No Bake Pecan Pie Truffles

Phenomenal is the only word to describe these No Bake Pecan Pie Truffles! In just a few minutes, the filling is easily prepared and can be made in advance. Roll the filling into balls and dip them into silky smooth melted milk chocolate. Top these truffles with more chopped pecans and enjoy!

Pecan Pie has to be one of my favourite pies of all time. And don’t even get me started on butter tarts that are packed with pecans! Lord, I could eat those forever. In fact, if I’m ever convicted of a serious crime and find myself on death row, you can bet that my last meal will most certainly include a butter tart – with pecans, of course! So, including these No Bake Pecan Pie Truffles in this latest holiday series was a no-brainer.

Pecans are used in baking recipes quite often, but I think their popularity rises substantially through the holidays. In our home, that is certainly the case anyway. You only need to look to some of my previous holiday recipes to find the proof. For example, this Turtle Chocolate Fudge or this Apple Spiced Bundt Cake. It would be a shame not to mention these Bear Paws – they are so addictive! The same can be said about these Ganache Truffle Bars, to be honest!

I’m going to tell you all about this cookie recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the cookie recipes! Before I get into today’s recipe, let me make mention of the three previous holiday confection countdowns that I just finished up this year.

Back in October, I kicked off the holiday season with a holiday recipe series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifle Series and followed that up with a second series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves. Next was my 12 Squares and Bars Series, which was Volume 2 of that particular series.  

And now, I’m starting on this new series, which is the seventh annual instalment! I cannot believe that this is the seventh year in a row that I’ve shared Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas! But, before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 24 COOKIES OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the fourth of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! This one is called Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas – Volume 7! I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy, just like in previous years. Even if a recipe looks complex, I promise you that it is not! My goal, as always, is to share recipes with you that are not too complex to whip up as a holiday treat for your family. 

Like every other holiday series I’ve shared over the years, this series will share a new recipe every day for the next 24 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas series! Even though this is the fourth series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Pecans – Use unsalted chopped pecans.
• Graham Cracker Crumbs
• Brown Sugar
• Maple Syrup – You can use either the real stuff or the imitation but try to use the real stuff if you can.
• Corn Syrup – There are a lot of misconceptions about corn syrup because one of them is bad for you and the other one is just liquid sugar extracted from corn. We are using the latter, which won’t hurt anyone in moderation.
• Butter
• Rum – You can use any brand, or even a rum extract if you do not have real rum on hand.
• Milk Chocolate Chips

HOW TO MAKE NO BAKE PECAN PIE TRUFFLES

Measure all of the ingredients except the milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips into a mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 2 hours. (Mixture can be refrigerated overnight or up to 48 hours.)

Portion the filling into slightly heaping tablespoons and roll into balls. Place the balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the milk chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. On medium power, microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Continue to microwave in 15-second increments on half powder until the chocolate is smooth. Stir between each increment.

Working with one ball at a time, dunk them into the chocolate so that the entire truffle is enrobed. Carefully lift the truffle out of the chocolate with a fork and slightly tap the handle of the fork on the rim of the bowl. The excess chocolate will fall back into the bowl. Transfer the truffles to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top the truffles with more finely chopped pecans, if desired.

Place the entire baking sheet in your fridge to firm up the chocolate. Leave them for at least 1 hour. Once firm, the truffles can be transferred to a food-safe container or packaged. Keep the truffles refrigerated.

GRAHAM CRUMB CONSISTENCY

There are really two options when it comes to making this cookie recipe. You can purchase the graham crumbs. Or you can make your own crumbs from graham crackers. To be honest, both will do just fine, but if you choose to use crackers, you need to get the consistency just right.

Many bakers will place graham crackers in a bag and smash it with a rolling pin. That’s fine – if you want to spend your day banging a rolling pin onto your kitchen counter. You see, Dear Reader, the crumbs need to be fine in order for the cookie batter to level out properly while baking.

The best way to get the right crumb consistency is to buy graham crumbs. That way, the work is already done for you! If all you have on hand are graham crackers, you can use those. But, do yourself a favour and pop them into a food processor. Pulse them until they are fine like sand. This will ensure you get the perfect baked cookie.

WHAT IS CORN SYRUP?

I’m not an expert on corn syrup, so I sourced this information from the Food Network. They write that corn syrup is made from corn. The glucose in the corn is extracted and then refined. That leaves behind a thick and gooey light golden syrup that is pure glucose. Corn syrup should not be confused with high fructose corn syrup. They are two very different things. The latter is a combination of both glucose and fructose, whereas grocery store corn syrup is just glucose.

The type of corn syrup you buy in grocery stores will dissolve well in liquids and doesn’t crystalize like many other sweeteners. It’s very often used in candy making and for keeping sweet sauces looking shiny. Most of the beautifully decorated cookies you eat at Christmastime will have corn syrup in the icing to keep them looking glossy. Some baked items use it to help with the consistency of the final product.

If you are 100% against using corn syrup, a quick internet search will suggest some alternatives that you can use. It is suggested that the best alternative is agave syrup. It’s neutral in flavour, so it would be a good choice. Honey is a close second choice and one that most of us are familiar with. Honey has a flavour to it though, so it will affect the overall outcome of your No Bake Pecan Pie Truffles. I have not tested this recipe with anything and I have only ever used the Crown brand. You can use white or golden corn syrup for this recipe.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for a long time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your No Bake Pecan Pie Truffles, you certainly can! Pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer-friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!