Our Family Pecan Recipes

Our family pecan recipes span across many generations. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Pecan Classics

If you’ve never tried homemade toasted pecans, get ready to meet your new favorite snack. They’re easy to make, hard to share, and impossible to forget.

Nana Law’s Sweet Potato Soufflé
Ingredients
  • 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 lightly beaten eggs
  • 1/3 stick of margarine melted
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Directions: Mix all together and put in greased dish and cover with topping.

Topping Ingredients
  • 1/3 stick margarine
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions: Mix all together until crumbly and sprinkle on top covering the soufflé. Bake 35 minutes on 350 degrees.
Marilyn’s Toasted Pecans
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 tbs butter per 2 cups pecans
Directions: Bake desired amount of pecans in a single or double layer at 300-325 degrees for 12 minutes. Stir and bake 8-10 more minutes. Continue stirring and bake in 5 minute increments. Once they are toasted to the brownness you desire, remove from oven. Stir in butter, salt, a sprinkle of sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Cool and enjoy.

Pecan Candies

From stovetop stirring to sticky fingers, these recipes bring back the magic of old-fashioned candy-making. Perfect for gift-giving or treating yourself, these pecan-packed confections are timeless classics.

Gaga’s Pecan Clusters
Ingredients
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbs white karo syrup
Directions: Cook these together for 5 minutes.
Add:
  • 1 tbs butter or margarine
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups pecans (halves)
Directions: Cool slightly. Drop clusters by teaspoon on a greased platter or parchment or wax paper.
Mildred’s Pecan Clusters
Ingredients
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 6 ounces butterscotch chips
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
Directions: Melt peanut butter, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until well blended. Add pecans and stir until well coated. Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper and chill until set.
Gaga’s Candied Pecans
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 cups pecan halves
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp water
Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, beat egg white, vanilla, and water until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine. Add pecans to the egg white mixture and gently toss to coat. Add the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Stir gently until coated. Spread pecans in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet.
Mimi’s Chocolate Candy
Ingredients
  • 1 quart toasted, salted pecans
  • 1 block almond bark, dark chocolate
Directions: Melt almond bark as directed on package. Add pecans and stir until well coated. Drop by tsp on waxed paper very quickly so that the chocolate will not harden. Let stand until firm.
Martha Washington Candy
Ingredients
  • 1 can eagle brand milk
  • 1 quart pecans, chopped
  • 2 cups coconut
  • 1 pkg bitter chocolate
  • 2 boxes powdered sugar
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 block paraffin
  • Pinch of salt
Directions: Melt chocolate and parraffin in boiler and keep warm. Mix other ingredients and make balls and dip into chocolate mix. Place on wax paper. Serve when set.
Mimi’s Divinity
Ingredients
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup karo syrup
  • 2 egg whites
  • 3 tbs sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
Directions: Mix sugar, water, and karo syrup together in boiler and heat to a boil on medium. Cook until syrup forms a soft ball in cold water. While syrup is cooking, beat egg whites and 3 tbs sugar in a bowl until stiff. Pour syrup mixture in three parts into the bowl with egg whites and beat after each addition. Let the syrup mixture come to a boil after each pouring. Add vanilla flavoring after all syrup mixture is added and beat. Add pecans and stir with a spoon until mixture begins to stiffen enough to rake off spoon and set.
Mimi’s Date Nut Balls
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks oleo
  • 2 (8 oz) boxes chopped dates
  • 2 cups brown sugar (dark)
  • 1 small can coconut
  • 4 cups rice Krispies
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
Directions: Combine in sauce pan and stir until mixture boils. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Cool to luke warm. Add rice Krispies and chopped pecans. Mix well. Roll into small balls then coat them in powdered sugar.

Breads, Cakes, & Pies

Hearty, homey, and full of flavor, these breads, cakes, and pies are baked to be shared. Whether it’s for Sunday supper or a holiday gathering, they bring a little extra warmth to every occasion.

Franklin Pecan Cake
Ingredients
  • 1 pound butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 4 cups plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 to 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 to 1 pound candied cherries
  • 1/2 to 1 pound candied pineapple
  • 1 pound pecans
  • 1/4 tsp salt
Directions: Cream butter and sugar with beaten eggs. Add 3 cups of flour that has been sifted with baking powder and salt. Mix remaining cup of flour with fruit, pecans, and vanilla. Stir into batter (do not mix). Pour into a tube pan that has been greased well and floured. Bake at 250 degrees for 3 hours. Cool in pan.
Dawn’s Banana Bread
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups self rising flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 mashed bananas
  • 1 stick melted butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 eggs
Directions: Mix together and bake in a bread pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Icing Options
Banana Spread
  • 1/2 banana mashed
  • 1/2 box powdered sugar
Plain Icing
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 tsp milk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
Directions: Mix icing together and pour over hot bread.
Mini Pecan Pies
Ingredients
  • 3 ounce cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup flour
Directions: Mix and chill. Roll into 1 inch balls and shape into small cup pans.

Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Directions: Mix all 5 ingredients together. Put 1 tsp of the mixture into each crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-35 minutes.

Recipe makes 2 dozen.

Cookies & Bars

Cookies are the heart of any family kitchen. Whether soft, chewy, or crunchy, these recipes blend buttery sweetness with the satisfying crunch of pecans.

Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 2 eggs
  • 2.5 cups self-rising flour
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 2-4 tsp lemon extract
Directions: Blend shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Add dry ingredients and blend well. Add flavoring and pecans. Divide dough in thirds. Make into rolls and wrap in wax paper. Chill until firm. Slice cookies ¼ inch thick. Bake on a greased baking sheet or lined with parchment paper at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Recipe makes 8 dozen cookies.
Nana Marchant’s Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
Directions: Mix all ingredients together and roll by hand into small balls. Place on baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Roll in powdered sugar while hot and repeat when cool. Recipe makes 3 dozen.
Gran’s Dishpan Cookies
Ingredients
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 cups cooking oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups self rising flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups quick oats
  • 4 cups corn flakes
  • 1 cup pecan pieces
Optional ingredients: peanut butter, chocolate chips, coconut

Directions: In a large bowl, mix sugars and cooking oil. Mix well and add eggs and vanilla. Mix well and add flour, soda, oats, corn flakes and any option ingredients added. Mix well. Drop by teaspoon and bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Mimi’s Pecan Nut Bars
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks oleo
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg separated
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 tsp vanilla
Directions: Cream sugar and oleo, add egg yolk. Mix well and add flour and vanilla. Beat egg white until foamy. Spread dough into pan. Spread top of dough with egg white. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and press down. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. When cool, cut into bars.