No Bake Pecan Pie (The Easiest & Most Delicious Pie Ever!)
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No Bake Pecan Pie is a family favorite of ours. Actually, we enjoy all-things pecan! If you too love pecan pie but hate the wait and having to heat up your kitchen, then check out my No Bake Pecan Pie recipe. Guaranteed to satisfy, it’s a delicious dessert that combines the rich, nutty taste of pecans with a smooth, sweet filling. The crust is buttery and crumbly, offering a perfect contrast to the creamy filling inside.
No Bake Pecan Pie
Pecan Pie is by far one of my favorite treats. In fact, I’ve even construed what I consider to be the very best pecan pie I’ve ever tasted. If given the chance, I could easily eat my weight in those yummy pies.
Sometimes we get these cravings though, and we don’t want to wait too long to satisfy them.
And sometimes we get them, and it’s so darned hot outside we just don’t feel like heating up our kitchens with the oven. Living in the South during the summer brings the latter one my way quite often!
That’s just a couple of the reasons why you need a No Bake Pecan Pie in your life.
Yes, I said no bake – no turning on your oven…. nada.
I love no-bake recipes! If you do too, then be sure to check out my amazing No-bake Banana Pudding Cheescake recipe!
This one is so super simple and fast, you’ll be chomping down on pecan pie in no time. I will admit though, my best-ever pecan pie is still the best ever – but this no-bake version is still super darned delicious and will satisfy those pecan pie cravings in a jiffy.
Why You’ll Love No Bake Pecan Pie
- Perfect for Any Skill Level: This no-bake pecan pie is incredibly simple to make. You don’t need to be a kitchen expert to create this delicious dessert. With my straightforward instructions, anyone can make it!
- Saves Time: Since there’s no baking involved, you save a lot of time. There’s no need to preheat the oven or worry about baking times. It’s an excellent choice for when you need a quick dessert.
- Minimal Cleanup Required: This recipe requires very few dishes, making cleanup a breeze. You’ll spend less time washing up and more time enjoying this delicious pie!
- Rich and Satisfying Flavor: The combination of brown sugar, butter, and pecans creates a rich, caramel-like flavor that’s absolutely irresistible.
- Versatile for Any Occasion: Whether it’s a holiday gathering, a family dinner, or a special occasion, this no-bake pecan pie fits perfectly.
Other Delicious No-Bake Desserts
- Strawberry Pie
- No-Bake Apple Cream Pie
- Gingerbread Pie
- Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Dip
- Nanaimo Bars
- Butter Pecan Fudge
No Bake Pecan Pie Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this super-simple, no-bake pecan pie:
- Brown Sugar: This adds a rich, molasses-like sweetness to the pie.
- Cornstarch: It’s used to thicken the filling. Arrowroot powder can be used as a substitute if needed.
- Egg Yolks: These enrich the pie filling, making it creamy.
- Salt: Just a pinch to enhance all the flavors.
- Butter: It adds richness to the pie.
- Vanilla Extract: This enhances the overall flavor. Pure extract is best, but imitation vanilla can also work in a pinch.
- Chopped Pecans: These give texture and nutty flavor to the filling.
- Pecan Halves: Used for decorating the top of the pie. No real substitute here, as they are key for the classic pecan pie appearance.
- Premade Pie Crust: This makes the recipe no-bake and very convenient. You can make your own homeade pie crust if you prefer.
Note: You can save money by purchasing pecan halves and chopping the portion you need, instead of purchasing a bag of chopped pecans and a bag of pecan halves.
How to Make No Bake Pecan Pie
Prepare the mixture: Start by mixing cornstarch and brown sugar in a medium saucepan.
Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat together the egg yolks, water, and a pinch of salt.
Combine mixtures: Add the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan with the cornstarch mixture. Also, add the chopped pecans.
Cook the filling: Place the saucepan on medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. Let it boil for 1 minute, making sure to keep stirring.
Add final ingredients: Take the saucepan off the heat. Stir in the butter until it’s fully melted and mixed in. Then, mix in the vanilla extract and pecan halves.
Fill the pie shell: Pour the mixture into a premade pie shell. Make sure it’s spread evenly.
Chill the pie: Put the pie in the refrigerator. Let it chill for 30 minutes before serving.
How to Store No Bake Pecan Pie
It’s unlikley that this pecan pie will be around for long, but if you DO have leftovers, you should store them in the refrigerator, of course.
Wrap the pie tightly using plastic wrap or place in an airtight contaner. Store for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months by wrapping it tightly in plastic and placing in a freezer safe bag.
