Joanna Gaines' Pecan Pie Recipe Has An Unexpectedly Spicy Ingredient

Is there anything Chip and Joanna Gaines can't do? In recent years, HGTV's favorite power couple has branched out from their home remodeling business and television hit "Fixer Upper" to create a business and media empire under their Magnolia umbrella.

Their endeavors have included, of course, the newly launched Magnolia Network, which streams on Discovery+ and features original shows focused on lifestyle topics such as home, design, food, and gardening. And there's their line of products for Target stores as well as various boutique retail businesses in their hometown of Waco, Texas (all of them decked out in the Gaines' signature modern farmhouse style). That includes Magnolia Market, where the couple sells their signature line of home décor items, Magnolia Press coffee house, a pastry shop called Silos Baking Company, and a full-service restaurant called Magnolia Table (via Vox).

So with a bakery and a cooking network all her own, it's not surprising that Joanna Gaines has some ideas about baking. One of them is a very Texan upgrade on the traditional pecan pie – perfect for spicing things up this fall.

Like her design aesthetic, Joanna Gaines' recipes are often updates on classics. The "Fixer Upper" star, bake shop owner, media mogul, and host of "Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines" on the Magnolia Network recently revealed a spicy new take on a Southern classic: the pecan pie.

The Texas native puts a Tex-Mex twist on the traditional dessert by adding ancho chile powder to a standard recipe for this sweet, nutty dessert. According to Bon Appétit, ancho chile powder is different from regular chili powder in that the former is made from the sweetest dried ground peppers. Chili powder, on the other hand, is a blend of ground chilies and other spices. 

The recipe is featured in Gaines' 2018 book, "Magnolia Table" (via My Recipes). Not surprisingly, sweet and spicy flavors complement each other and add dimension to this very sweet dessert. In the book, Gaines writes: "I'm not saying traditional pecan pie needs improving, but adding a bit of ground ancho chile creates a sweet-and-heat pairing that sends this pie into another stratosphere."

It doesn't take much of the ancho chile powder to complement the sugary flavors in the pie's filling. Gaines adds just two teaspoons while whisking together the brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, eggs, and cinnamon before the pecans are added.

We're excited to try this Texas take on a Southern classic that will add a nice touch to an upcoming fall feast.