Go Back

Sweet Alabama Pecan Bread

Sweet Alabama pecan bread with a crackly brown sugar topping and a tender, buttery crumb. Baked in a loaf pan with toasted pecans folded into the batter for an all-at-once sliceable loaf.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
Wet ingredients
  • 0.5 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping and mix-ins
  • 1.25 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the pan and oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, then grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Mix the dry and wet batter
  1. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
  2. Beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the large eggs one at a time and mix in the vanilla extract.
  3. Add the dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, mixing just until combined.
Add pecans and top
  1. Fold in 1 cup of pecans, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  2. Top with the remaining pecans and sprinkle over brown sugar for topping.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top looks crackly.
  2. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before slicing so the loaf sets and stays tender.

Notes

For the best crackly top, keep the brown sugar topping dry and evenly distributed right before baking. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days; rewarm slices briefly if you like. Freezing is yes—wrap for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, swap half the butter for an equal amount of neutral oil or use a reduced-fat butter substitute (texture will be slightly softer).