Thanksgiving Pies: Easy Butter Pecan Cream Pie Recipe with Cream Cheese
I knew I was a huge fan of pecan pie but butter pecan cream pie with cream cheese?? Well, this pie has my whole heart. There are so many things to love about the cream pie. The fact that is full of buttered pecans ranks right up there with the pie being totally no bake. I can’t quite describe how impressive it is to make a pie without turning on the oven. It is something that takes you to superhero status!!
Do you love pecans? Try this Pecan Pie Cobbler recipe!!
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No Bake Butter Pecan Cream Pie
When you are going to make an over the top dessert but also make it super simple there are few things to do. First of all, you need to find ways to make it impressive.
Adding easy homemade buttered pecans to the cream cheese filling was the perfect way to do that. The salty pecans with the sweetened filling is magical.
Pecan Cream Pie Ingredients
- Buttered Pecans-toasted with salt, they are a wonderful addition.
- Pre-made Graham Cracker Crust-so easy to use and also really delicious. You could always bake a refrigerated pie crust or make a homemade graham cracker crust.
- Brown Sugar-the deep flavor of brown sugar sweetens the filling nicely and goes perfectly with the pecans.
- Honey-added for a bit more sweetness. Maple syrup would be a good alternative.
- Whipped Topping-used in the filling and on top of the pie.
How to make Easy Butter Pecans
Before we can go any further we need to make the buttered pecans for this Butter Pecan Cream Pie. They are ready in just a few simple steps.
Add the pecans to a bowl with melted butter and salt. Stir them until all of the pecans are evenly coated. Spread the pecans onto a baking sheet that is lined with a silicone mat {or parchment}.
Bake them in a preheated 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until you can start to smell the pecans toasting. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool before adding them to any recipe. See my full post here.
How to make No Bake Buttered Pecan Cream Pie
- Take the plastic off of the top of your pre-made graham cracker crust. Place the crust {in the foil pan} and place it into a pie plate.
- Combine the softened cream cheese, brown sugar and honey in a medium bowl. Use a hand held mixer to cream together the ingredients until smooth and incorporated.
- Add whipped topping to cream cheese mixture and fold into it gently.
- Grab your buttered pecans.
- Chop them into small bite sized pieces. Keep 12 whole for the top.
- Add the chopped pecans to the filling and fold them in until they are evenly distributed.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust and spread into an even layer.
- Take additional whipped topping and pipe around the edge of the pie. Top with whole pecans and additional chopped pecans.
Expert Tips for making this Easy Pecan Pie
- Take the help and use a pre-made pie crust. If you place it in a nice pie plate it will make it not only look better but also give it some great support.
- Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. If you try to use cream cheese that isn’t soft enough your filling won’t be smooth.
- Don’t skip making the Buttered Pecans. It is a bit of a step but it is totally worth it. The toasted and salty flavor it adds is amazing.
- This Easy Pecan Pie is a great recipe to add to your Thanksgiving menu because you can make it ahead.
Frequently asked Questions:
Do I have to use Buttered Pecans?
No but I highly suggest it. If you don’t have time to make them then just use chopped pecans for the filling. The pie will still be delicious.
Can I make this Pecan Pie ahead of time?
Yes! In fact, this pie is a great dessert to make ahead of time for Thanksgiving. This Butter Pecan Cream Pie can be made a couple of days in advance and refrigerated.
Does this Buttered Pecan Cream Pie have to be refrigerated?
Yes, this pie has a dairy base {that includes cream cheese} and so it needs to be refrigerated. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can this pie be frozen?
Yes. This pie can be frozen for up to 3 months. Prepare the pie up to adding the toppings, cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze.
To defrost Butter Pecan Cream Pie, refrigerate for a couple of hours. Add the additional whipped topping, pecans and serve.
Do you love pecans? Try these recipes…
- Easy Pecan Pie Cobbler
- Pecan Upside Down Bundt Cake
- Easy Pecan Shortbread Bars
- Pecan Sandie Truffles
- Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns
- Pecan Pie Cookie Bites
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Butter Pecan Cream Pie with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 premade graham cracker crust
- 2-8 ounce packages cream cheese {softened}
- ¾ cup brown sugar {packed}
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 ½ cups buttered pecans {finely chopped}
- 1-8 ounce container whipped topping
Toppings
- 1 cup whipped topping
- 12 whole butter pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons butter pecans {finely chopped}
Instructions
- Remove the plastic insert from the ready made crust and place the crust {including the foil liner} into a pie plate for serving.
Butter Pecan Filling
- Combine softened cream cheese, brown sugar and honey in a medium bowl. Mix together with a handheld mixer until smooth. Add 8 ounce tub of whipped topping and fold into the cream cheese mixture gently {being sure to not deflate the whipped topping}. Add the chopped buttered pecans {see link in notes on how to make them} to the filling and fold until they are evenly distributed.
Assembly
- Pour the filling into the prepared pre-made pie crust and spread out into an even layer. Put additional whipped topping into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a ring around the outside of the pie. Top with whole buttered pecans and sprinkle with chopped buttered pecans.
Notes
- To make buttered pecans {see this post}: Add 1 pound of pecan halves to a medium bowl with 1/4 cup melted butter and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Mix until all of the pecan halves are coated. Transfer the pecans to a lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until you can start to smell the pecans toasting. Allow the pecans to cool before chopping and adding to this pie filling.
I love your recipes but why can’t I print them out so I can keep them in my recipe folder?
Thank you. You should be able to to go into the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Under the photo in the recipe there is the printing icon, if you click it then it will take you to another page where at the top you click print. Please let me know if this doesn’t work. 🙂