Pecans are one of my favorite nuts and pecan pie is definitely a holiday classic, but even though I enjoy a slice from time to time, pecan pie tends to be a little too gooey and a little too rich much of the time – especially after a big meal. If you like a less gooey dessert, as I do with pecan pie, you might want to try a pecan tart instead. With the tart, you get the crunch of the nuts along with just the right amount of sticky, caramely filling in each slice.
Many versions of pecan pie use corn syrup as a sweetener and as the base for their filling. I’m not a big fan of this approach (corn syrup has a place, but not in my pies), so starting last year I set out to experiment with some different sweeteners in pecan pie. For instance, last year I made a Maple Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving. The flavor combination was great, but there are plenty of other options for sweets that go with pecans, so I ended up making a Honey Pecan Tart this time around.
The tart is a lot like a pecan pie, with a generous base of pecans. Honey is naturally very sweet, so I used roasted and salted pecans for this pie and the flavor balance turned out to be absolutely perfect. There is some additional sugar in the filling, as well as some eggs, butter and a little bit of flour to bind everything together. The tart bakes and cools more quickly than a regular pecan pie and can be made a day or two in advance. It has a wonderfully sticky consistency when it is served, but that is balanced with the nuts on top of the pie and the just-crisp crust below it.
I used a shortbread crumb crust for this tart, but graham crackers would work just as well and you can also choose to use a different tart crust entirely if you want to use something other than a crumb crust. Browned Butter Tart Dough would be a great choice.
Honey Pecan Tart
1 9 or 10-inch tart crust (recipe below)
2 cups roasted, salted pecan halves
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375F.
Spread roasted, salted pecan halves in an even layer in the prebaked tart shell.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, honey, eggs and melted butter until very smooth. Add in flour and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Pour over pecans.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until tart is set and dark golden brown.
Cool completely before slicing
Serves 10-12
Shortbread Crumb Crust
1 1/3 cups shortbread cookie crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine ingredients and stir well until mixture resembles wet sand.
Pour into 9-inch tart pan and press into a firm, even layer over the base and sides. Make sure to press the crumbs firmly up into the ridges of the tart pan.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until browned.
Cool completely before using.
Makes 1 crust.
lululu
November 23, 2009Besides the lightness of the tart, I think I also adore the shortbread crust! Light and crisp is my kind of sweet!
Ciaochowlinda
November 23, 2009This looks way way better than pecan pie.
Kitchen Corner
November 23, 2009I like pecan too! This looks really good and I would love to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
Tyy @ Hot Gifts This Year
November 23, 2009Wow!!! I just found your website and I think I’m in love. I love pecans and this recipe looks out of this world. I will definitely be trying this one.
I can’t wait to look through the rest of your recipes and see what I can find. As I am looking down the category bar my mouth is watering looking at some of the items on there.
Thank you so much for sharing these recipes with us.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Tyy
vera
November 23, 2009Great pie!wow!
marina mott
November 24, 2009I need a piece of this pie!!! Looks fenomenal!
Leigh Ann
November 24, 2009This looks fantastic! I like pecan pie, but it tends to be WAY too sweet for me. This looks perfect. Thanks for this!
Linda
November 24, 2009Pecans are definitely my favorite too for baking and eating. This tart looks wonderful. I’m in the process of moving and miss my kitchen being set up and ready to go. Should be by Thanksgiving! Thanks for another great recipe!
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November 25, 2009It looks tasty! I need to try it…
Ling Ling
November 28, 2009I made this for Thanksgiving. A friend said she could taste the natural-ness of the pie, which made it even better. Thank you for sharing this!
Rachel
November 29, 2009I made this for Thanksgiving and my family absolutely inhaled it. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
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May 15, 2010Honey is naturally very sweet, so I used roasted and salted pecans for this pie and the flavor balance turned out to be absolutely perfect.