Pecan pie pudding cake is a cobbler cake with that that makes its own pecan pie pudding as it bakes. This is a great Thanksgiving dessert that isn’t pie!

Pudding cakes are awesome! Sometimes called “cobblers” or “cobbler cakes”, these yummy desserts practically make themselves.
You just mix up the cake batter and top it with the sauce ingredients. Then pour water over the top, and they make their own sauce while they bake. It’s like delicious magic!
This pecan pie pudding cake has a layer of cake that bakes on top of the pecan pie pudding layer. The buttery edges are my favorite part of this cake.
It’s perfect on its own or topped with a little whipped cream or ice cream, and it makes an easy Thanksgiving dessert that has the flavors of pecan pie without the work.
How to make pecan pie pudding cake
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.

Step 1: For the pecan pie pudding cake, begin by whisking the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) together.
Step 2: Whisk in the milk and vanilla to make a thick batter.

Step 3: Pour the melted butter into the bottom of the baking dish.
Step 4: Spread the batter over the butter. The easiest way to do this is to drop dollops of batter over the butter and then carefully spread them together.

Step 5: Sprinkle the pecans and brown sugar over the top of the batter.
Step 6: Pour the hot water over the top of the whole thing. Do not stir.
Step 7: Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top looks set. You will see the pudding bubbling up in spots, and that’s ok.
Step 8: Let sit 10 minutes before serving. The pudding portion will continue to thicken as it sits.

Recipe Tips!
- Batter: The batter for this cake is on the thicker side. Be careful when measuring your flour because too much flour will give you a cake batter that’s really difficult to work with.
- Batter is too thick: If your batter ends up too thick to spread, simply thin the batter out a little with more milk until it’s spreadable. You just won’t want the batter to be too thin because there’s liquid under it (melted butter) and on top of it (the hot water). So, a thin batter wouldn’t hold up.
- Don’t stir: Also, it’s really tempting to want to stir the water in, but don’t do it! The water mixes with the brown sugar to help create the pudding layer.

Storage
Store any leftover pudding cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The pudding cake is best eaten within 2-3 days after it was made.
More Thanksgiving desserts
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Pecan Pie Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ cups hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Pour melted butter into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
- Make a well in the center.
- Add milk and vanilla extract, and whisk until just combined. Batter will be on the thicker side.
- Add batter to pan.
- Sprinkle with brown sugar and then pecans.
- Pour hot water over the top. Do not stir.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top looks set. You will see the pudding bubbling up in spots, and that’s ok.
- Let sit 10 minutes before serving. The pudding portion will continue to thicken as it sits.
Notes
- Flour: Be sure to aerate (stir), spoon, and sweep when measuring your flour to avoid packing in extra flour.
- Milk: Anything from skim to whole milk will work.
- Water: Hot tap water is fine.
- Sweetness: If you prefer desserts on the less sweet side, you can reduce the sugar in the cake to 1/2 cup and reduce the sugar in the topping to 3/4 cup.
- Batter: Since the batter is thick, it’s easier to drop dollops of batter over the bottom of the pan and then gently spread them together. It’s ok if the butter shows in spots or around the edges.
- Nutritional values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally published 10/23/2018. This post is regularly updated.
Heavily adapted from Taste of Home.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Susan says
I have made this several times and it is sooo delicious! Pecans and caramel are my favourites and this dish is chock-full of them. I put my butter in my dish and put it in the oven as it pre-heats to save a step. So easy to make, with ingredients I always have on hand.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Gail says
Can it be made using gluten free flour?
Kate says
I haven’t tried that with this recipe, but I would guess that a 1:1 gf flour would work well in this recipe.
Tammy says
Can’t wait to try this, but I need to cut the recipe in half since it’s just 2 of us. I’ll use an 8×8 baking dish. The recipe cuts in half easily, but how would that change the baking time?
Kate says
I haven’t made a half batch to say for certain, but I would start checking around 25 minutes.
Pearl Graf says
That sounds so good I’m gonna have to make it sometime
Kate says
I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!
Judith Bolster says
The recipe does not tell how long to cook.
Kate says
Hi! It sounds like you may have made it to the step-by-step photos above the actual recipe. The cook time is listed in step 9 of the recipe. I hope that helps!
Gabriella says
This sounds delicious ! Could I bake this in a deeper round or square dish maybe adding another 5 – 10 minutes to the baking time ?
Kate says
Thank you! I haven’t tried it to say for certain, but I would guess that it would be ok.
Shannon Schultz says
Does this have to be refrigerated afterwards?
Kate says
I don’t, but you could.
Christina says
Is it supposed to be very thin. And it stuck to the bottom. What should I have done differently.
Kate says
No, it shouldn’t be very thin. Did you make any changes or substitutions to the recipe?
Neha says
Can you please mentioned baking temperature …
Kate says
Hi! In step 1, you’ll preheat the oven to 350F.
Ellen says
Hi! Can the milk be substituted with oat milk or almond milk?
Kate says
It can! I’ve had great success using almond milk when baking.
Tara Perkins says
Very good, I would’ve liked it more sweet. But that’s just me!
Kate says
Thanks! You could add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream (that’s how my husband prefers it).
Teresa Zike says
Was delicious and easy
Kate says
Thank you! So glad you liked it.
Holly says
Delicious❤️ I was afraid maybe too sweet, but is perfect. The quantity of nuts brings balance.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that you liked the cake. =) Thanks for commenting!
Beth says
So freaking good!! I made this to try it out for a Friendsgiving party. It rocks!!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked it! I hope it’s a hit at your party. =) Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
Lisa C says
Do you think I can make this the night before?
Sounds so yummy!
Kate says
Thanks! You can! I warmed the leftovers up in the microwave, and they still tasted good/fresh the next day. Hope that helps! =)
Lisa C says
Thanks for the quick response.
I’m going to make for Thanksgiving, but the night before.
Karl says
I love pecans and this looks so easy. Hope the kids don’t like it so there is more for me
Kate says
Thank you! LOL Sometimes I hope the same thing. ;)