Pecan Pie Dip
A fluffy brown sugar cream cheese dip with a buttery pecan topping. No oven needed; allow time for cooling and chilling.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 445kcal
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- mixing bowls
- Small saucepan
- rubber spatula
- Small serving dish (6 ½ x 4 ½ inches) or small pie dish
Ingredients
Cream cheese layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream at room temperature
Pecan topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans divided
Instructions
- Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and ¼ cup brown sugar until smooth, scraping down the bowl. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Slowly add the ½ cup heavy cream. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy. Spread in a 6 ½ x 4 ½-inch serving dish or small pie dish. Cover and refrigerate.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup brown sugar and the corn syrup. Warm until small bubbles begin to appear; do not bring to a rolling boil.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the 2 tablespoons cream, remaining teaspoon vanilla, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Return to the heat, stirring constantly, just until small bubbles form again. Remove from heat.
- Fold in 1 cup pecans. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Keep the cream cheese layer refrigerated.
- Spoon the cooled topping over the cream cheese layer. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator 10-15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with the reserved ¼ cup pecans and serve with graham crackers, apple slices, vanilla wafers, or pretzels.
Notes
Makes 8-10 servings, depending on portion size.
The 15-minute prep estimate includes the brief stovetop preparation. Allow 1 hour for the topping to cool and 2 hours for the assembled dip to chill, plus 10-15 minutes out of the refrigerator before serving.
Use softened cream cheese and room-temperature cream for a smoother base. Refrigerate the base while the topping cools.
Heat the topping only until small bubbles appear. A rolling boil can make it firm or chewy as it cools.
To make ahead, assemble the day before and refrigerate, adding the reserved pecans just before serving. Cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended. Keep total time at room temperature under 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Nutrition: Estimates are for 1 serving (one-eighth of the dip), including all of the pecans. Graham crackers, fruit, cookies, pretzels, and other dippers are not included.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 839IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg
