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This Pecan Pie Fudge is a great way to eat your candy…and pie too!
I hate it when my husband travels because I stay up way too late working. Without the sounds of him in the other room reminding me that I should shut down the computer and go hang out with him, I just keep working. Of course, my idea of working late is not the same as other people’s ideas of working late. (Ahem.)
I mean…8:45pm is late, right? At least it is when you go to bed at 10:00. What can I say? I’m an old lady in a 36-year-old body.
The other thing I do when he’s gone? Eat too much dessert. How can I say no when his iron willpower isn’t here to save me?
Especially when there is pecan pie fudge looking at me?
Oh yes, that’s what I said. Pecan. Pie. Fudge.
Y’all know how much I love a good crust. I put it in ice cream. I put it on brownies. Heck, I even put it in rice krispie treats, and occasionally on pie. It’s my POV here at Crazy for Crust: I love crust. On everything.
Especially fudge. Oh yes. Especially that.
This fudge has been in my brain for awhile now. Pecan pie, but in fudge form. My only question was to how to get that fudge factor that tasted like the center of a pecan pie, but still using the easy fudge method.
Dude, I know you can cook fudge. But why? WHY? Easy fudge is just so…easy. Sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. DONE. And it’s good! Fantasy fudge, easy fudge, minute fudge, whatever you call it, I love it.
But I wanted that trademark brown sugar sweet pie center. And finally it hit me: Karo dark corn syrup.
And this fudge was born.
Instead of using sweetened condensed milk, I used a combination of dark corn syrup, brown sugar, and evaporated milk for this fudge. It gets mixed with white chocolate chips and then some vanilla and maple extract. It tastes like pecan pie!
And…don’t forget the crust. I sure didn’t. It’s what makes this pecan PIE fudge and not just pecan fudge. The crust! I unrolled a Pillsbury pie crust and cut it to the size of my pan. You can use an 8×8″ pan or a 9×9″ pan (the fudge will be thinner). You’ll have some crust scraps left over – but who doesn’t love cinnamon sugar rolled pie crust scraps? Just sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar, roll, and bake.
Then you bake your pie crust. While it’s still hot, you pour the hot fudge over it. Being allowed to cool together ensures that the pie crust and fudge will stick together.
As soon as you pour the fudge on the crust, you top with with chopped toasted pecans. Let the fudge set, and you have pecan pie fudge!
This is the perfect dessert to round out a Thanksgiving meal, or for your holiday platters. Or because your husband is gone and it’s a Tuesday and you want fudge!
Pecan Pie Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust from a box of 2 or from scratch
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
- 1/3 cup evaporated milk mine was low-fat
- 3 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon maple extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a 8x8” or 9x9” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast lightly in the oven. Do not walk away from the oven. After about 1 minute, open the oven and gently shake the pan. Pecans are ready as soon as you smell them.
- Unroll pie crust and cut an 8x8 square (or 9x9 if you are using that size pan). Place in pan and poke with fork several times. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden around the edges.
- When the crust comes out of the oven, add the corn syrup, evaporated milk, white chocolate chips, and brown sugar to a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until mixture is melted and smooth. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla and maple extract. Pour over hot crust. Immediately top with pecans and press down lightly so that all the pecans are touching the fudge.
- Chill fudge until firm. Slice into squares (or triangles) and serve.
- This is best stored in the refrigerator.
Sweets from friends:
Toasted Coconut Fudge by Kristin’s kNook
Tequila Lime Coconut Fudge by The Sweet Chick
Reese’s Fudge by Something Swanky
Last Updated on May 13, 2020
I made this for the two older boys this year because they love pecan pie and I can’t stand it. They raved about how good the fudge was and how close to actual pecan pie it tasted. My only complaint is that the crust got crumbly and fell apart when I cut the fudge, but I said next time I would try it with a graham cracker crust.
Hello Dorothy, and a Very Merry Christmas to you and your family.,was wondering if i could use lite corn syrup?? I dont have any dark..Thanks for any help…:))
I think you can, it’ll just be a bit different tasting than with dark.
Hi There~Thank you for such a great fudge idea~who does not love pecan pie and fudge fused together, oh my goodness, I cannot wait to try it! My concern is that you commented back to April Hollis saying that perhaps her husband did not let mixture “boil long enough”~only thing is, you did not say anything about boiling, at all, in the recipe~just to ” stir constantly until melted and smooth”. I am confused about this part and look forward to your clarification so I can get on about the business of making this pan of deliciousness! Thanks, in advance~ Samantha
Curious about this too!! How long do you have to boil it? We are looking for a good fudge recipe for the fair!
I just boiled it for a minute or two.
What do you think about using sugar cookie dough for the crust? I have a bunch left over
That would be fantastic!
My husband made this and it never set up. Taste amazing but you have to eat it with a spoon. Any idea why this happened.
It may have needed to be boiled longer. Also, how long did you chill it? I’ve made it twice and it sets up after chilling.
Just made this to give out in my Christmas bucket of treats for friends. Oh.My.Goodness! Girl! This is exactly what you promised, fudge that tastes like pecan pie. So, so , so good! Thank you so much!!! Even my daughter who never wanted to try pecan pie before, loved this fudge and is now willing to try the pie. 🙂
Adding the crust was sheer genius. Cannot say enough good things about this recipe. Excellent job!
So glad you liked it!
Have you ever tried subbing real maple syrup for the extract? I’m not a fan of the flavor of maple extract, tastes artificial to me.
I haven’t, you can probably leave out the extract and/or add more vanilla instead. Maple syrup probably won’t give maple flavor; you’d have to use a lot of it in order for it to come through.
Hi
Just a thought Dorthy,
Fudge lasts longer when stored in the freezer,
Hugs & thanks for sharing
Lori
Would love to do these in the little individual tin pie pans. They would be great in my Christmas baskets!
Great idea!
I had the same thing happen and wont waste any more time re-doing until someone comes up with a solution. The concept was great.
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