The second dessert I made for Thanksgiving was an upside-down-apple-pecan pie, which was a breeze to make and, more importantly, a pleasure to eat.

I know that every time I try to make a pie with pastry on the top, it ends up tasting fine, but looking a bit like a disaster. I’m definitely not one of those people that can make food look pretty. This pie takes away that challenge though, as it’s baked like a regular pie, but once it comes out of the oven, it’s flipped upside down. Because of all the sugar, butter and pecans you put on the bottom of the pie plate, a caramelized syrup of buttery, candied pecans covers the whole thing. Inside, there’s a thick layer of spiced apples, which cuts the sweetness of the crunchy and gooey topping.

The recipe asks for refrigerated pie crusts, which I used (and enjoyed just fine!), but I’m sure you could use your own homemade crust if you prefer. I liked how easy it was just to pop a piece shell into the plate and then another shell right on top, so I do recommend using that method, unless you’re a vehement homemade crust lover.

This is a great variation on the typical apple pie, and that pecan topping is magical. Oh, and definitely serve this thing warm!

Upside-Down Apple Pecan Pie
adapted from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary
Printable Recipe

6 tablespoons butter, melted & divided
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup chopped pecans
2 refrigerated pie crusts
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
5 large firm apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch slices

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Coat a pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment or waxed paper. Coat the paper with cooking spray also.

3. In a small bowl combine 4 tablespoons of melted butter, the brown sugar and the pecans. Mix well and spread evenly over the bottom of the pie plate. Place one of the crusts in the pie plate, pressing it firmly against the nut mixture and up the sides of the plate. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix well. Add the apples in and toss gently to coat. Spoon into the pie crust.

5. Place the second crust over the apple mixture. Trim and fold the edges together to seal. Cut some slits in the top of the crust for venting.

6. Position a cookie sheet on the bottom oven rack to catch any juices that may leak from the pie while it’s baking. Bake 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until crust is golden brown. (Watch the baking time; I made two of these pies, and the first one almost had a topping of burnt pecans!)

7. To invert the pie, please a plate on top of the pie, and flip it over. Remove the pie plate then gently lift the paper. Serve while still warm, or reheat gently when it’s time to serve it.

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