21 Pecan Pie-Inspired Recipes That Will Convince You to Break Up with Your Pie Tin

Pecan pie lovers skeptical of changing their favorite holiday dessert should default to this popular variation. This recipe changes more of the shape than style of the classic Thanksgiving pie.

Get the recipe from The Live-In Kitchen.

Flaky, buttery puff pasty is the perfect swap-in for dense crust for those who find it heavy and distracting from the filling. We love that the blogger behind this gooey recipe swaps the traditional sweet syrup made with white sugar for dark corn syrup to stay true to the Southern staple.

Get the recipe from Crazy for Crust.

Enjoy the rich taste of pecan pie in a lighter form: popcorn. The pie lends itself particularly well to this new format; the final product is like caramel corn, but even better (and with a bonus addition of protein from the pecans).

Get the recipe from Taste and Tell.

This isn’t any ordinary pound cake with chopped pecans mixed in. The whole cake is infused with the richness you look for in the pie thanks to Caramel Bits, chewy bites of caramel that get gooey once they’re warm. Genius!

Get the recipe from Call Me PMc.

OK, we’re cheating a little with this one. You do need a piece of pecan pie to blend up one of these creamy drinks, but we think it’s more than worth including for transforming this holiday treat into a dreamy spiked sip.

Get the recipe from Floating Kitchen.

Waiting until after dinner to enjoy your dessert is just tortuous, which is why this recipe has us swooning. Unlike the pie on which they're based, these buns can be enjoyed first thing in the morning. Gooey caramel and pecans meld perfectly with warm, flaky cinnamon rolls; a drizzle of classic icing ties the flavors of both dishes together in one harmonious hybrid.

Get the recipe from The Southern Bite.

Cheesecake is a dessert chameleon; it can blend seamlessly with a whole range of sweet desserts without becoming cloying thanks to its signature tangy flavor. We think you’ll agree that pecan pie was a natural extension of its range after just one bite.

Get the recipe from Spicy Southern Kitchen.

The talented blogger behind this drool-worthy breakfast dials back the signature sweetness of pecan pie to make it a just-sweet-enough start to your morning. It’s the perfect dish to brighten up those dark winter days.

Get the recipe from House of Yumm.

Treat yourself to a three-bite version of your favorite pie anytime you’d like with this genius recipe. Vanilla wafers are ground up with the pecan filling for the sweet, crumbly taste of crust without any rolling or kneading.

Get the recipe from Shugary Sweets.

These cupcakes are for the hard-core pecan pie lovers. They’re not only packed with a generous dose of pecan pie filling but also doused in butter pecan frosting, a pairing so perfect you’ll wonder why no one thought of it before.

Get the recipe from Half Baked Harvest.

If you take the very center of a pecan pie and up the fudge factor by ten, you would have this sweet holiday treat--almost. The sugar savant behind this recipe adds a crust for that true-to-the-original touch that takes this recipe over the top.

Get the recipe from Crazy for Crust.

Instead of mixing two delicious desserts together, this crafty blogger topped classic brownies with pecan pie filling for a layered dessert that lets each shine. You won’t ever find us arguing with adding chocolate to a dessert recipe.

Get the recipe from Just a Taste.

If you’re up for trying your hand at making this uber-trendy treat at home, shoot for the moon. This deliciously decadent version combines two fall classics--apple cider and pecan pie--before topping the whole thing liberally with caramel.

Get the recipe from Half Baked Harvest.

Even pecan pie detractors will be swayed by this light, airy reinterpretation. The dense filling of the Thanksgiving dessert is loosely translated into cakey muffins with just enough caramel flavor and crunch from chopped nuts.

Get the recipe from Love Grows Wild.

It’s hard to make custard sauce better, but this blogger manages to do it with a generous brown sugar-butter-pecan topping. The sugar caramelizes in the oven, lending this dish an irresistible crunch that will have you stealing the edge pieces.

Get the recipe from Call Me PMc.

This is your excuse to eat pecan pie a la mode for breakfast. Well, almost. Layer this pecan- and brown sugar-spiked granola with plain or vanilla yogurt for a dreamy dessert-like breakfast that no one can judge you for eating in the AM.

Get the recipe from House of Yumm.

These aren’t your average caramel apples. The coating for these beauties is made with dark brown sugar and dark corn syrup for a deeper flavor than caramel sauce made with white sugar. Toasted chopped pecans are the perfect finishing touch.

Get the recipe from About.com.

Turn your pie-loving ways into a healthy habit with these gluten-free snacks, which are sweetened with mostly dates and just a touch of maple syrup. Even better, they come together with just five ingredients and 15 minutes.

Get the recipe from Gluten-Free Vegan Pantry.

These pancakes are about as far from actual cake as you could get. Packed with vanilla protein powder and muscle-building Greek yogurt, they’ll actually fill you up even though they taste like the traditional Southern pie.

Get the recipe from Jar of Lemons.

Don’t let the departure from the classic pie form fool you; this cake packs just as much gooeyness as any pecan pie thanks to the custard filling. A generous dose of bourbon makes this one dessert you won’t soon forget.

Get the recipe from Half Baked Harvest.

Keep this cake bookmarked for your pecan pie-loving friend’s birthday. It’s sure to come in handy. This iced layer cake, which is spiked with warming spices like ginger and nutmeg, is hiding a syrupy layer of pecan pie filling in place of extra frosting.

Get the recipe from Shugary Sweets.