Pecan Pie Cobbler with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Pecan Pie Cobbler with Vanilla Whipped Cream is a magical, gooey dessert that combines the best parts of pecan pie and warm cobbler—without all the fuss! With simple pantry ingredients, a splash of bourbon, and a genius pour-and-bake method, this creates its own caramel-pecan sauce underneath a golden cake topping.

Love More Pecan Desserts? Try My Butter Pecan Cookies or this Pecan Pie Dump Cake next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This dessert is pure MAGIC, y’all! You literally pour boiling water over the batter and it creates its own gooey, caramel-pecan layer while baking. No pie crust to roll out, no blind baking, no stress. Just drop the batter into melted butter, sprinkle on pecans and brown sugar, pour boiling water over the top (I know, it sounds crazy!), and let the oven do the work. The result? A golden, cake-like topping with a ridiculously gooey pecan pie filling underneath.

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Ingredient List

For the Cobbler:

• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1⅓ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour (can use gluten-free mix if needed)
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ⅔ cup (157 mL) whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (or kosher salt)
• ¼ cup (59 mL) bourbon (optional, but SO good)
• 1 cup (213 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1½ cups (188 g) chopped pecans (or pecan halves)
• 1½ cups (355 mL) boiling water

For the Vanilla Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Vanilla bean seeds or vanilla extract (about ½ teaspoon)

Substitution Notes:

• Gluten-free? Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 works great, that’s what I keep for my friend Sarah who has celiac
• No bourbon? Skip it, mom never uses it because she says it’s wasteful
• Milk alternatives: Used 2% last week because I forgot to buy whole milk and couldn’t tell the difference
• Pecans: Halves photograph better but chopped is way easier for eating

Why These Ingredients Work

Butter melts first and hangs out at the bottom. When you pour that boiling water later it mixes with the butter and brown sugar and basically becomes caramel while the batter just floats there and turns into cake. I tried margarine once because I was being cheap and oh my god don’t. Tasted like plastic. Threw the whole thing out.

Brown sugar has molasses in it which is why this ends up tasting like pecan pie instead of just cake with pecans on it. Used regular sugar by mistake once – the containers look the same in my pantry – and my husband was like “this is fine but where’s the pecan pie part?” Oops.

Boiling water is the part where people call me a liar. My neighbor Beth literally said “that’s not a real recipe” when I told her. You dump water on unbaked batter and somehow it doesn’t turn into soup. The trick is it has to be actually boiling though. My sister tried it with kinda hot water because she’s impatient and it didn’t work. The sugar stayed chunky and weird.

Bourbon makes it taste like you bought it from a fancy bakery instead of throwing it together in fifteen minutes. The alcohol cooks out completely so you’re not getting tipsy off dessert. My brother-in-law doesn’t drink at all and he leaves it out every single time. Still good just not quite as good.

Salt is non-negotiable unless you want diabetes. Forgot it once and thought I was gonna die from the sweetness. Took one bite and dumped it in the trash. Now I literally write SALT on a sticky note and put it on the counter before I start.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 9×13-inch baking dish (or similar-sized casserole dish)
• Rimmed baking sheet (do not skip this unless you enjoy cleaning ovens)
• Mixing bowl and whisk for the batter
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Electric mixer or whisk for the whipped cream
• Kettle or pot for boiling water

How To Make Pecan Pie Cobbler with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Step 1: Preheat Oven & Melt the Butter

Turn oven to 350°F. Cut butter into chunks, throw in your pan. Put pan in oven. Butter melts while oven heats. Takes like five minutes. Set a timer because I’ve forgotten about it and filled the house with smoke more than once.

Step 2: Mix Your Batter

Grab a bowl. Flour, sugar, baking powder go in. Whisk it. Add milk and vanilla. Stir till there’s no white bits. Gonna be thick. Like real thick. Thicker than normal cake batter. Too thick to pour? Add more milk a little bit at a time.

Step 3: Add Salt & Bourbon to Melted Butter

Get the pan out. Use oven mitts or a towel because I burn my hands every time and you’d think I’d learn but I don’t. Pour salt and bourbon right in the melted butter. Stir it around. Smells like a bar.

