Why you’ll love this family favorite dessert!
This is the dessert where you pour boiling water over the top of the batter and pecans and think there is absolutely no way this is going to work.
Then it bakes into three distinct layers – a gooey salted bourbon caramel at the bottom, a fluffy cake in the middle, and a crackly golden pecan crust on top. One pan. No pie crust. No corn syrup. And people at the table will ask how you made it.
The vanilla bean whipped cream on top is not optional.
Looking for more pecan recipes? Try pecan sticky buns, pumpkin pecan bars, or maple pecan cookies.
Love cobbler recipes? Try pumpkin snickerdoodle cobbler, gluten free peach cobbler, or paleo blueberry cobbler next.
Not Your Average Pecan Cobbler
Pecan pie is one of the best desserts to make for Thanksgiving. It’s wonderfully rich, gooey, and crunchy. But if you aren’t in the mood to make a pie crust, then you must make this pecan pie cobbler.
It has a gooey salted bourbon caramel base underneath a fluffy cake layer, and topped with a shiny, golden, crackly pecan top crust.
Unlike traditional cobblers or pecan pies, this dessert uses a unique hot water technique that forms the gooey caramel base and the crackly top—no pie crust or biscuit dough required.
The technique came from James Beard award-winning chef, Renee Erickson, in her book A Boat, A Whale, and A Walrus. She shared this original recipe for hot water peach cobbler and the internet (and cobblers) have never been the same.
How to Make Pecan Pie Cobbler
- Melt the butter in the bottom of a casserole dish, placing it in the oven to melt while it’s preheating. Then whisk in the bourbon and salt.
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk milk and vanilla into the dry ingredients. Drop small spoonfuls of the cake batter on top of the melted butter in the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the batter with pecans and cover them with brown sugar. Carefully pour very hot water evenly over the entire cobbler and do not stir.
- Place the baking pan on a large cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Let cool for 30-45 minutes.
- Whip heavy cream with vanilla beans and sugar. Scoop on top of cobbler and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Add chocolate chips to the cake batter mixture.
- Omit the bourbon and add rum or leave it out altogether.
- Add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the cake batter.
Expert Recipe Tips
A few things that make the difference:
- Weigh your flour or use the spoon-and-level method. Too much flour makes the cake layer dense instead of fluffy, and that middle layer is what makes this cobbler work.
- Use real butter, not margarine. The butter melts into the bottom of the pan and becomes part of the caramel base. The quality shows.
- Do not stir after adding the boiling water. I know it looks wrong. Pour it evenly over the top and walk away — the heat does the layering work for you.
- Give it the full cooling time. At least 20 to 30 minutes before serving. It sets as it cools and the layers firm up. Cutting into it too early means a liquidy pool at the bottom.
Need another great dessert with pecans? Try pecan sticky buns, pumpkin pecan bars, or paleo chocolate pecan pie.
FAQs
When you pour boiling water over the top of the batter and brown sugar, it drives the heavy pecan-sugar layer down and pushes the cake batter up. After baking, you get three distinct layers: gooey caramel at the bottom, fluffy cake in the middle, and crackly pecan crust on top. It comes from a James Beard award-winning recipe for hot water peach cobbler and it looks wrong every single time until it isn’t.
Cobbler and pie have some differences. Cobbler has a biscuit or cake-like topping dropped over the filling, and that topping is the defining texture. Pie is encased in pastry crust. This pecan pie cobbler splits the difference – it has pecan pie flavors but a cake-style base instead of pastry. No rolling, no crimping, no chilling pie dough.
It will look loose and jiggly in the center when you first pull it from the oven -that’s normal and expected. The cobbler sets up as it cools. Let it cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes before serving. If it’s still liquid after cooling completely, it needed a few more minutes in the oven.
Yes. The bourbon is optional. It adds depth to the caramel base but doesn’t define the recipe. Leave it out entirely, substitute dark rum, or swap it for a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Pecan pie filling is made of pecans, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and a touch of salt for a deliciously gooey and flavorful combination.
It’s best the day you make it – the crackly pecan top softens slightly as it sits. That said, it reheats well. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 250°F for 20 to 25 minutes or individual portions in the microwave for about 1 minute. Serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.
