Today I’m sharing a delightful coffee pecan tart — a slightly unexpected but delicious Thanksgiving dessert. It combines a coffee- and pecan-filled center baked into an orange-scented shortbread crust.
Less gooey than traditional pecan pie, this tart is easier to slice and serve, and it works equally well as an after-dinner dessert or a treat with your afternoon coffee.
If you enjoy shortbread, you might also like the chocolate chocolate chip shortbread, and if you love tarts, try the apple chai cheesecake tart. All pie and tart recipes are collected in one place for easy browsing. Thanks for stopping by!
Table of Contents
Why Is This Pecan Tart Better Than Pecan Pie?
Here’s why I prefer this tart:
- Pecan pie can be overly sweet and one-note, with a dense, sticky layer beneath the nuts. This tart offers a cleaner, lighter texture without losing flavor.
- Toasted, salted pecans make a big difference. Many recipes skip proper toasting and under-season the nuts; here the toasting and salt enhance the pecans’ flavor.
- Coffee complements pecans beautifully. I fold instant coffee and a splash of coffee liqueur into the filling so the coffee flavor becomes an integral part of the tart.
- The filling sits in an orange-scented sable (shortbread) crust. The citrus, coffee, and pecan notes balance each other for a satisfying, well-rounded bite.
How To Make This Tart
In short, the process is straightforward:
- Make the crust
- Blind bake the crust
- Prepare the filling
- Fill the crust and bake
The full recipe and exact measurements are below. Here’s an overview of the ingredients and method.
Ingredients
- Butter: Used in both crust and filling for richness and texture. A stick-style plant butter can be substituted if desired.
- Sugar: Adds tenderness to the crust and helps with browning.
- Egg: Adds richness and structure in the crust and helps bind the filling.
- Orange: Zest brightens the crust. If you don’t have fresh orange, a small amount of orange extract or oil can be used sparingly.
- Kosher salt: Enhances flavor, especially in the toasted nuts.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the sable crust.
- Pecans: Halves create an attractive top and a pleasant texture; pieces can be used beneath halves to reduce cost.
- Brown sugar: Provides sweetness and depth; substitutions like coconut sugar or a portion of maple syrup can work.
- Instant coffee: Choose a good-quality instant coffee for the best flavor in the filling.
- Coffee liqueur: A tablespoon enhances coffee notes and helps release alcohol-soluble flavors.
Procedure
Make the crust:
- Mix the sable dough ingredients until a uniform dough forms.
- Roll between parchment to an 11″ circle and chill about 30 minutes.
- Fit into a 9″ tart pan with removable bottom, reinforce any thin areas, and trim excess.
- Freeze at least an hour, then prick the bottom and blind bake with parchment and pie weights at 350°F until sides are set.
- Remove weights and finish baking briefly so the bottom is dry and pale golden. Cool.
Make the filling:
- Toast pecans until fragrant and let cool.
- Mix butter, brown sugar, egg, instant coffee, coffee liqueur, and salt until well combined.
- Stir in pecans so they are evenly coated.
Finish and bake:
- Fill the cooled tart shell, spreading the filling into the corners so the shell is full.
- Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, tenting foil if the top browns too quickly, then bake an additional 5 minutes until puffed and deep golden.
- Cool on a rack until warm, remove the ring, and finish cooling to room temperature. Serve warm or at room temperature, with optional lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Tips for Success
Blind baking is easier than it sounds. Use an oversized coffee filter or crumpled parchment to line the shell, fill with dried beans or pie weights, and bake. Remove the weights and continue baking until the bottom is dry and lightly golden.
For a less-sweet filling, reduce the sugar to 1 to 1 1/4 cups. The blind-baked crust freezes well for up to a month if wrapped tightly — bake day is much simpler when the shell is ready to fill.
A Note About Measurements
Accurate measuring helps reproducibility. Using a kitchen scale is the easiest way to ensure consistent results, especially for flour.
Please consider rating and reviewing this recipe if you try it — your feedback helps other bakers and helps refine recipes here. Thank you!
Coffee Pecan Tart with Orange Sable
Jennifer Field
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (recommended)
- 9″ tart pan with removable bottom (or a 9″ pie pan)
Ingredients
For the Sable
- 4.5 oz unsalted butter at cool room temperature (1 stick plus 1 Tbsp)
- 3.5 oz granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 large egg
- zest of 1/2 medium orange
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8.75 oz all-purpose flour (about 2 cups measured properly)
For the Filling
- 3 cups pecan halves or pieces
- 1 1/2 cups lightly packed dark brown sugar (about 10.5 oz)
- 4 oz unsalted butter, soft but not greasy (1 stick)
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp instant coffee (about 4 tsp total)
- 1 Tbsp coffee liqueur (Kahlua or similar)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the Sable
- Cream butter and sugar on low speed until smooth. Add the egg, orange zest, and salt and mix until smooth. If curdled-looking, don’t worry — it will come together when flour is added.
- Add the flour all at once and mix on low until a dough forms. Roll between parchment into a rough 11″ circle and chill about 30 minutes.
- Fit the dough into a 9″ tart pan, press into corners without stretching, and trim excess. Freeze at least an hour. Prick the bottom before blind baking.
- Line the shell with crumpled parchment or a large coffee filter, fill with beans or pie weights, and blind bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake another 5–6 minutes until the bottom is dry and pale golden. Cool at least 30 minutes.
For the Filling
- Toast pecans at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant. Cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, butter, egg, instant coffee, coffee liqueur, and salt until fully mixed; the mixture will be thick.
- Stir in the pecans until they are completely coated.
To Finish and Bake
- Spread the filling into the cooled tart shell, pressing into corners so the shell is full to the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Tent loosely with foil if the top is browning too fast, then bake an additional 5 minutes until the tart is slightly puffed and deep golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack until warm, remove the tart ring, and cool to room temperature. Serve warm or at room temperature, optional with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Notes
This filling was adapted from a caramelized pecan tart recipe. The finished tart is sturdy and holds together well — you can slice it into squares if you prefer, and the crumbly crust remains pleasantly tender.
Nutrition
Calories: 496 kcal
Carbohydrates: 60 g
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 27.4 g
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