3/24/24

Pecan Cobbler

An easy, homemade dessert recipe with a warm, gooey butterscotch/caramel sauce that’s baked-in under a pecan-studded cake layer as the cobbler bakes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1. JUMP TO THE RECIPE
  2. FAQ ABOUT PECAN COBBLER
  3. MORE PECAN DESSERT RECIPES TO TRY

Do you remember my recipe for Chocolate Cobbler?? I call it the “OG Molten Lava Cake” because that recipe has been producing cake with a baked-in hot chocolate sauce for decades. Before lava cakes made it cool.

I make it All. The. Time. because it’s so easy to throw together and the results are insanely decadent and delicious. Seriously, if I have half a carton of vanilla ice cream in the freezer that looks sad and lonely, I whip up that Chocolate Cobbler et voila, I’m a rockstar. 

I got to thinking about it the other day and wondered what other flavor cobbler I might be able to make with the same base recipe.

Pecan Cobbler! An easy, homemade dessert recipe with a warm, gooey butterscotch/caramel sauce that’s baked-in under a pecan-studded cake layer as the cobbler bakes.

I could try with fruit but part of what’s fun about the chocolate version is that it’s called cobbler but, unexpectedly, doesn’t have any fruit.

It’s really all about that sauce that bakes under the cake-like part and when I focused on that, I knew it would be easy to make a caramel/butterscotch version! Seriously, uuuggghhhhh, hot caramelly sauce with vanilla ice cream?? Yes, please!!

And it took me all of 3 seconds to decide to add pecans because those flavors just GO together!! 

Pecan Cobbler! An easy, homemade dessert recipe with a warm, gooey butterscotch/caramel sauce that’s baked-in under a pecan-studded cake layer as the cobbler bakes.

I’m using butterscotch and caramel interchangeably here but I really shouldn’t because the only difference in the two is that butterscotch is made with brown sugar and caramel is made with white sugar and I made this recipe with all brown sugar.

So, that would make this a butterscotch sauce but – and y’all be patient with me while I overthink everything – it tastes more like caramel to me.

You know what? Let’s all call it what we want and be happy because we get to eat some!

Pecan Cobbler! An easy, homemade dessert recipe with a warm, gooey butterscotch/caramel sauce that’s baked-in under a pecan-studded cake layer as the cobbler bakes.

INGREDIENTS FOR PECAN COBBLER

I separate the ingredients in the recipe card below to make it easier to follow but the base and the topping have a lot of the same ingredients.

And you probably already have everything you need to make this! Well, if you live anywhere from Texas east then up to North Carolina, you probably have pecans but the rest of y’all might not.

  • Brown sugar
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Milk
  • Vanilla extract
  • Butter
  • Pecans
  • Boiling water
Pecan Cobbler! An easy, homemade dessert recipe with a warm, gooey butterscotch/caramel sauce that’s baked-in under a pecan-studded cake layer as the cobbler bakes.

FAQ ABOUT PECAN COBBLER

Is this what’s called a hot water cobbler?  It surely is.

Can I substitute walnuts for pecans?  You surely can.

Can I omit the nuts altogether?  I haven’t tried it but I imagine it would be just fine.

Can I use self-rising flour instead of all-purpose?  Yes! Omit the baking powder and reduce the salt from 1/2 teaspoon to just a pinch (we need a fair amount of salt in this to bring out the flavor in the sauce).

Can I use unsalted butter?  Yes, but you’ll need to add a pinch of salt. See the note in parenthesis above.

Pecan Cobbler! An easy, homemade dessert recipe with a warm, gooey butterscotch/caramel sauce that’s baked-in under a pecan-studded cake layer as the cobbler bakes.

Can I add cinnamon?  You don’t need me for this one. You can add cinnamon to anything you want any time you want to. You do you, girl. Pumpkin Pie Spice, cinnamon and nutmeg would all be lovely in this – especially in the Fall!

Can I double the recipe?  Yes! If you do, bake in a 13x9 baking dish.

Can I make this the night before or ahead of when I want to serve it?  This is BEST when it's hot from the oven. Once the cobbler sets, the cake-like part will eventually absorb the syrup. It is still delicious but you won't have the gooey layer underneath.

Can I add fruit?  Probably. But I’m not sure what changes you’d need to make with the rest of the recipe to tell you exactly how. My guess would be to add canned pie filling to the dish before the batter, but you may need less water. If anyone tries, please comment below to let us know!

Pecan Cobbler! An easy, homemade dessert recipe with a warm, gooey butterscotch/caramel sauce that’s baked-in under a pecan-studded cake layer as the cobbler bakes.

MORE PECAN DESSERT RECIPES TO TRY

PECAN PIE CAKE - All the warm caramel and toasted pecan flavors of a pecan pie in a super simple snack cake made with just a few ingredients and NO cake mix. 

PECAN CREAM DEEP DISH PIE - Brown sugar swirled with warm melted butter then mixed with cream cheese, pecans and whipped topping. 

PECAN POUND CAKE WITH THE BEST PECAN CREAM FROSTING - A decadent Southern pound cake recipe made with sour cream and pecans topped with an ultra-creamy pecan-studded cream cheese frosting. 

EASY PECAN PIE BARS - All the fabulous flavor of pecan pie in a chewy, gooey bar recipe made easy with a cake mix base. 

CLASSIC PECAN PIE - A no-fail recipe for pecan pie with a smooth, caramelly filling studded with southern pecans perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner! 

Recipe for Pecan Cobbler

Pecan Cobbler

Pecan Cobbler
Yield: 9 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 50 Min
An easy, homemade dessert recipe with a warm, gooey butterscotch/caramel sauce that’s baked-in under a pecan-studded cake layer as the cobbler bakes.

Ingredients

Base:
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups chopped pecans
Topping:
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/4 cups boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the base:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ceramic or glass dishes don't need to be greased. If using a metal pan, spray with cooking spray.
  2. Combine brown sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl then mix well, breaking up any brown sugar lumps if necessary; set aside.
  3. Add milk, vanilla and melted butter to dry ingredients then mix by hand or with an electric mixer set on low until just combined and smooth.
  4. Spread mixture into a 2-quart baking dish then top with pecans.
Make the topping:
  1. Sprinkle brown sugar and salt evenly over pecans.
  2. Add vanilla to water then pour water slowly over brown sugar. Do not stir.
Bake:
  1. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until cobbler is nearly set in the middle and pecans are starting to brown.
  2. Cool 10 minutes then serve warm. Serve with vanilla ice cream for a special treat!

Notes

  • This is BEST when it's first cooked. Once it sets for a while, the cake will absorb the hot syrup.
  • Use light or dark brown sugar.
  • This cooks in a 2-quart dish. If you’re unsure which pan to use, you can pour 8 cups of water into one and see how it fits.
  • Any other questions are likely answered in the FAQ section above the recipe card.


pecan pie, pecans, cobbler, dessert, easy, sauce, syrup, sundae, caramel, butterscotch, best, gooey, lava, cake, molten, recipe, old fashioned, how to, hot water, boiling
dessert
american, southern
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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.

I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).

And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy