Candied Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Guest Post by Tina Hsu

Not one for baking or eating pumpkin pie, Tina created this recipe for her husband. After carefully researching existing recipes, including the one printed right on the pumpkin can, she came up with an easy-to-make version that combines a graham cracker crust, a nicely balanced bite from traditional fall spices and a sugary crunch from candied nuts. This very special recipe was a Washington Post winner in a 2008 pie contest! Read the full article here.

2 large eggs
1 – 16 oz. can 100% pumpkin puree
1 – 12 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
9-inch graham cracker pie shell
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the oven rack in the middle position.
Whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree and condensed milk in a medium bowl. Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine, then pour the mixture into the pie shell. Place it on a baking sheet (see tips) and bake for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the melted butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add the pecan and stir until they are evenly coated. Remove the pie from the oven, then arrange the sugared pecans in a circular pattern over the top of the pie. Crumble any leftover sugar mixture over the nuts, then return the pie to the oven to bake for another 30 minutes. The pie is done when a cake tester comes out clean.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Quick Tips
1. The topping can bubble up and drip, so use a baking sheet or foil underneath the pie plate to catch spills.
2. Tina uses a ready made pie shell, but you can also make your own graham cracker crust if you prefer.
3. This recipe can be easily doubled. You can use the large (29 oz.) can of pumpkin puree, but you will have a bit more filling than needed for two pies. Tina’s solution is to buy mini graham cracker crusts and make smaller pies for the little ones. They love it! To fill the mini shells, you may need to skim a little from the two bigger pies but no one will notice. Be sure to watch them closely in the oven because they don’t take as long to bake as the bigger pies.
About the Guest Author

Tina is surprised that her holiday creation has landed her a Weekly Greens guest post! She loves to cook, but never seems to have enough time for it. With three little kids at home, meals tend towards the simple, one-pot variety, with an emphasis on Asian cuisine. She’s working on developing the kids’ taste for spicy foods. Tina was lucky to live around the corner from Alicia’s kitchen for many years, but now lives in Bethesda, Md. with her family.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

2 responses to “Candied Pecan Pumpkin Pie”

Tina Hsu says:

November 18, 2011 at 3:34 pm

Thanks, Alicia! Oh, and you are so much healthier than I am — when I make this pie, the entire top is covered in pecans and smothered with the brown sugar-butter mixture (which is why I have to put the pan under it, because carmelized sugar inevitably dribbles off the pie). Your picture shows a lot more restraint.

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Connie says:

November 23, 2011 at 8:40 pm

Your weekly newsletter is just so wonderful that I look forward to receiving it, and this is a first for me since I cannot say that about any other newsletter or weekly email I get or have gotten in the past. The pictures are mouthwateringly beautiful, and your writing is just so down to earth that I immediately liked you! I am really glad that someone shared this with me and I have been sharing it with my friends and family. Thank you for sharing yourself and your recipes with us.

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2 responses to “Candied Pecan Pumpkin Pie”

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