No Bake Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1-1/4 cup water
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 premade pie crust such as shortbread, graham cracker, or Oreo
Instructions
- Start by mixing cornstarch and brown sugar in a medium saucepan.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the egg yolks, water, and a pinch of salt.
- Add the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan with the cornstarch mixture. Also, add the chopped pecans.
- Place the saucepan on medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. Let it boil for 1 minute, making sure to keep stirring.
- Take the saucepan off the heat. Stir in the butter until it's fully melted and mixed in. Then, mix in the vanilla extract and pecan halves.
- Pour the mixture into a premade pie shell. Make sure it's spread evenly.
- Put the pie in the refrigerator. Let it chill for 30 minutes before serving.
OMGoodness! This is a life changer. *pinned*
Hello – Did you make the No Bake Pecan Pie? Do you have any suggestions or comments on texture, taste etc? The pictures make me think of ‘pecan pie pudding’? But I really want to make this for Thanksgiving. Thank you, Michelle in Maine 11/15/18
Any dessert that allows me to leave the oven off is a winner in my book
You are my hero! 😉 Can’t wait to try this pie!
Aw, shucks 😉 Thanks!
Sooo goood, sooo easy.
I made this pie. I suggest adding an extra 1/2 of all the ingredients (3 eggs instead of 2, etc.), so a regular graham cracker crust will be full. Also, we like lots of nuts and the taste of the baked, carmelized pecans on the top of the baked versions, so I used 2 cups chopped/whole pecans in the recipe, and browned an additional cup of whole pecans in a small fry pan, with a big pad of butter adding a 1/4 cup brown sugar at the end -let caramelize, then pour onto a flat surface to cool (separate them, so they wont stick together). After pouring pie mixture into the crust, arrange them in circles on top, starting with the outer edges, working in.]
So glad I found this…I added a little more water and some maple syrup…I wanted to use it as a topping for plain cheesecake…it turned out amazing…
I love that idea! So glad you loved it 🙂
I wonder how this would work for cashews or walnuts?????????? I think I might have to try it unless someone else has and it isn’t that good.
I don’t know about cashews, but walnuts work great.
I love pecan pie, but this was WAY better.
love it……..this was exactly what I needed….. I’ve used it twice now, the second time I altered it slightly with the addition of a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg, and some maple syrup (1/4C) in place of some of the water. For what I call Maple Nut Cheesecake. The base layer is a simple cheesecake of 1 pack of cream cheese, 4 egg yokes, half a cup of sugar, some vanilla, and some lemon juice. Placed in a crushed pecan pie crust (Walmart, I hate to confess). Bits of crystal ginger sprinkled throughout. It was “baked” at 150F in my dehydrator for 6 hours, then chilled, and the maple nut topping put over the top. The crushed pecan crust was the reason for the low bake. 150F will kill everything, and it is high enough to make egg yokes set decently (look at sous vide temps)….. and was as high as I could go with my LEM dehydrator. My oven will not create uniform enough temps this low. The cheesecake was covered during baking.
It came out to die for…… with a tangy cheesecake base, with a sweet nutty topping, and small explosions of ginger flavor throughout the cheesecake from the crystal ginger….. Everybody loved it.
This is a great recipe….. I used it as a topping for a sous vide cheesecake. I use a sous vide creme brulee recipe with a percentage of cream cheese in it, cooked in half pint canning jars on a graham cracker crumb base…. the result was great. This was the second iteration, and I substituted 2T of lemon juice for some of the water to give the topping a nice tang….
I’ve enjoyed this, and done variations on it. Probably the most unique variant was yesterday. I used white sugar (xylitol actually), and in place of the liquid, I used a can of frozen concentrate apple juice, and left out the egg yokes, and used cinnamon and some cayenne. The result was as dark as the original in color. The flavor was intensely apple…. Imagine biting into what you expect to be pecan pie, and encountering the intense tangyness. It was a total winner for a Thanksgiving pie… everybody loved it. A true “plate licker”
I have never really cared for pecan pie.
BUT….
MY HUSBAND LOVES IT.
He says its not as super sweet as a regular pecan pie, and its made without corn syrup, which is a big plus because my husband hates it in a pecan pie.
I made it with a homemade shortbread crust.
THANK YOU FOR A RECIPE I CAN PLEASE MY HUSBAND WITH.
Do you have to keep in Refrigerate
You don’t have to but it will last twice as long refrigerated.