Step 4: Drop the Batter Over Butter

Spoon batter all over the butter in random blobs. Don’t make it pretty. Don’t spread it around. Just plop it down wherever and leave gaps. Looks wrong? Good. It’s supposed to look wrong. Your hands will itch to fix it. Don’t touch it.

Step 5: Add Pecans & Brown Sugar

Throw pecans on top. Everywhere. Doesn’t matter if it’s even. Then dump brown sugar all over that. Try to get it somewhat spread out but honestly whatever. Still no stirring. Zero stirring. None.

Step 6: Pour the Boiling Water

Boil the water for real. Like bubbling boiling not just hot. Pour it all over everything slow and steady. It’s gonna pool on top and look absolutely batshit insane. You’re gonna think you destroyed it. You didn’t. Put down the spoon and walk away.

Step 7: Bake Until Golden

Stick the pan on a cookie sheet first. This bubbles over all the time and cleaning burnt sugar off the oven is actual hell. I know from experience. Multiple experiences. Bake 30-35 minutes. Top should look golden brown and solid not wet. Edges will be bubbling like crazy.

Step 8: Cool & Make Your Whipped Cream

Wait time. Hate this part so much. Minimum 30 minutes, maybe 45. Set a timer and leave the room because if you stay you’ll serve it too early and ruin everything. I’ve done this. While waiting, beat cream with sugar and vanilla till it makes peaks. Stop beating when you see peaks or you’ll make butter. I’ve also done this.

Step 9: Serve and Swoon

Scoop it so everyone gets cake and goo. Pile on whipped cream. Eat it. Try not to go back for thirds. I always go back for thirds.

You Must Know

DO NOT STIR. Writing it again in caps because people don’t listen. My sister-in-law Jen stirred hers after I told her five times not to and then texted me “your recipe sucks” with a picture of brown mush. If you stir you mix everything together and get one weird layer instead of cake on top and pecan pie goo on bottom. Literally the only way to mess this up is stirring it.

You gotta wait the full cooling time. I know. I hate waiting too. But straight from the oven it’s basically hot sugar soup under there. First time I made this I got impatient after ten minutes and we needed bowls and spoons to eat it. Tasted great but looked stupid and everyone made fun of me.

Personal Secret: Always put your pan on a cookie sheet or baking sheet before oven. Always. This thing bubbles over constantly and burnt sugar on the oven bottom doesn’t come off. I’ve scrubbed my oven so many times because I kept forgetting the cookie sheet. Learn from my pain.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Water needs to actually boil. Not simmer. Not hot. Boiling with big bubbles. My friend Lauren used hot tap water because “boiling seemed extreme” and her brown sugar stayed in chunks. Ruined the whole thing.

Don’t skip salt even if you think you don’t need it. Made it without salt once on purpose because I thought I knew better. Took two bites and felt sick from the sugar. Salt isn’t optional here.

Check your baking powder expiration date. Mine’s been in the pantry since probably 2019 and doesn’t work anymore. Dead baking powder means flat cake that doesn’t rise. Buy new stuff.

Leave gaps in the batter don’t smooth it out. My cousin Angela smoothed hers flat because she’s a perfectionist and it took forever to bake and the texture was wrong. The gaps matter.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Chocolate Pecan Cobbler: Chocolate chips with the pecans. Half cup maybe. Like eating turtle candy but warm.

Maple Pecan: Maple syrup instead of bourbon. My kids won’t eat the bourbon one because they think bourbon is gross even though you can’t taste it after baking.

Spiced Version: Cinnamon and nutmeg in the batter. Half teaspoon cinnamon quarter teaspoon nutmeg. Tastes very Thanksgiving.

Bourbon Brown Butter: Brown your butter first then put it in the pan. Tastes amazing but you gotta watch it every second or it burns. I’ve burnt it twice.

Mixed Nut: Half pecans half walnuts. Dad claims he hates pecans so I do this for him even though I think he’s full of it.

Orange Zest: Grate orange peel into batter. Maybe a teaspoon. Makes it taste expensive.

