The Recipe That Brilliantly Turns Ritz Crackers Into Dessert

If you’ve ever spent a Sunday afternoon at the Piccadilly Cafeteria in the South, you can take one look at this creamy, dreamy dessert and know exactly what it is.

Pecan Delight, miracle pie, cracker pie—this vintage pie goes by many names, but “Mock Pecan Pie” has to be our favorite of them all. This pie has been top-rated on our site for over 20 years, and its one-of-a-kind taste is so delicious, it’s just plain awesome.

What Is Mock Pecan Pie Pie?

Mock Pecan Pie is a two-tiered dessert that tastes like a cross between a pecan pie and a cream pie. Depending on where you live, you might know it by a different name, but the credit for this quirky title goes to creator livinglizalou, who dug it up—and we couldn’t love it more.

The unconventional pie doesn’t have a crust, but has a meringue-like base with a chewy, yet crisp texture from buttery Ritz crackers and chopped pecans. Once the base is baked off, the whole thing is covered with frozen whipped topping (or freshly whipped cream, for the pie purists) that perfectly complements the cookie-like center. Altogether, it’s rich, creamy, crackly, and chewy, and it makes for the most heavenly bite.

This light and luscious layered dessert is perfect for whipping up whenever you need a last-minute treat, but it’s also tasty enough to headline the holiday dessert table. Plus, with a name like Mock Pecan Pie, it’s guaranteed to delight your guests.

How to Make Mock Pecan Pie

Believe it or not, this one-bowl recipe comes together in just three steps.

To start, beat egg whites until slightly stiff, then fold in sugar, vanilla, crushed Ritz crackers, and chopped pecans and stir until fully combined. If needed, you can also easily sub in another kind of nut, like walnuts or almonds. Pour the mixture into a greased pie plate and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes exactly.

Once the pie cools to room temperature, cover the top with non-dairy whipped topping (aka Cool Whip) or fresh whipped cream, and chill for at least 2 hours.

To take the classic pie up a notch, some reviewers suggest toasting the pecans before mixing them into the filling and finishing the whole thing off with chopped pecans on top.

And that everyone, is Mock Pecan Pie (or Pecan Delight): easy, simple, good.