separately and place them on the top of the cooled pumpkin pie.

More Holiday-Worthy Pie Recipes

• Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
• Grammy’s Lemon Cream Pie
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Buttermilk Pie

Save SavedReview

4.2kPinterestFacebookEmail

4.2k

SHARES

Print

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

4.78 From 22 reviews . Help us out! Review HERE.Help out & review HERE

AUTHOR: Erin Clarke

---

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

---

Servings: 10 slices; 1 (9-inch) pie

Save SavedReview

4.2kPinterestFacebookEmail

4.2k

SHARES

Print

Add As A Trusted Google Source

A maple pumpkin pie filling with a buttery, cinnamon pecan pie topping, this pumpkin pecan pie recipe is the best of both worlds!

Email Me the Recipe!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email Address *

Recipe Title Recipe

Options

• Save to my free Well Plated recipe box

Hidden Username Field

Go

From time to time, we’ll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Pumpkin Filling:

• 1 pie crust, such as Whole Wheat Pie Crust  use a second crust if making decorative leaves
• 1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree (one 15-ounce can) not pumpkin pie filling
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half, at room temperature
• ¾ cup pure maple syrup at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon  freshly grated nutmeg  (it’s an amazing flavor upgrade to grate your own nutmeg. I use this zester to do it)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Pecan Topping:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup raw pecans roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar or light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Whipped cream optional, for serving

---

Instructions

 

SHOW IMAGES

• Place one rack in the bottom of your oven and one rack in the center. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Roll out the pie crust and fit into a 9-inch pie dish that is that is at least 1 1/4-inches deep. Crimp the edges, leaving the crimp tall. Place the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
• Make the pumpkin filling: In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, eggs, cream, maple syrup, melted butter, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until completely smooth.
• Make the pecan topping: In a medium bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined. Add the pecans then use a spoon to stir together. The mixture will be thick and sticky. Set aside.
• Remove the crust from the refrigerator and gently pour in the filling. Tap the pan firmly on the counter to release air bubbles. Wait 30 seconds, then tap again.
• Place the pie on the bottom rack and bake 15 minutes. This high-heat start crisps the bottom of the crust without the need to blind bake.
• Reduce the oven to 350°F and carefully move the pie to the center rack. Bake 25 minutes more. The filling should be set around the edges and still very soft in the middle.
• Remove the pie from the oven and scatter the pecan mixture over the top in small clumps, going all the way to the crust. Most of the surface of the pie will be covered. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the edges with strips of foil or a pie crust shield.
• Return to the oven and continue baking on the center rack for 15 to 25 minutes more, until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out moist but clean and the temperature reaches 175°F to 185°F. The cook time will vary based on the depth of your pie dish and how much heat was lost opening/closing the oven (as well as if you are baking at high altitude). Go based on the pie's appearance, the texture of the filling, and the internal temperature. When you jiggle it, the center should move like Jell-o but not slosh like a wave.
• Let the pie cool completely to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator before slicing and serving with whipped cream.

Notes

• **Recipe was retested and updated on 10.14.26, following reader comments that the pecans did not rise to the surface during baking. I scaled up the amount of pecan topping to ensure the pie has a full covering and add the topping partway through baking to keep it from sinking.**
• TO STORE: Baked pumpkin pie may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve chilled or let come to room temperature before serving.
• TO FREEZE: Wrap the baked pie tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of heavy-duty foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Note that the pie’s texture may start to change after the 2-3 week mark, however. Thaw overnight in the fridge prior to serving.
• To make decorative pie crust leaves like in the photos: Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Roll out a pie dough to ⅛ inch thick and cut out leaf shapes. Transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush lightly with eggwash (1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon milk or water), then draw veins with a thin, sharp knife. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool and arrange over the chilled pie.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 10) without whipped creamCalories: 396kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 276mgPotassium: 255mgFiber: 3gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 7241IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 2mg