Pecan Pie from the Bakehouse

A world-class dessert handmade here in Washtenaw County!

By Ari Weinzweig

Pecan pie is hardly hard to find—you’ll see one in nearly every American bakery, or at least on the menu in almost every roadside diner. The challenge isn’t finding one—it’s finding a great one. If you or someone you know has been on the search, I feel super confident that we can help you! My opinion? The pecan pie at the Bakehouse is one of THE best things we bake!

Rave reviews about the Bakehouse Pecan Pie.

I’m not the only one who holds that belief. Amy Emberling, long-time co-managing partner and a member of our Stewardship Council, wrote in Zingerman’s Bakehouse, “This is my favorite Bakehouse pie, just because I enjoy it and also because it fits our mission perfectly—full flavored and traditional.” Want an outside affirmation? It’s been acclaimed by the Detroit News, featured in InStyle magazine, and was famously carried years ago to Paris by Frankie Andreu’s wife to help him celebrate the Tour de France bicycle team victory! To state it simply, this is a pretty darned exceptional pecan pie. 

Why our Pecan Pie is so good!

What makes it so great? As Amy elucidates, “What makes the difference between a good version and a great version is the quality of the ingredients and their proportions.” Muscovado brown sugar is one of the “secrets.” It takes just as long to put this amazing sugar in our pie as it would take to use industrially-refined brown sugar, but the flavor it brings is about 55 times better. Above and beyond the sugar, “Real vanilla and flavorful butter are also critical.” And, the featured element—we use mammoth halves of Western Schley and Pawnee pecans, both of which are known for their good flavor. 

Ways to enjoy our Pecan Pie.

As Mississippi-born food writer Craig Claiborne once declared, “Nothing rekindles my spirits, gives comfort to my heart and mind, more than a visit to Mississippi … and to be regaled as I often have been, with a platter of fried chicken, field peas, collard greens … to top it all off with a wedge of freshly baked pecan pie.” Shifting my geographic gears, I was thinking the other day about how in Vermont they often serve apple pie with a slice of room-temperature cheddar laid (not melted) on top. I had the thought to do the same with the Pecan Pie. I used some of the six-year-old cheddar we have at the Cream Top shop from the Widmer family in Theresa, Wisconsin. It was terrific. The sweet richness of the pie and the creamy sharpness of the cheese make a great match. Alternatively, spread a bit of the Creamery’s handmade Cream Cheese on your plate, then put the pie on top—the creaminess of the cheese, the dark gently bittersweetness of the pie, the butteriness of the crust, and the natural nuttiness of the pecans come together to make a very special way to end a meal!