Crunchy and creamy, the perfect texture combination for these irresistible Pecan Logs. Add these perfect sized sweet treats to your holiday baking menus ASAP.
Holiday baking isn’t all about cookies, but don’t get me wrong, we love a good cookie baking session. But, trust me guys, you’re going to love these crunchy Pecan Logs.
They’re crunchy, creamy, chewy, and literally every bite just melts in your mouth. Don’t let them fool you, they may look intensive or hard to make, but they really are easy and the “hard work” is worth it when you can take a bite.
My family loves when we add these Pecan Logs to our holiday dessert list. They always want to start snacking on them as soon as they’re done. They aren’t too sweet either, just the right amount of sweetness and crunch!
Growing up this has always been one of my mom’s favorite recipes in the world, so we continue the tradition every year because they really and truly are a delicious candy.
If you love a good store bought Pecan Log, then you have to try out this homemade recipe. It will knock your socks off and you’ll keep coming back.
Some of our other favorite holiday dessert recipes we have on our site include: Sweet Holiday Chex Mix, Reindeer Cookies and Gingerbread Cake.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Perfect for holidays yet simple enough for regular desserts.
- Easily able to make more!
- Has the perfect texture with a nice crunch.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT BOTTOM)
Salted butter
Light corn syrup
Granulated sugar
Powdered sugar
Powdered milk
Vanilla extract
Caramels
Milk
Chopped pecans
HOW TO MAKE PECAN LOGS, STEP BY STEP:
- Spray a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium pot or dutch oven, add the butter, corn syrup, and sugar. Place over medium heat, and constantly stir until the butter is melted and everything is combined.
- Continue to stir until the mixture comes to a simmer.
- Take off the heat and stir in the powdered sugar, powdered milk, and vanilla. The mixture will become a thick paste.
- Press this mixture into the prepared baking dish and let it cool to the touch for about 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Cut the filling into 4 even strips, then cut them down the center, so you have 8 pieces.
- Take one portion of the filling and, place it on a piece of parchment paper, roll it up so it forms a log.
- Place it on a sheet tray, seam side down, and continue with the rest of the filling.
- Freeze the filling for 1-2 hours until frozen solid.
- In a double boiler over medium heat, place the caramels and the milk, and constantly stir until the caramels are melted. Add the chopped pecans to a shallow bowl.
- One by one, carefully dip the logs into the caramel, coating the entire log and letting any excess drip off. This step can be tricky, just do your best.
- Immediately place the log into the pecans and gently press and roll the log into the pecans so they stick and the log is fully coated.
- Place the finished log on a parchment-lined sheet tray while you roll the rest of the logs.
- Cut into ½- inch slices and serve immediately.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO COVER IN THE CARAMEL?
I do admit that the hardest part of these Pecan Logs is coating the caramel sauce. My biggest tip is to coating the logs is to make sure to keep the caramel warm while you’re using it.
As you’re working with the logs, keep the caramel warm in the double boiler the entire time. If the caramel stays warm, it’ll stay thin and it’s a LOT easier to coat the logs with.
You can also use a fork to dip the Pecan Logs into the caramel and I use the same fork to wipe off any extra caramel on the bottom so they’re easier and cleaner to work with.
DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO EAT THEM?
Actually, the hot caramel sauce helps thaw the frozen logs so they’re easier to eat. So, nope you don’t have to wait!
Once you’ve added the hot caramel, the logs soften up real fast so you can enjoy them right away once they’re finished being coated.
CAN I ADD ANY OTHER ADDITIONS?
Yes, you can add other things to the outside if you want. I like to add some other nut options like cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, etc.
You can also trade the caramel sauce out for other sauces like butterscotch or chocolate sauce for other fun flavors. The caramel helps it stick better, but once the other sauces have cooled everything will stick fine.
HOW TO STORE:
If you aren’t eating your logs right away, grab a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and wrap the log up in it right away. Store it in an airtight container and keep it at room temperature for up to a week.
If you want to store them longer, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks and freezer for up to 3 months.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- You can freeze these for later, see my tips above.
- Feel free to make more logs to serve more people.
- You can add other nuts or trade out the sauces if desired.
- When you want to cut these logs, I suggest using a serrated knife.
- Keep your caramel warm in a hot double boiler as you coat them, it’s easier to work with that way.
- You may have extra caramel and nuts once you cover the logs, but trust me, that’s better than running out while you’re still working on coating them.
- See my tips above on how to work with the caramel easier so it’s not as hard to coat the logs.
Want something crunchy and sweet to make this holiday baking season? Then you need to try these classic Pecan Logs, the perfect amount of sweet and salty!
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried these PECAN LOGS or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Pecan Logs
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup powdered milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 16 ounces caramels 1 & ½ bags
- 4 ½ tablespoons milk
- 4 cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- Spray a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium pot or dutch oven, add the butter, corn syrup, and sugar. Place over medium heat, and constantly stir until the butter is melted and everything is combined.
- Continue to stir until the mixture comes to a simmer.
- Take off the heat and stir in the powdered sugar, powdered milk, and vanilla. The mixture will become a thick paste.
- Press this mixture into the prepared baking dish and let it cool to the touch for about 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Cut the filling into 4 even strips, then cut them down the center, so you have 8 pieces.
- Take one portion of the filling and, place it on a piece of parchment paper, roll it up so it forms a log.
- Place it on a sheet tray, seam side down, and continue with the rest of the filling.
- Freeze the filling for 1-2 hours until frozen solid.
- In a double boiler over medium heat, place the caramels and the milk, and constantly stir until the caramels are melted. Add the chopped pecans to a shallow bowl.
- One by one, carefully dip the logs into the caramel, coating the entire log and letting any excess drip off. This step can be tricky, just do your best.
- Immediately place the log into the pecans and gently press and roll the log into the pecans so they stick and the log is fully coated.
- Place the finished log on a parchment-lined sheet tray while you roll the rest of the logs.
- Cut into ½- inch slices and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can freeze these for later. See my tips above.
- Feel free to make more logs to serve more people.
- You can add other nuts or trade out the sauces if desired.
- When you want to cut these logs, I suggest using a serrated knife.
- Keep your caramel warm in a hot double boiler as you coat them, it's easier to work with that way.
- You may have extra caramel and nuts once you cover the logs, but trust me, that's better than running out while you're still working on coating them.
- See my tips above on how to work with the caramel easier so it's not as hard to coat the logs.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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