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No bake pecan pie dip with maple pecans in a square navy dish beside vanilla wafers
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No Bake Pecan Pie Dip

A thick, tangy cream cheese and Greek yogurt base topped with skillet-toasted pecans in a soft maple-brown-sugar sauce. The oven stays off; the topping cooks briefly on the stovetop.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling and chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 12 small servings
Calories: 225
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cream cheese and Greek yogurt base
  • 8 ounces full-fat block cream cheese 226 g, softened until pliable; not melted
  • 1/2 cup thick plain full-fat Greek yogurt 120 g, approximately 5% fat; pour off any surface whey before measuring
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar 30 g, sifted if lumpy
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the base
Maple pecan topping
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans 114 g, measured after chopping
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 28 g, cut into pieces
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup 105 g; not pancake syrup
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar 50 g, packed
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream 60 ml
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt approximately 1.5 g
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract for the topping
For serving
  • Graham crackers, pretzels, crisp apple slices, or vanilla wafers as desired; excluded from nutrition estimate

Equipment

  • Dry skillet
  • small heavy saucepan
  • Shallow heatproof cooling bowl
  • Mixing bowl
  • Sturdy spatula and hand whisk
  • measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale
  • 8-inch shallow serving dish or 9-inch pie plate

Method
 

  1. Put the chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and slightly darker. Immediately transfer to a cool plate. Optionally reserve 1-2 tablespoons from the measured cup for garnish.
  2. Combine butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Once gentle bubbles rise steadily, simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until smooth and slightly thickened. The sauce should lightly coat a spoon and still flow easily. Remove from heat; stir in the topping vanilla and toasted pecans, except any reserved garnish.
  3. Transfer the topping to a shallow heatproof bowl. Cool for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer warm but still spoonable. Allow more time if needed. Keep it separate from the dairy base until fully cool.
  4. While the topping cools, mash the softened cream cheese with a sturdy spatula until completely smooth. Work in the powdered sugar and base vanilla. Whisk in the thick Greek yogurt 1-2 tablespoons at a time, scraping the bowl, just until smooth. Spread in an 8-inch shallow serving dish or 9-inch pie plate and refrigerate while the topping finishes cooling.
  5. Spoon the fully cooled maple pecan topping over the chilled base in small mounds, then spread gently without mixing the layers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Add any reserved toasted pecans just before serving. Offer sturdy dippers and a serving spoon. If very firm, let the dip soften for 10 minutes, keeping its cumulative time out of refrigeration within the limits in the notes.

Notes

Makes approximately 2 1/2-3 cups, divided into 12 small servings of roughly 3-4 tablespoons. Times are approximate and exclude softening cream cheese.
Use thick plain full-fat Greek yogurt, approximately 5% fat, and block cream cheese. Thin regular yogurt or tub-style whipped cream cheese changes the texture; do not thin the base with milk.
Make ahead: prepare or assemble up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate. Nuts immersed in sauce soften overnight; add any reserved toasted nuts just before serving. Keep dippers separate.
Storage: cover and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3-4 days of preparation. Discard after more than 2 hours out of refrigeration, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Count preparation and serving time together.
If the separate topping is too thick, warm gently with extra cream 1 teaspoon at a time, then cool completely before layering. If it is still thin after cooling, simmer it briefly before assembly and cool again. Do not heat the assembled dip.
Contains milk and tree nuts (pecans). Dippers may contain wheat and other allergens.
Makes approximately 2 1/2-3 cups, or 12 small servings of roughly 3-4 tablespoons. Yield varies with mixing and sauce reduction.
Times are approximate and exclude softening the cream cheese. No oven is needed; the pecans and sauce cook on the stovetop.

Estimated nutrition

Serving: 1/12 of the recipe (approximately 3-4 tablespoons).
Nutrient Amount
Calories 225 kcal
Total fat 18 g
Saturated fat 7 g
Total carbohydrate 15 g
Total sugars 13 g
Dietary fiber 1 g
Protein 3 g
Sodium 115 mg
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from USDA ingredient data for one-twelfth of the recipe. Dippers, optional variations, and additional cream used to adjust the topping are excluded. Actual values vary with brands and serving size.
Nutrition data source: ingredient nutrition reference.