Pecan Pie Truffles That Taste Like Holidays on Repeat

Forget everything you know about dessert timelines—these Pecan Pie Truffles take 20 minutes to prep and taste like you slow-cooked your Southern heritage. They’re bite-sized, freezer-friendly, and suspiciously luxurious for something made in a food processor.

No blind-baking, no corn syrup drama, and zero soggy crust anxiety. If you can roll a ball and melt chocolate, you can flex this at any gathering and look like you own a patisserie.

Ready to upgrade “bring a dessert” to “become a legend”?

Why This Recipe Works

• All the pecan pie flavor, none of the fuss: Toasted pecans, brown sugar, vanilla, and a touch of maple recreate classic pie filling without baking.
• Perfect texture: The filling is chewy-meets-fudgy, wrapped in a crisp chocolate shell for the ultimate bite contrast.
• Make-ahead friendly: The centers chill fast and the truffles keep beautifully in the fridge or freezer.
• Customizable sweetness: Dark, milk, or white chocolate all work—choose your vibe.
• Better ingredients, better flavor: Real maple syrup and sea salt add depth, not sugar shock.

Servings, Prep Time, Cooking Time, Calories

• Servings: 24 truffles
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Chill Time: 30–40 minutes
• Cooking Time: 5 minutes (to toast pecans and melt chocolate)
• Estimated Calories: ~140 per truffle (will vary by chocolate)

What Goes Into This Recipe – Ingredients

• 2 cups toasted pecan halves (measure after toasting, cooled)
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (or vanilla wafer crumbs)
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional but recommended)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream (or coconut cream for dairy-free)
• 12 ounces chocolate for coating (dark, milk, or white; chips or bars)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or cocoa butter (to thin chocolate; optional)
• Flaky sea salt and/or crushed pecans for garnish

Making This Recipe

1. Toast the pecans: Add pecans to a dry skillet over medium heat for 4–6 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and lightly darkened. Cool completely so they don’t melt the filling.
2. Pulse the dry base: In a food processor, pulse cooled pecans, graham crumbs, brown sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon until finely ground with some texture—think coarse sand with tiny pebbles.
3. Add flavor and binders: Add vanilla and maple syrup.

   Pulse to combine. Stream in cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds together when pressed but isn’t wet or sticky.

4. Roll the centers: Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling (a small cookie scoop helps).

   Roll into compact balls and place on a parchment-lined sheet. You should get ~24.

5. Chill: Refrigerate 20–30 minutes to firm up.

   If you’re impatient, 10 minutes in the freezer works.

6. Melt the chocolate: Microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between, until smooth. Add coconut oil if you want a thinner, shinier dip.

   Alternatively, melt over a double boiler.

7. Dip like a pro: Use a fork or dipping tool to dunk each ball in chocolate, tap off excess on the bowl edge, and return to parchment.
8. Finish and set: Immediately sprinkle with flaky salt or crushed pecans before the coating sets. Chill 10–15 minutes until firm.
9. Serve or stash: Eat now (no judgment) or store as directed below.

   They taste even better on day two when flavors marry.

Tips for Storing & Reheating

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container up to 10 days. Separate layers with parchment to prevent sticking.
• Freezer: Freeze up to 2 months.

  Thaw 10–15 minutes at room temp for the best texture.

• Reheating: It’s candy, not casserole—no reheating needed. If chocolate blooms from temp swings, it’s still safe to eat, just less glossy.
• Travel tip: Keep chilled until serving; they soften at warm room temps, especially with milk or white chocolate.

Better-for-You Benefits

• Pecan power: Pecans bring heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, magnesium, and fiber—satiety that actually tastes like dessert.
• Controlled sweetness: Brown sugar plus maple means big flavor with less overall sugar than syrupy pies.
• Gluten-flexible: Swap gluten-free graham crumbs to make these celiac-friendly without losing texture.
• Dairy-free option: Use coconut cream and dairy-free chocolate; nobody will notice except your stomach (in a good way).

Nutrition Stats

Per truffle (estimate, based on 24 truffles with dark chocolate): 140 calories; 2 g protein; 10 g fat (3.5 g sat); 12 g carbs; 2 g fiber; 9 g sugars; 45 mg sodium.

Values vary by chocolate type and exact coating thickness, FYI.

Don’t Make These Errors

• Over-processing the pecans: Stop before it turns into pecan butter. You want fine crumbs with a little bite.
• Skipping the chill: Warm centers will fall off your fork in the chocolate like a tragic dessert swan dive.
• Thick chocolate coats: If the chocolate clings like a winter sweater, thin with a bit of coconut oil and tap off the excess.
• Using hot nuts or hot chocolate: Heat melts the filling and ruins the shell.

  Cool is king.

• Forgetting salt: A pinch of flaky sea salt makes flavors pop. Don’t deny your taste buds their spotlight moment.

Variations You Can Try

• Bourbon Pecan Pie Truffles: Replace 1 tablespoon cream with 1 tablespoon bourbon; add a pinch of orange zest.
• Salted Caramel Core: Press a soft caramel square half into each ball, seal, then coat in dark chocolate.
• Maple White Chocolate: Use white chocolate coating and add 1/4 teaspoon maple extract to the filling for big brunch energy.
• Spiced Holiday: Add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and a pinch of clove; finish with crushed candied pecans.
• Dairy-Free Crunch: Use dairy-free dark chocolate and roll just-dipped truffles in toasted coconut flakes.
• Espresso Edge: Mix 1 teaspoon instant espresso into the melted chocolate for a mocha shell.

  Caffeinated dessert? Yes.

FAQ

Can I make these without a food processor?

Yes.

Chop toasted pecans very finely with a sharp knife, then use a rolling pin to crush further between parchment sheets. Mix everything by hand.

It’s more effort, but totally doable.

My filling is too dry and crumbly—what now?

Add cream 1 teaspoon at a time and pulse or stir until it holds together when pressed. Humidity and nut freshness vary, so your mileage will too.

How do I keep the chocolate from cracking?

Make sure the centers are chilled but not frozen solid when dipping, and let the chocolate set at cool room temp before moving to the fridge.

Extreme temp swings = cracks.

Can I use pecan pieces instead of halves?

Absolutely. Pieces toast faster—just watch closely to avoid burning.

Measure after toasting.

Is corn syrup required for “pecan pie” flavor?

Nope. Maple syrup plus brown sugar mimic the toffee-caramel notes without heavy corn syrup.

If you love that classic gloss, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup in the coating can add shine, but it’s optional.

What chocolate is best?

Dark chocolate (60–70%) balances sweetness and pecan richness. Milk chocolate skews sweeter; white chocolate is dessert-first and pairs well with extra salt or espresso powder.

Can I gift these?

Yes—box them in mini cups and keep chilled until go-time.

Include a “refrigerate” note and consume within 7–10 days for peak texture.

To Sum It Up

Pecan Pie Truffles deliver all the cozy, caramel-pecan magic of the holiday classic in a no-bake, make-ahead, poppable format. They’re fast, flexible, and ridiculously good—like “hide a secret stash” good.

Keep them simple, dress them up with bourbon or caramel, or go dairy-free and still win the room. One bite and you’ll understand why this is the dessert people request on repeat, IMO.