45 Recipes For National Pecan Month

Welcome to April, which not only is the month when spring tends to begin to blossom and the Easter bunny often comes, but it's also National Pecan Month! If you're a pecan fan and choose to celebrate, you're in luck because we certainly celebrate this fun month around here. We have put together quite the list of pecan recipes sure to delight not only you, but also your friends and family. Some are perfect for an Easter appetizer spread, others for a dessert, and some — especially our praline candies — are ideal for saving for yourself when you are craving a quick, sweet treat.

Are these recipes pecan your interest? Pun totally intended — we've got something for everyone here, from a traditional pecan pie to pecan-crusted cheese balls to salads laden with pecans to even a whole trout covered in pecan butter. Dare we say they're recipes you'll go nutty for?

First up on our list of recipes for National Pecan Month, we've got a praline sweet potato recipe that will blow your mind. We know sweet potatoes are a superfood and are filled with nutrients including various vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but when combined with a sweet pecan-based praline topping, this dish is certainly a hit. Recipe developer Kristen Carli shows you how to prep the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle on the homemade praline topping before baking.

Recipe: Praline Sweet Potatoes

Not up for making an entire pecan pie? Never fear, you don't need to with this pecan pie bar recipe from recipe developer Kristen Carli. These bars are chock full of not only plenty of pecans, but also "all kinds of sweet, buttery goodness." Carli walks you through how to make the crust in a food processor then spreads it across the bottom of a baking pan, showing you how to chill the crust before baking it. Then you'll make the pecan mixture to top the crust with. Delectable!

Recipe: Quick Easy Pecan Pie Bar

This old-fashioned orange slice cake is a hit with recipe developer Kristen Carli's grandmother, so you know it has to be good. Carli explains that an orange slice cake is a "fruit cake with orange slice candies" with a consistency similar to that of a scone. The cake is super simple to make; you just mix together all the ingredients — including two cups of chopped pecans — in a bowl, then pour into cake pans. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Orange Slice Cake

Recipe developer Kristen Carli likens this creamy grape salad to a yogurt parfait, noting it's great for breakfast, although you can certainly enjoy it any time of day. The creamy base is made from cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. You'll stir in both green and red grapes and chopped pecans. If you want to embellish your grape salad, consider adding more fruits like strawberries, blueberries, or apples, or more nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pistachios.

Recipe: 10-Minute Creamy Grape Salad

Recipe developer Kate Shungu is into fishing around for old-fashioned recipes and then bringing new life to them with creative tweaks, and this recipe for cherry pecan bread pudding certainly fits that bill. This dessert features dried cherries and salted pecans with a caramel sauce drizzled on top. No matter what type of bread you choose for this bread pudding — Shungu recommends Italian or French bread because its fluffiness will better soak up the egg and milk — be sure that it is stale. The bread pudding will need to bake for 50 to 55 minutes.

Recipe: Cherry Pecan Bread Pudding

April may not exactly be the month you're thinking about your beloved pumpkin spice, which is usually reserved for the fall season, but there's no reason you can't enjoy its goodness all year round. Enter this pumpkin spice-baked French toast, which combines the flavors of pumpkin with cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple. There are quite a few ingredients involved in this recipe, but it's fairly simple to assemble. You'll top the French toast with a homemade pecan streusel.

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Baked French Toast

You may not think of carrot cake and cinnamon rolls coming together, but trust us, they're an awesome combination. Recipe developer Autumn LeAnn shows you how to make the cinnamon roll dough. The filling is made from butter, brown sugar, carrots, pineapple, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Once you roll the dough with the filling inside, you'll prepare the sweet frosting to be put on top after your carrot cake cinnamon rolls are baked.

Recipe: Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn calls this layered blueberry delight, "totally decadent," and we couldn't agree more, especially with its topping of Cool Whip sprinkled with chopped pecans for a bit of crunch. The best part is that it's fairly simple to make and you don't need to heat up your oven because the blueberry delight chills in the fridge. The other layers include a graham cracker and pecan crust, a sweetened cream cheese and Cool Whip layer, and blueberry pie filling.

