Pecan Pie Kolaches

These pecan pie kolaches are made with a soft and buttery dough with a hint of nutmeg. They are topped with a sticky, sweet pecan pie filling. A perfect autumn treat!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Czech

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Resting Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 320kcal

Author Nina

Ingredients

Kolache Dough

⅔ cup milk warm
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
½ cup unsalted butter chopped into 1" pieces, room temperature
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3-4 cups all purpose flour

Pecan Pie Filling

1 large egg
¼ cup corn syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter + 2 tablespoons
⅛ teaspoon salt
¾ cup pecans halved

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Kolache Dough

Add milk, sugar and yeast to a large bowl and whisk until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes until yeast is frothy.
Add butter, eggs, salt, and nutmeg and mix to combine. Add flour 1 cup at a time until the dough comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl.
Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Pecan Pie Filling

Mix egg, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and 1.5 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan.
Place over medium heat and stir continuously until the filling thickens. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon, and when you draw a line through it with your finger, the line should stay solid.
Remove saucepan from heat. Use a fine mesh sieve to sieve the filling into a medium bowl. This is to sieve out any cooked egg. Mix in pecans and let sit while you assemble.

Assembly

Remove dough from bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a large rectangle, about ½ inch thick. Use a 3 inch circle cutter to cut out circles of dough. Place dough onto parchment lined baking sheets. You can reroll dough to use it all up.
Cover baking sheets and let the dough circles sit until puffy, about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
When dough circles have puffed up, lightly press the back of a spoon into the center of each circle to create a well. Fill well with pecan pie filling for each circle. Cover and let sit for 10 more minutes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until kolaches are lightly browned. Remove from oven. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush over each kolache. Let them cool at room temperature before serving.

Notes

Pecan pie filing can be made the day before. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.

You can use maple syrup instead of corn syrup for the pecan pie filling.

You can make the dough the night before. Let it rise until doubled in size and then store in the refrigerator covered until the next day. Let it come to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.

Buy pecan halves instead of whole pecans. It will save you time from chopping them up.

Nutrition