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Sweet Alabama Pecan Bread

Sweet Alabama pecan bread is a Southern-style loaf with a crackly brown sugar pecan top and a moist, buttery crumb. Toasted pecans and buttermilk are folded in for rich texture, then baked until the center sets and the toothpick test runs 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: 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
Pecan topping
  • 1.25 cup pecans, toasted and chopped, divided
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, then grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Keep the pan ready so the batter can go in right after mixing.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon together. Whisk until the spices are evenly distributed with no visible clumps.
Cream wet ingredients
  1. Beat the butter and packed brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time and mix in the vanilla extract. Stop when the mixture looks smooth and slightly lighter in color.
Combine batter
  1. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until combined. Mix only until you no longer see streaks of flour for a tender crumb (do not overmix).
  2. Fold in 1 cup of the toasted and chopped pecans, then pour the batter into the loaf pan. Scrape the bowl so the batter is evenly filled with pecan pieces throughout.
Top and bake
  1. Top the batter with the remaining pecans and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar for topping. Aim for an even layer so the top bakes crackly and toasted.
  2. Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350F, until a toothpick comes out clean. Look for a golden top with toasted pecans and a loaf that pulls slightly from the pan sides.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool the bread for 15 minutes in the pan before slicing. This helps the crumb set so the loaf slices cleanly without falling apart.

Notes

Pro tip: toast the pecans for 5-7 minutes (until fragrant) before chopping to intensify their flavor, then fold 1 cup into the batter and reserve the rest for the crackly top. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze wrapped slices for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat buttermilk and reduce the butter to 1/3 cup (your crumb will be slightly less rich).