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Sweet Alabama Pecan Bread

Sweet Alabama pecan bread made with toasted pecans folded into a buttery loaf, finished with a crackly brown sugar pecan topping. A moist, tender crumb and a golden top come from baking at 350°F until a toothpick tests clean.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 390
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
Pecans and topping
  • 1.25 cup pecans, toasted and chopped, divided
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Prep and heat the oven
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F, then grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan so the loaf releases cleanly.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon together until evenly combined.
Cream the butter and sugar
  1. Beat softened butter and packed brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time followed by vanilla extract.
Combine wet and dry
  1. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, mixing just until combined to keep the crumb tender.
Add pecans and fill the pan
  1. Fold in 1 cup pecans, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Top and bake
  1. Top with the remaining pecans and brown sugar, then bake 55 to 60 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes, then slice to serve while the top stays crisp.

Notes

For the most crackly topping, toast the pecans until fragrant before chopping, and use packed brown sugar both in the batter and for the finish. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature up to 3 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezing is yes: wrap slices and freeze up to 2 months. If you want a dairy-light option, use plant-based butter and a buttermilk substitute made with unsweetened plant milk plus lemon juice.