More of Our Favorite Desserts for the Holiday Season
Pecan Pie Cobbler with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
Pecan Pie Cobbler
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter sliced into chunks
- 1 1/3 cup (160g) all-purpose flour gluten-free if needed
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2/3 cup (157ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fleur de sel or flaky sea salt
- 1/4 cup (59ml) bourbon optional
- 1 cup (213g) light brown sugar packed
- 1 1/2 cups (188g) chopped pecans or pecan halves
- 1 1/2 cups (355ml) boiling water
- Homemade whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream for serving
Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean seeds removed 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract works
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a large-rimmed baking sheet aside.
- While the oven is preheating, place the butter in a 9×13-inch casserole dish and transfer the dish into the oven while it's preheating to melt the butter.1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- While it’s melting, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and baking powder. Whisk in the milk and vanilla until combined.1 1/3 cup (160g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2/3 cup (157ml) whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- When the butter is melted, carefully remove it from the oven and whisk the salt and optional bourbon into the butter. Drop small Tablespoonfuls of the batter evenly over the melted butter mixture. Do not mix.1 teaspoon fleur de sel or flaky sea salt, 1/4 cup (59ml) bourbon
- Sprinkle the pecans in an even layer over the batter then cover the pecans evenly with the brown sugar.1 1/2 cups (188g) chopped pecans or pecan halves, 1 cup (213g) light brown sugar
- Boil the water in a saucepan over medium-high heat or microwave on high for about 1 minute. Carefully pour the very hot water evenly over the cobbler. Do not stir.1 1/2 cups (355ml) boiling water
- Carefully place the baking dish on a large rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet and pecan pie cobbler to the preheated oven and bake for 30-35, or until the top is golden brown and looks dry and set.
- Cool on a wire rack for 30-45 minutes before serving.
- While it’s cooling, make the vanilla bean whipped cream. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, 3-4 minutes.Homemade whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream for serving, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 vanilla bean seeds removed
- Serve the pecan pie cobbler warm with whipped cream and optional vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Spoon and level the flour or weight your ingredients for best results.
- Use high-quality, real butter.
- Don’t skip the whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I halfed this recipe for an 8×8 baking dish and made it for Thanksgiving in lieu of pecan pie and it was DELICIOUS. Will definitely be saving and making again!
Thank you!!
absolutely worth a try! First I thought with the water and everything its not going to work out. But this was so much better than a pie. And easier, simpler – I reduced the brown sugar by half. Worked out perfectly (even poured it on top because I forgot to put it on the peacans).
Also a recipe that was already shared among my friends – and thanks for the metric measurements. This really helps here over the pond.
Thank you so much!!
Oh my! This is good! I didn’t have bourbon, but it is still delicious. I added an extra 5 minutes to my cook time to make sure the center was done. The top is crunchy and the bottom has a thick brown sugar glaze. I made this to serve for supper later tonight when we have company. I’m going to put it back in the warm oven while we eat dinner and then serve it with ice cream.
Thank you so much Susan!!
I can’t WAIT to try this! I’ll be 3x ing the recipe, should I increase the cook time?
I made this for a family get together- most are not pecan pie fans – but this was a huge hit!! Will be making it for thanksgiving this year!!
Love that!! Thank you!
The batter didn’t cook, like ever 🙁
Hey Nancy! Sounds like something went wrong here. I’ve made this several times without that happening. Can you share more about what you did so I can try to help?
Can you make this ahead of time?
Hello! The texture is best the day you make it, but you can cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven!
We cook for 2 (empty nesters) but when I checked the box for the half recipe it didn’t change recommended pan size. Molly, do you think 8×8 pan, or pie plate? Thanks
Hey Nancy! I’m going to talk with my tech team about the pan size—that’s great feedback! If you halve the recipe I would do an 8×8 pan. I would try baking for about 25 minutes. Keep an eye on it though because I haven’t tested this! Thanks!
This recipe is a keeper.
However you should know that pouring hot water over a batter to make cobbler is not a new technique. I’ve been doing it for decades. My grandmother and great grandmother always did it this way.
Thanks, Laurel! Love that they’ve been doing it this way. People get so nervous about it, but it always works!