What Are Pecan halves and How Can I Use Them?
Pecan halves rewards a little know-how: how to choose them, cook them, store them, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 233 recipes to cook with them.
What are pecan halves?
A pecan, like the fruit of all other members of the hickory genus, is not true a nut but technically adrupe, a fruit with a single stone or pit, surrounded by a husk.
A diet rich in nuts can lower the risk of gallstones in women. The antioxidants and plant sterols found in pecans reduce high cholesterol by reducing the "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.
Clinical research published in the Journal of Nutrition (September 2001) found that eating about a handful of pecans each day may help lower cholesterol levels similar to what is often seen with cholesterol-lowering medications.
Research conducted at the University of Georgia has also confirmed that pecans contain plant sterols, which are known for their cholesterol-lowering ability.
Pecans may also play a role in neurological health. Eating pecans daily may delay age-related muscle nerve degeneration, according to a study conducted at the University of Massachusetts and published in Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup, chopped (109g)Where found
Pecan halves are usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group
Pecan halves are a member of the Nut and Seed Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
How much do pecan halves weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup, chopped | 109 grams |
| 1 cup, halves | 99 grams |
| 1 oz (19 halves) | 28 grams |
Related
Nut and Seed Products
| In Chinese: | 山核桃半 | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| en français: | moitiés de noix de pécan | |
| en español: | mitades de nuez |
Recipes using pecan halves
There are 233 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Favorite Pecan Pie
Classic pecan pie with toasted pecan halves, brown-buttery filling, and a flaky crust. The Southern Thanksgiving and Christmas pie that's all gooey custard underneath the crunchy top.
Perfection Pecan Pie
Old-school pecan pie with a flaky shortening crust and a creamed butter base for the filling. Christmas and Thanksgiving classic from below the Mason-Dixon line.
Buttery Pecan Pie
Rich pecan pie with homemade butter crust and dark corn syrup filling studded with chopped pecans and topped with perfect halves. This from-scratch version rewards the extra effort with flaky pastry and deeply caramelized flavor.
Super Fudgy Pecan Pie
Fudgy chocolate pecan pie built on sweetened condensed milk and melted sweet chocolate instead of the usual corn syrup. The pecans stir into a rich chocolate custard for a brownie-meets-pecan-pie holiday dessert.
Kate's Strawberry Biscuits
Strawberry biscuits, drop biscuits studded with fresh chopped strawberries and optional pecans. Hot from the oven with butter and cold milk, the unofficial breakfast of June.
Grandma's Pecan Pie
Old-fashioned pecan pie with browned butter filling and a glossy, deeply caramelized top. The nutty brown butter elevates this Thanksgiving classic above standard corn syrup versions for rich, toasty flavor.
Coffee Liqueur Pecan Pie
Coffee liqueur pecan pie: a glossy classic pecan pie topped with Kahlua-spiked whipped cream. The grown-up holiday pie with a coffee-cocktail flourish.
Skinny Banana Muffins
Skinny banana muffins lean on ripe mashed banana for moisture and sweetness, with just a quarter cup of oil and skim milk. A lighter, fluffy banana muffin that doesn't taste like a diet compromise.
Pecan Tarts with Caramel Sauce
Pecan tarts with caramel sauce: flaky homemade pastry shells filled with a brown-butter pecan filling, baked golden, then drizzled with silky amber caramel. Individual holiday tartlets worth the effort.
Mocha Pecan Pie
Mocha pecan pie layers semi-sweet chocolate, Kahlua and espresso into the classic Southern filling, topped with decorative pecan halves. A coffeehouse twist on Thanksgiving dessert.
Lauren's Fudge Pecan Pie
Fudge pecan pie melts butter and cocoa into the corn syrup filling, creating a brownie-like base under a layer of toasted pecan halves. Chocolate-pecan crossover for Thanksgiving.
Creamy Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie
Cheesecake pumpkin pie layers a graham-pecan crust with a creamy pumpkin-cream cheese filling spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Hybrid Thanksgiving showstopper.
Farrah Fawcett's Pecan Pie
Farrah Fawcett's pecan pie is the classic: a rich corn syrup and vanilla custard packed with pecan halves in a flaky crust. The actress's simple, foolproof holiday pie bakes up with a glossy, crackly top.
Once-A-Year Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oversized chocolate chip cookies baked low and slow to giant lemon-sized rounds. Buttery, crisp-edged with chocolate chunks and pecans. Special-occasion bakery-style cookies.
Drunken Apple/Pumpkin Pie
Drunken apple-pumpkin pie blends pumpkin and applesauce in one custard, finished with a dramatic flame of warmed rum poured tableside. Topped with pecan halves and warm baking spices. A holiday showstopper for Thanksgiving and Christmas tables.
Christmas Memory Fruitcake
Christmas memory fruitcake steams then bakes a bourbon-soaked, dense old-fashioned fruitcake loaded with Brazil nuts, raisins, candied fruit, figs, and warming spices. Heirloom holiday recipe.
Golden Pecan Pie
Golden pecan pie pours brown sugar, light corn syrup, and vanilla over toasty pecan halves in a flaky shell. A classic Thanksgiving pie with deep molasses sweetness and a glossy top.
Best Honey Crunch Pecan Pie
Honey crunch pecan pie: classic pecan pie with a bourbon-laced custard filling topped with caramelized honey-pecan brittle. Two-stage pie that turns Thanksgiving pecan into a showstopper.
Grilled Peaches with Cream Cheese & Honey
Honey nut flavored cream cheese spread on grilled peach halves makes a very quick and easy summer dessert. A little drizzle of extra honey tops it all off. A nice change to your typical peaches and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Custard Peach Pie
This custard peach pie is a great way to use seasonal peaches. The custard is creamy and sweet, and the pecans in the crust and topping are a yummy addition. It’s hard to resist this delicious treat!
Chinese Chicken Stir Fry
Quick, easy and fuss-free. Made this dish for Sean's lunch yesterday, and he absolutely enjoyed it. Followed the recipe, and used some mixed frozen stir-fry veggies we bought from Costco, it was a wonderful combination.
Cherry & Chocolate Energy Bars
I have to say that these bars were so delicious, crunchy texture with sweet-slightly sour and nutty flavor. Packed with goodness and yumminess. Not only kids love them, grown-ups also can't have enough.
Harvest Pumpkin Drop Cookies
Super moist, buttery and packed with pumpkin flavor. The dried cranberries are delicious additions. Great treat at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Double Pecan Pie
Double pecan pie: a layer of crushed pecans beneath a gooey corn syrup filling, crowned with pecan halves, all in a tender homemade crust. Twice the pecans, twice the crunch.
Pumpkin Pecan Tarts
Spiced pumpkin custard fills mini tart shells, then gets topped with a broiled pecan-sugar crust. These two-bite holiday tarts balance creamy filling with crunchy caramelized nut topping.