Recipe: Luscious Layered Blueberry Delight

These cinnamon glazed pecans are great for a snack when you're looking for something on the sweeter side. Recipe developer Hayley MacLean says you should use a certain variety of pecans for this recipe: unroasted, unsalted ones, which she says will yield the freshest taste. MacLean walks you through making the pecan glaze filled with cinnamon, salt, and sugar, which are adhered to the pecans by a mixture of egg whites and vanilla extract. Bake these babies up for one hour and you're ready to dig in.

Recipe: Easy Cinnamon Glazed Pecans

Recipe developer Catherine Brookes loves this Saltine cracker toffee and says it's "super fun to make." Brookes shows you how to prepare the seemingly difficult and intimidating toffee, reassuring home cooks it's not hard to make as long as you stay near the stove and keep stirring while preparing it. You'll also have to be sure to pour the toffee mixture and melted chocolate in even layers over the Saltines. After they come out of the oven, sprinkle the chopped pecans on top before chilling.

Recipe: Saltine Cracker Toffee

Recipe developer Ting Dalton says this coconut muesli is "crunchy, sweet, and full of great coconut flavor." She loves enjoying it for breakfast with some yogurt. You'll need lots of yummy ingredients to execute this recipe including honey, apple sauce, coconut chips, dates, dried apricots, chopped pecans and a mixture of seeds like pumpkin and chia. Not unlike making a cake, you'll mix the wet and dry ingredients separately before combining and baking. Sprinkle the apricots on top and you're ready to enjoy!

Recipe: Coconut Muesli

A chocolate cake is pretty darn delicious, but a chocolate cake recipe with homemade pecan pralines inside takes it to a whole new level. Recipe developer Kristen Carli shows you how to make "the perfect pralines" and how to mix together the chocolatey cake batter and make the whipped cream frosting. After assembling the finished product, sprinkle some chocolate chips across the top of the cake before serving to the most deserving of your friends and family.

Recipe: Chocolate Praline Layer Cake

If you're a fan of Wendy's apple pecan salad, you no longer have to wait in long drive-thru lines to pick up one of your favorite foods. Recipe developer Susan Olayinka put together a copycat recipe that you can recreate at home. The salad mixes together romaine lettuce and mixed greens, red and green apples, toasted pecans, bleu cheese, dried cranberries, and chicken while dressed in a pomegranate vinaigrette. If you plan on incorporating this salad into a full meal, Olayinka recommends serving it as a side with sweet potatoes or rice.

Recipe: Wendy's Apple Pecan Salad Copycat

To make the batter for these classic deluxe Toll House chocolate chip cookies, you'll certainly need traditional cookie ingredients like flour and sugar, but you'll also mix in Toll House semi-sweet mini chocolate chips and toasted pecans. Recipe developer Jessica Morone says, "I just love the way the brown butter goes with the toasted pecans," making this type of nut the ideal choice for these cookies. Keep the finished cookies on hand for a snack, after lunch treat, or anytime you're craving something sweet.

Recipe: Deluxe Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

This bread pudding with a base made from cubed bread and croissants also contains pumpkin puree, pie spice, and bourbon for a splash of flavor. And, bonus, you'll also make a caramel sauce with pecans in it to drizzle over the finished pumpkin bread pudding in plenty once you've baked it. While this recipe requires quite a few ingredients, it's easy to put together and prep will only take you ten minutes while the dish will spend 50 minutes in the oven.

Recipe: Pumpkin Bread Pudding With Caramel Sauce

Baklava is a popular dish in Greece and Turkey, but that doesn't mean it can't be perfected on this side of the Atlantic. Here, recipe developer Erin Johnson shows you how to assemble the baklava, layering the filling, which includes chopped pecans, between layers of phyllo dough. Be patient; the baklava will take about 45 minutes to put together, then requires an hour in the oven. Once finished, you'll pour a delightfully sweet honey syrup over the top and slice the baklava into triangles.

Recipe: Baklava

These chocolate candies are made from a mix of pecan "turtle legs" topped with homemade caramel sauce and melted chocolate. What could be more fun and delicious? Recipe developer Kristen Carli shows you how to make the caramel from scratch then assemble the "turtles" on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet before letting them set. After just half an hour, you're ready to enjoy. But be warned: these caramel turtles are easy to continuously pop into your mouth one after the other!

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Caramel Turtles

Everyone at a party loves a cheese ball, and this creative take on the appetizer from recipe developer Erin Johnson is like no other complete with cranberries, orange juice, and pecans. What's even better is that you can make this cranberry orange cheese ball up to two days before your party, so you'll have less to do the day-of. Johnson walks you through how to mix together the cream cheese-based cheese ball then roll it in a coating of orange zest, chopped cranberries, chopped pecans, and fresh parsley.

Recipe: Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball

You'll need a whopping 19 ingredients for this fruit cake recipe, including fruits like raisins, apricots, cranberries, figs, cherries, and prunes, but don't let that deter you from trying out this fun recipe from recipe developer Kristen Carli. You'll also need a myriad other ingredients including dark rum and, of course, pecans for added crunch and flavor. Carli shows you how to make the "fruit soak," then one day later, you'll put together the batter and assemble the bread before baking.

Recipe: Fruit Cake

For this German chocolate cake recipe, recipe developer Tara Rylie walks you through not only how to make a decadent chocolate cake, but also how to stuff it with a coconut-pecan filling, make the chocolate fudge frosting, and how to perfectly toast the pecans. Rylie offers advice when making the cake itself: you need to be sure to add the ingredients in the correct order, so be sure to follow the instructions to a T.

Recipe: German Chocolate Cake

You need not be attending a Mexican wedding to make or enjoy these Mexican wedding cookies, as they're delicious when served for any occasion — or just on a normal Tuesday! The "buttery and nutty batter" — the latter thanks to toasted pecans — makes up the cookie balls themselves, then you'll roll the baked cookies in powdered sugar for some more bonus sweetness. Recipe developer Catherine Brookes says that while these cookies are scrumptious on their own, she likes to dip them in tea, coffee, or milk.

Recipe: Melt-In-Your-Mouth Mexican Wedding Cookies

The addition of cranberries and pecans to this turkey salad makes it "sweet, savory, and tangy all at once." Sounds like our kind of turkey salad! Recipe developer Erin Johnson likes serving it on its own atop lettuce for a delectable salad or on a croissant as a sandwich. In addition to shredded turkey, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans, you'll also add in green onions and grapes while making a dressing of mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice.

Recipe: Turkey Salad With Cranberries and Pecans

Recipe developer Stephanie Rapone notes pralines can be hard to find in stores, so luckily, she's come up with a homemade recipe so you can make and enjoy them anytime you want. This candy is a "sweet and salty snack" that will only take you 20 minutes to make from start to finish. The pecans also add the perfect amount of satisfying crunch. Rapone shows you how to put together the praline mixture and scoop it onto a lined baking sheet to set. Serve with coffee on their own or crumble on ice cream for a unique topping.

Recipe: Sweet And Crunchy Pralines

Recipe developer Jennine Bryant got creative when coming up with this whole-roasted rainbow trout recipe, calling the finished product "a showstopper dish," claiming the pecan butter you'll pour over the top takes it to a whole new level. Bryant shows you how to gut the fish and stuff it with lemon slices, garlic, and herbs before popping it in the oven for about 20 minutes. Bryant says you should pair this fish dish with something light like a salad or roasted mixed vegetables.

Recipe: Whole-Roasted Rainbow Trout

You don't have to be a cowboy to love these cookies from recipe developer Stephanie Rapone, but we bet even if you are a cowboy, you'll love them too. Rapone uses walnuts in this version of the cookie, but you can easily substitute pecans, as First Lady Laura Bush did when she entered her recipe in Family Circle magazine's First-Lady bake-off (via Southern Living). In addition to nuts, Rapone also adds in plenty of oats, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips into the batter.

Recipe: Cowboy Cookie

We all find ourselves craving fudge around the holidays, but with this Christmas fudge recipe, you'll find yourself craving it all year round, including in April. Recipe developer Susan Olayinka put together this toffee fudge recipe that's chock full of pecans and features Christmas sprinkles on top, although you could use any kind or color of sprinkles you'd like. Olayinka shows you how to melt together the ingredients before whisking it into a fudge, pouring it into a baking pan, and letting it harden. "It's a must-try!" she says.

Recipe: Christmas Fudge

Here recipe developer Mark Beahm puts together a carrot cake recipe that's sure to delight and includes a great crunchy ingredient in the mix: pecans! Beahm walks you through how to prepare and assemble the three-layer cake, including the homemade cream cheese frosting, which he says is way better than if you use a store-bought frosting. If desired, once completed, sprinkle the top of the cake with more pecans for a decorative and tasty touch.

Recipe: Carrot Cake

This old-fashioned pecan coffee ring recipe from recipe developer Angela Latimer has three parts. First, you'll make the sweet dough, then the pecan filling, and finally the icing to drizzle over the top of the finished product. Worry not, it won't take you too long to prep this recipe, only about 20 minutes total, and Latimer shows you in detail how to execute each step. Serve with tea or coffee or as part of your brunch spread.

Recipe: Old Fashioned Pecan Coffee Ring

Recipe developer Jessica Morone says this classic Mississippi mud cake is an easy one to make, and it sure is darn tasty. As with most cakes, first you'll mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine them before baking. Then you'll add a gooey layer of marshmallow fluff and make the chocolate frosting. Spread the frosting over the layer of fluff, then be sure to add some pecans on top before chilling and serving.

Recipe: Classic Mississippi Mud Cake

Oatmeal cookies are great on their own, but when you add in orange, cranberry, and pecans, they're even better. Recipe developer Mark Beahm says the "contrast between the tart cranberries and the sweetness from the brown sugar" is interesting, and the added crunch of the pecans is a bonus. The oats make these a "heartier cookie," perfect to enjoy on their own or with a glass of milk. Beahm shows you how to mix together the batter and how to form the dough into perfect balls before baking.

Recipe: Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies

This pumpkin cheesecake recipe may look intimidating at first glance with its many required ingredients and number of execution steps, but don't let that deter you from giving it a shot. The rewards are well worth the effort! Recipe developer Tara Rylie walks you through each step from making graham cracker crust to making the cheesecake filling to letting the cake set. Top with homemade whipped cream and toasted or candied pecans for a little added pizzazz.

Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Skip the line at Panera Bread and make this Fuji apple salad copycat in the comfort of your own home. Recipe developer Kristen Carli tells you what ingredients you'll need to pick up from the grocery store, including a rotisserie chicken if you're not looking to cook a whole chicken just to make one salad, and, of course, pecans. The dressing is simple to make with just five ingredients: olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, horseradish mustard, and honey. Whisk them together in a bowl before dressing the salad.

Recipe: Panera Bread Fuji Apple Salad Copycat

It's always a great idea to have something sweet on hand for when your sweet tooth gets a craving, and these candied pecans are the perfect snack for those moments, as they satisfy with sugar, but still provide the health benefits of pecans. Recipe developer Nathaniel Lee shows you how to make the sugar and spice coating and then toss your pecans in it before spreading them on a baking sheet and popping them in the oven.

Recipe: Candied Pecan

Recipe developer Mikayla Marin put together this easy caramel pecan sticky buns recipe that will take you only 40 minutes to make, thanks to the fact that you'll start with some pre-made pizza dough and don't have to make the dough from scratch. Marin shows you how to make the sweet caramel pecan sauce for the sticky buns then how to roll them up with the cinnamon filling before baking in the sauce. Flip the pan when these babies come out of the oven and you'll have breakfast perfection.

Recipe: Easy Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

It's that time of year again when the Easter bunny comes hopping down the bunny trail, and with him lots of friends and family expecting you to feed them with an Easter feast. While you're preparing the ham, keep them full and busy with this awesome pecan-laden cheese ball appetizer. Recipe developer Autumn LeAnn shows you how to make the cream cheese and sour cream-based cheese ball, mix in some cheddar and Colby Jack cheeses, then roll it in toasted pecans before serving with crudité or crackers.

Recipe: Easter Cheese Ball

This chocolatey Texas sheet cake is massive — just like the state of Texas itself — so be sure you'll have plenty of guests over when you make this cake to help you eat it. Recipe developer Jessica Morone walks you through how to make the cake itself, then the rich chocolate frosting, on top of which you'll sprinkle some crunchy chopped pecans. It's as easy as that! If you're looking for serving suggestions, Morone likes pairing this Texas sheet cake with ice cream or a glass of milk.

