This easy pumpkin pecan pie is a perfect blend of two fall desserts. It's made with maple syrup, a splash of bourbon (or whiskey), and is easy to make ahead for later!
Do you prefer pumpkin pie or pecan pie?
Is the smooth and silky pumpkin pie your go-to fall dessert? Or is a rich, decadent pecan pie your favorite?
This pumpkin pecan pie is for people like myself who cannot decide between the two pies!
Plus, in my opinion, both pies get even better when combined.
The silky pumpkin pie now has a little texture from the pecans, and the sometimes overly rich pecan pie is lightened up a little by the pumpkin.
It's a win-win pie situation.
This pumpkin pecan pie is adapted from Dorie Greenspan's "twofer" pie in her book, Baking: From My Home To Yours.
My version of this pie is slightly boozier than Dorie's, and swaps her prefered liquor (rum) for mine (bourbon).
This pie is also less sweet than Dorie's.
Half as sweet, to be specific.
Want an all-pecan pie too? Try this chocolate bourbon pecan pie and this bourbon pecan pie.
Should I Use Canned Pumpkin Purée or Homemade for Pumpkin Pecan Pie?
Either!
Canned pumpkin works perfectly here, but if you want homemade, go for it!
If you want to make your own pumpkin pureé, try this roasted pumpkin pureé or this faster Instant Pot pumpkin pureé!
Can I Use Store-Bought Pie Dough?
Of course you can.
I did.
If you want to try making this pie completely from scratch, learn how to make the best pie crust from Nourish and Nestle.
Should I Blind Bake the Pie Dough?
Not for this pie.
Blind baking (cooking the pie dough BEFORE baking the pie) is a way to keep the crust from becoming soggy.
This pie uses an egg wash to help keep the inner crust crisp, and skips the blind bake.
Why?
Because each time I tried blind baking the pie crust for this pie, I had problems with the crust burning while baking.
And since the egg wash does a pretty decent job preventing a soggy pie bottom, I recommend skipping the blind bake.
How to Make a Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Start by pressing pie dough into a pan, and brushing the dough with an egg wash.
Put the pumpkin pie ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the the pie.
Next, sprinkle the pumpkin mixture with pecans.
You want to completely cover the pie with the chopped nuts.
Pour the pecan pie mixture over the pecans.
Use your finger to press down any pecans that aren't submerged.
Finally, bake until the pie crust is golden and the pie filling is evenly puffed up.
Take the pie out of the oven, and as it cools, the filling will settle.
I like to serve this pumpkin pecan pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but it would also be perfect with a dollop of whipped cream!
Want even more fall dessert ideas? Try making a cranberry tart, a vegan apple pie, and apple puff pastry tartlets!
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Equipment
- pie pan
Ingredients
- 1 9" pie dough
For Pumpkin Pie:
- 2 eggs, divided
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ ounces bourbon
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For Pecan Pie:
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- Center an oven rack, and preheat oven to 450°F.
- Press the pie dough into a pie pan, and place in the refrigerator.
Make the Pumpkin Pie Batter:
- Separate one of the eggs by dividing the egg yolk and white. Reserve the egg white, and add the egg yolk to a blender.
- Add the remaining pumpkin pie ingredients to the blender, and blend on high for about two minutes.Tap the blender basin against the counter to help get rid of air bubbles.
Prepare the Pecan Pie Filling:
- Whisk together all pecan pie filling ingredients except for the pecans.Tip: Make sure the butter is cooled before whisking, because hot butter could scramble the eggs.
Make the Pie:
- Remove the pie dough from the fridge.
- Add a splash of water to the reserved egg white, beat with a fork, and then brush the egg onto the pie dough.
- Slowly pour the pumpkin pie filling into the pie dough.
- Evenly scatter the pecans over the pumpkin filling.Tip: The amount of pecans you need will depend on how finely the nuts are chopped. Make sure the pumpkin batter is completely covered.
- Pour the pecan pie mixture over the pecans. Use your finger to push down any pecans that pop up above the batter. (If the pecans are not submerged, they could burn while the pie bakes.)
- Bake the pie for 10 minutes, and then lower the oven temperature to 300°F. Bake for another 35-45 minutes, until the pecan filling is evenly puffed and the crust is golden.
- Serve warm or cool.
- Make Ahead (Refrigerator): Loosely cover pie. Pie will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days (although the crust will soften the longer it sits).
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