Make-Ahead Options

Make it the day before stick it in the fridge. Gets hard when cold. I don’t like it cold but my husband eats it cold and says it’s better cold. He’s wrong. Reheat pieces microwave 45 seconds. Whole thing back in oven 300°F covered 15-20 minutes.

Don’t make whipped cream ahead it gets watery and gross. Make it while cobbler cools. Two minutes. You got two minutes.

Tried freezing it once. Don’t. Texture got grainy and nasty. Thawed it and it was separated and weird. Just make it and eat it within three days.

Party trick – make it that morning leave it covered on counter warm it before people come. House smells incredible and everyone thinks you worked hard when you didn’t.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Cold cobbler and warm cobbler are totally different foods. Cold is firm like pie. Warm is gooey with sauce everywhere. I’m team warm. Husband’s team cold. We argue about this.

This is super rich don’t cut giant pieces. Small pieces are enough especially after a big meal. Usually get 8-10 servings depending on how hungry people are and how nice I’m feeling when cutting.

Pan size matters don’t use random pans. Smaller deeper pan won’t cook right in the middle. Bigger shallower pan cooks too fast. 9×13 is the right size.

Whole thing jiggles when you take it out. That’s fine. Supposed to jiggle. Bottom’s still liquid. Don’t freak out and put it back in just let it sit.

Serving Suggestions

Ice cream instead of whipped cream works too. My kids always want ice cream because they’re kids and won’t eat whipped cream. I like whipped cream better because it’s lighter and I can eat more cobbler.

Really wanna go crazy? Put caramel sauce on top. Overkill? Yes. Delicious? Also yes.

Make coffee. Strong black coffee. Bitter cuts the sweet. Makes you feel fancy.

Great for Thanksgiving because everyone brings pie and this isn’t pie so you’re different. Also doesn’t fall apart when you transport it like pie does.

Get both layers in every scoop that’s the whole point. I stick a pecan on the whipped cream to make it look like I tried.

How to Store Your Pecan Pie Cobbler

Room temp covered 6 hours max if eating same day. More than that goes in fridge.

Fridge 3 days covered. Gets really firm. Microwave pieces 30-45 seconds. Oven whole pan covered 300°F 15-20 minutes.

Don’t freeze. Tried it. Texture got nasty. Just eat it quick or give it away.

Whipped cream separate container fridge 2 days. Gets flat whisk it again. Or make fresh takes no time.

Refrigerated cobbler too thick? Spoon of water before heating. Loosens it up.

Allergy Information

Contains:

• Dairy (butter, milk, heavy cream)
• Gluten (all-purpose flour)
• Tree nuts (pecans)
• Alcohol (bourbon—optional, and bakes off)

Substitutions:

• Gluten-free: 1:1 flour. Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur.
• Dairy-free: Vegan butter almond milk coconut whipped cream. Different but works.
• Nut-free: Hard because pecans are kind of the main thing. Coconut flakes or sunflower seeds for crunch but won’t taste like pecan pie.
• Alcohol-free: Leave out bourbon. Less flavor still good.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Why do I pour boiling water over the batter?

I know it sounds fake. My neighbor thought I was pranking her. Hot water melts brown sugar mixes with butter makes caramel. Batter floats and bakes into cake. Science or magic not sure which. Works every time though. Water’s gotta actually be boiling.

Can I use Cool Whip instead of homemade whipped cream?

Yeah Cool Whip’s fine. Lasts longer in fridge too. I like real whipped cream better tastes better but Cool Whip’s easier and honestly no one’s gonna complain.

My cobbler looks soupy—did I do something wrong?

Nope didn’t wait long enough. Bottom’s liquid right out of oven. Wait 30-45 minutes. Still soupy? Fridge 30 minutes. Fixed.

Can I make this without bourbon?

Yeah leave it out. Lose a little flavor but still great. My brother never uses it his cobbler’s fine.

Why didn’t my cake layer rise properly?

Baking powder’s probably old. Or you stirred it. Stirring messes it up batter can’t rise when mixed with butter.

💬 Made this? Tell me! Bourbon or no bourbon? Whipped cream or ice cream?