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Sweet Alabama Pecan Bread

Sweet Alabama pecan bread with a buttery loaf crumb and a crackly pecan-brown sugar top. Baked until a toothpick tests clean, then sliced after a short in-pan cooling time.
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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: 420
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
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
  2. Set out pecans so they’re toasted and chopped, divided for the batter and topping.
Mix the dry and wet
  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 eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract.
Combine and fill the pan
  1. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until combined.
  2. Fold in 1 cup of the pecans, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Top and bake
  1. Top the loaf with the remaining pecans and the 2 tablespoons brown sugar for topping.
  2. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  3. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before slicing.

Notes

To keep the top crackly, use a packed brown sugar topping layer directly on the batter before baking and avoid overmixing once flour is added. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Freeze sliced portions for up to 2 months. For a lighter swap, use unsweetened plant-based butter in the same amount for a similar buttery texture.