Bake or Break
New to BAKE or BREAK? Start Here!

Pecan Pie Crisp

If your favorite part of pecan pie is the filling, then Pecan Pie Crisp will be your new favorite dessert! - Bake or Break

Pecan Pie Crisp takes that amazing pecan pie filling and turns it into a simple crisp with a sweet, buttery topping!

Confession time. When I was a child, I didn’t like pie crust all that much. (I know, I know.) Most times when I ate pie, I just ate the filling. And one of my favorite fillings was pecan pie. It was just so gooey and absolutely irresistible.

If you’ve ever been tempted just to eat pecan pie filling, then you’re going to adore this Pecan Pie Crisp. Imagine a baking dish full of that sweet, nutty, gooey filling topped with a buttery crisp topping. Who’s ready to grab a spoon?

Pecan Pie Crisp

Of course, now I am all on board with pie crust, but I still love this Pecan Pie Crisp that focuses on that wonderful filling. If you’ve made pecan pie before, then this filling will likely seem very familiar to you. I don’t use corn syrup often, but I like to use it for pecan pies. If you don’t have easy access to corn syrup or just prefer not to use it, I’d suggest trying golden syrup or agave syrup. If you don’t mind maple flavor, then maple syrup will usually work, too.

I love how simple it is to put this crisp together. The inevitable time comparison is to measure the time investment here versus a traditional pecan pie. If you’ve made pecan pie, you’ll appreciate how quickly the filling mixes. Now just imagine skipping the pie crust effort in favor of a simple crisp topping.

This is a great recipe for anyone who either isn’t comfortable making pie crust or just wants to streamline the baking process a bit. I do love homemade pecan pie, but this crisp is wonderfully delicious in its own right. After all, it’s 95% filling, and I’m 100% okay with that.

Visit the Recipe Index for more pecan recipes!

More Pecan Pie Desserts (That Aren’t Pie!)

Pecan Pie Crisp

Yield 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

If your favorite part of pecan pie is the filling, then Pecan Pie Crisp will be your new favorite dessert!

If your favorite part of pecan pie is the filling, then Pecan Pie Crisp will be your new favorite dessert! - Bake or Break

Ingredients

For the topping:

  • 3/4 cup (90g)  all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (50g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup (30g) chopped pecans

For the filling:

  • 2 to 2 & 1/2 cups (about 225-250g) pecan halves**
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup (240ml) light corn syrup
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

To make the topping:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch baking dish or skillet.*
  2. Stir together the flour, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Add the butter and pecans, and mix until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

To make the filling:

  1. Place the pecan halves in the bottom of the prepared pan.
  2. Place the eggs in a medium bowl, and whisk them lightly. Add the corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt, and which until combined. Pour over the pecans in the pan.
  3. Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the top of the filling.
  4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and set. Be sure not to overbake. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

*If you use a 9-inch pan, you'll likely need to add about 5 minutes to the baking time to allow the slightly thicker filling to set.

**The original recipe has 2 cups. But I found that when I added them to the pan, I wanted a few more to fill out the bottom a bit more thoroughly.

Recipe slightly adapted from Taste of the South.

Show off your baking masterpiece!

Snap a pic, tag @bakeorbreak, and use #bakeorbreak on Instagram. Can't wait to see your creation!

Share this:

    10 Comments on “Pecan Pie Crisp”

  1. YESSSS! I didn’t like crust as a kid either (because it was the crappy storebought crust). I love that you made pecan pie in crisp form-it looks like total perfection!

  2. Hi! I made this last Saturday! I had a couple of friends coming over for dinner and we had this with ice cream. Jesus, our sugar cravings were fully satisfied 🙂

    Thanks! 🙂 greetings from Portugal!

  3. Is there anything I can use in place if cornsyrup, such as maple syrup… Unable to buy, so need a substitute. Love the idea of a pecan pie crisp…

    • Hi, Sue. I’ve never tried it, but I have a friend who uses maple syrup in place of corn syrup in her pecan pie. She really likes it. You could also try agave syrup or golden syrup if either of those is available.

  4. My crisp was runny.  I baked it for 30 minutes.  It sat for 20 minutes and I scooped a small corner to look inside and it was runny.  I then let it sit overnight.  Was I supposed to put in fridge?  Is it supposed to be thick like the pie filling? I was disappointed.  If it is supposed to be a little runny, then I gues I will make it again one day.    

    • Hi, Lezlie. You can tell the consistency from the photos above. If you didn’t change anything at all about the recipe (including the pan size), then I’d recommend checking the accuracy of your oven’s temperature with an oven thermometer.

  5. Can this dessert be frozen after making it?

  6. Made it this morning. Hope it’s good. Made it for brunch for a special friend it’s her Birthday.

  7. I made this today because I had made to much pecan pie filling for my two crusts.
    I did not follow the recipe to a “T” since my filling was already made. I also halved the recipe to suit my needs.
    This is a very clever concept and I thank you for sharing so that I didn’t have to waste the remainders.
    It turned out basically like upside down pecan pie, just less crusty I guess. I thought that the bottom part got a little too tough though, almost like it wanted to turn into candy.
    My husband ate the whole thing though so I guess it’s a winner lol.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *