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.

david caricature

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.

What You’ll Need to Make This

Ingredients for pumpkin pecan pie--crust, pumpkin, vanilla, pecans, sugar, eggs, butter, cream, corn syrup, and pumpkin pie spice.
  • 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.

How to Make This Recipe

A person whisking eggs in a bowl, then adding pumpkin and spices.
  1. To make the pumpkin filling, beat the egg in a medium bowl.
  2. Add the pumpkin, sugar, cream, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and salt.
A person whisking pie filling, and an unbaked pie shell with the filling added to it.
  1. Whisk the filling until smooth.
  2. Pour it into the pie shell and bake for 20 minutes.
Pecan topping for a pie. being whisked in a bowl then a person adding a pecan topping to a partially baked pie.
  1. To make the pecan topping, whisk the eggs and sugar together, then mix in the remaining ingredients.
  2. Gently pour or spoon the pecan filling over the partially baked pumpkin filling, then continue to bake until cooked through. Cool before serving.

FAQs

Can I make this pie ahead of time?

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.

Why do you say to use a lard and butter crust?

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.

How should I serve this pie?

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.

Helpful 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.
A slice of pumpkin pecan pie on a plate next to a pie plate filled with the remaining pie.

More Great Pie Recipes

Write a Review

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

A slice of pumpkin pecan pie on a plate with the remainder of the pie in the background.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

5 / 3 votes
This pumpkin pecan pie means no longer must you confront the eternal Thanksgiving dilemma of pumpkin pie or pecan pie. Thanks to its pecan topping, it’s two, two, two pies in one!
David Leite
CourseDessert
CuisineAmerican
Servings8 servings
Calories374 kcal
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients 

For the pie dough

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

  1. Protect the crust–If your pie crust is browning too quickly, cover it with a pie shield or a foil ring.
  2. 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.
  3. Make-ahead–Make the pie crust up to 3 months in advance and freeze it until ready to use. 
  4. Storage–The pie can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 pieceCalories: 374 kcalCarbohydrates: 43 gProtein: 5 gFat: 21 gSaturated Fat: 7 gMonounsaturated Fat: 9 gTrans Fat: 0.1 gCholesterol: 88 mgSodium: 195 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 31 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2017 David Leite. Photos © 2023 David Leite. All rights reserved.

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 or a slice of pecan. 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.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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.