Recipe: Chocolatey Texas Sheet Cake

Recipe developer Kristen Carli loves making this sweet potato casserole for her friends and family on holidays, but it will also suffice any night of the week you're looking for a filling, delicious dinner. The casserole consists of two layers, the bottom one with the sweet potato mixed with brown sugar and butter and the top a streusel made from pecans and sugar. Pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes and when "the top is golden brown and bubbly," it's done!

Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole

Recipe developer Erin Johnson put together this cookie recipe to complement one of her favorite ice cream flavors: butter pecan, of course! Turns out others love butter pecan ice cream, too. This recipe yields "a thin and chewy cookie," making them easy to snack on, and they totally get bonus points for being easy to make. Johnson shows you how to roast the pecans with some butter before mixing them into the cookie batter and scooping the finished dough onto baking sheets before putting them in the oven. Press an extra one — or two — pecans into the top of the cookie for a tasty garnish.

Recipe: Butter Pecan Cookies

Perhaps you've noted that pumpkin flavor complements many different ingredients ranging from apples to caramel to sage, but we think you'll certainly like this combo: pumpkin and pecans. Plus, when you combine these two ingredients to make a cupcake, there's nothing not to like. Recipe developer Molly Allen walks you through how to prepare the cupcake batter — including when to mix in the pumpkin and chopped pecans — as well as how to make the cream cheese frosting.

Recipe: Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes

If you don't have time to head down to the local Trader Joe's to snag some of its classic chicken salad you've been craving for lunch, never fear; you can now make a Trader Joe's chicken salad copycat in your own kitchen. Recipe developer Lindsay D. Mattison did some detective work and put together this excellent copycat recipe made from chicken, celery, dried cranberries, and pecans. The dressing is a work of art in its own right, containing mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, and salt and pepper.

Recipe: Trader Joe's Copycat Chicken Salad

Maybe you're intimidated by the thought of making toffee, which can be notoriously difficult and time consuming. Wash those worries away, because with the help of recipe developer Tara Rylie, we've come up with a chocolate toffee bar recipe that isn't too difficult and can be put together in just 40 minutes — including bake time! You'll sprinkle toasted, chopped pecans over the chocolate layer to add some extra texture. This recipe yields 16 bars, but you may find yourself making more once you see how tasty they are.

Recipe: Homemade Chocolate Toffee Bars

Recipe developer Ting Dalton has reinvented this classic southern cake with a sock-it-to-make cake recipe sure to knock your socks off. Dalton shows you how to make the cake batter from scratch, including a DIY self-rising flour. You'll also make a streusel filling of chopped pecans, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. You'll assemble the batter and the filling in a bundt cake pan for a fun shape, then make the sugary glaze while the cake bakes and cools.

Recipe: Sock-It-To-Me Cake

Recipe developer Erin Johnson loves the combination of bourbon and pecans, so she came up with this bourbon pecan praline recipe to share her affinity for the two flavors with us. To prepare, first you'll combine the sugar and dairy ingredients, being sure to cook the mixture at the right temperature. Next, add in the bourbon and pecans, then carefully put single spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You'll let your pralines cool and then it's time to enjoy.

Recipe: Bourbon Pecan Praline

This is another cheese ball that's great for an appetizer as it's full of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and pepper Jack cheese as well as spices, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. After forming the base of the cheese ball, you roll it in a mixture of parsley and pecans. Recipe developer Erin Johnson recommends serving this classic cheese ball with some buttery crackers, as a topping on burgers, or even including some in your mac and cheese for an interesting upgrade.

Recipe: Classic Cheese Ball

Last, but certainly not least, we have perhaps the big kahuna of all pecan recipes: the pecan pie. Here, recipe developer Laura Sampson shows you how to make a beautiful pecan pie that "look[s] fancy and even store-bought." It's perfect for serving to your friends and family, but we won't fault you if you save this decadent pie all for yourself. Prep for this pecan pie is easy thanks to a store-bought pie crust, and Sampson walks you through how to make the pecan filling.

Recipe: Easy Pecan Pie