Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned
A seasonal twist on the classic whiskey cocktail, the Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned is a perfect cocktail for a chilly night. Toasted pecans soak in whiskey for days before the infused alcohol is combined with sugar and bitters to make a homemade Old Fashioned. This infused whiskey makes enough for 6 old fashioneds.
Love a whiskey drink? Don’t miss Kentucky Mule, Sparkling Bourbon Pumpkin Apple Cider Punch and Strawberry Old Fashioned!
Y’all should know by now I’m kind of into whiskey and bourbon. (For evidence of this, check out this Whiskey Cocktails Recipe Index.)
I love it in baked goods, like Bourbon Pecan Brownies. I love it in drinks, like Blueberry Mint Juleps and Busted Pipe (Bourbon Amaro Cocktail)!
And I especially love it around this time of year because I can mix it with a favorite drink to make myself and those I love warm and cozy.
Why I love this recipe:
This Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned was inspired by my infused Candy Cane Vodka.
Candy Cane Vodka is one of my recipes that explodes this time of year, and since it’s gone over so well (and deliciously—I keep a mason jar of it on our bar during winter months to mix with coffee, hot cocoa and more!), I wanted to make something similar.
When my friend Susannah suggested making an infused whiskey, I knew it needed to be done.
The answer came in the form of holiday inspiration. Specifically, the Bourbon Pecan Pie that I bring to Thanksgiving every year.
So I toasted pecans, let them cool and threw them in a jar of whiskey. Then I let ’em hang out for a few days. And when they were complete, I opened the jar and made Old Fashioneds.
The end result is delightful!
If you’re in the market for the classic cocktail, check out this Old-Fashioned Drink or a smoked old fashioned.
Other ways to use bourbon and whiskey in recipes: Bourbon Butter Sweet Potatoes Spiced Apple / Blizzard Bourbon Cranberry Cocktail / Upside Down Cake with Bourbon Caramel Glaze / Bourbon Maple Bacon Cupcakes / Boozy Bacon Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars
Looking to mix a unique cocktail? My Cocktail Recipe Index has tons of inspiration for you!
What do I need to make a Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned?
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- You’ll definitely need a mason jar. If you’re making this infused bourbon as a gift, consider ordering a personalized mason jar.
- A jigger or an angled measuring cup
- Muddler
- Sphere ice molds
In addition to those tools, you’ll also need…
- Pecans—halves or pieces work here, so use whatever you’ve got.
- Your favorite bourbon or whiskey—please, please, please make it something drinkable, though, because you’re obviously going to taste this in the drink.
- Angostura bitters
- Sugar cubes or turbinado sugar
How to make a Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned
Infuse the Whiskey
Preheat the oven, and place the pecans on a baking sheet.
Transfer the pecans to the oven and toast for 5-10 minutes… or until browned and fragrant.
Please keep an eye on the pecans as you’re toasting them. You’ll have to start over if they burn because the burnt pecans will give the whiskey an acrid taste.
When they’re toasted, remove ’em from the oven, and let them cool completely.
Once cool, transfer to a mason jar, and pour the whiskey on top.
Let the whiskey infuse for 3-4 days.
When done, remove the pecans from the whiskey and throw them out. If the pecans stay in the whiskey longer, you’ll run the risk of them drying out the whiskey, and we don’t want that to happen.
Make a Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned
In an Old Fashioned glass or a rocks glass, measure the sugar cube (or the sugar) and dash in the Angostura bitters.
Use a muddler to break down the sugar, as well as combine it with the bitters. Be sure to coat the sides of the glass as you do this!
Place whiskey stones or a large ice cube inside the glass, then pour the Toasted Pecan Whiskey over the cubes.
Swirl the contents of the glass to mix, and enjoy immediately!
Frequently Asked Questions
The cocktail is slightly smoky and sweet, the toasted pecan taste really taking shape as you swallow the whiskey. There’s a subtle vanilla taste, too. While the Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned is strong, it goes down smoothly.
It should not give you dry mouth. Taste your pecans before infusing to ensure they’re A-OK, then follow the instructions below, infusing for the same amount of time. No more, no less.
SURE! I’m partial to pairing whiskey/bourbon with pecans (hello, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Hand Pies, Vegan Bourbon Pecan Milk Punch, Bourbon Pecan Brownies and more…), but if you’re not a fan, feel free to pair this with another nut of choice.
I think it would be delicious infused with toasted walnuts or even cashews!
If you give this a try, let me know what you used and what you think of the end result!
We’ve always left ours on the countertop or in a cold/dry place in the kitchen. You do not need to put your jar of infused whiskey in the fridge.
Does this sound like something you’d like to try? (If you like bourbon/whiskey and strong drinks, this should be RIGHT up your alley!)
If so, scroll on down to learn how to make this goodness for yourself, your friends and family this winter…
Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned
Ingredients
Toasted Pecan Whiskey (Makes enough for SIX drinks)
- ½ cup pecans toasted
- 1 ½ cups whiskey a good drinking one!
Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned
- 1 sugar cube or ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 4 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 oz. Toasted Pecan Whiskey recipe above
- Spherical ice cube
Equipment
- Sugar cubes
- Angostura bitters
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Instructions
Make the Toasted Pecan Whiskey
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the pecans on a baking sheet. Transfer to the preheated oven.
- Toast the pecans for 5-10 minutes or until browned and fragrant. (Keep an eye on them, as you could potentially burn them if not paying attention!)
- Remove from the oven, and let cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the cooled pecans to a mason jar, and pour the whiskey on top of them.
- Let the whiskey infuse for 3-4 days. (Don't go any longer than 4 days, as the pecans could dry the whiskey out.)
Make the Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned
- In an Old Fashioned or your favorite whiskey glass, measure the sugar cube/loose sugar and dash in the Angostura bitters.
- Use a muddler to break down the sugar cube and combine it with the bitters, coating the sides of the glass as the sugar and bitters mix.
- Place a large ice cube (or whiskey stones) in the glass. Pour the Toasted Pecan Whiskey over it, swirling it to mix with the bitters and sugar mixture.
- Enjoy immediately!
Notes
Nutrition
Have you ever infused whiskey before?
Would you try a Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned?
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
I think we would have a lot of fun hanging out in person! You always have such yummy drink recipes. We just bought a bar cabinet for our house, so I’m excited to stock up and try making some of your recipes.
I completely agree with you, Jenna! Thanks for the compliment on the yummy drinks — we adore them at our house, and we have so much fun making different things to try out! I’m happy to hear y’all recently acquired a bar cabinet and that you’re going to be stocking up to make some of these. I hope they don’t disappoint!
I want to have a cocktail hour with you!! (Jenna too!) I’ll bring some fun soda syrups for spritzers if you bring the infused alcohol. I saw this on instagram and there are now pecans toasting in my oven right now to add to some whiskey. I even got a fun bottle of artisan old fashioned bitters for my birthday to add to it!
Yes! Let’s have cocktail hour! That would be SO FUN! And I love these fun soda syrups you’re talking about. I hope y’all have thoroughly enjoyed these cocktails!
This sounds great! My family grows pecans in New Mexico. I’m getting married in May. Instead of the dollar dance, the bride to be and i will be tending bar for a segment at the wedding for tips and making a pecan version of a black walnut cocktail we had the night i proposed to her.
About how much whiskey/bourbon do you lose to the now-soaked pecans? This cuts any need for nut-flavored bitters, would you think? I have some black walnut bitters i really like and i’m about to try out El Guapo’s chicory pecan bitters anyway.
Thanks, Dustyn! That’s so cool that your family grows pecans in New Mexico! Congratulations on the wedding, and I love the idea of you and your bride tending bar for a segment of the wedding – so unique and fun!
You don’t lose too much of that whiskey/bourbon to the now-soaked pecans. Honestly, I didn’t pay much attention to it, and from what I can tell, it wasn’t much. You certainly don’t need any nutty bitters, but you could totally give it a try if you wanted! This whiskey/bourbon goes down easy by itself, too.
I hope this helps, and I hope the wedding planning is coming along and that the tending bar goes splendidly!
Thank you for the reply! It occurs to me that maybe any soaking that the pecan would be doing will probably already have happened with the water soaking by the time the alcohol-infusing.
It would be great if the bitters are unnecessary!
LOVE those rocks glasses… where did you find them? Love this site… just found it. Thanks, Gab
Hey Gab! I got the glasses from Anthropologie a few years ago. Here they are. Cheers!
Awesome recipe! Where did you get those glasses? I have searched and searched the internet and can’t seem to find them? I love the look! Thanks!
Thanks, Nathan! I got the glasses from Anthropologie a few years ago. Here they are.
I read that as pouring the whiskey over sugar and BUTTER. And now I have to try that!
HA! Well, that would certainly be interesting! Never tried whiskey and butter before, but since both are good on their own, maybe the combo would work? 😉 Enjoy!
I’m not usually one for old fashioned’s but this is one I could get behind!
Wow. Yum! I definitely need to try this. So perfect for fall!
My grandfather would absolutely love this! Might need to try it out for him!
Old Fashioneds were my Grandpa’s favorite drink… I think he would have loved this version!
I just love that you infuse the whiskey with toasted pecans! 🙂 I bet this cocktail tastes amazing!
Definitely intrigued…I love your drink recipes! And those glasses are gorgeous!
I’d absolutely love this cocktail.
Thanks so much for the recipe! I tried it last week and had the first taste last night. One question – the whiskey seemed REALLY dry after being infused (it’s not usually!). You know when you eat a pecan and it kinda drys out your mouth? Like that! Have you had this problem? I think I must have used too much pecan to whiskey, I wasn’t very accurate
Hey Annah, I’m so happy you tried this! But I’m sorry that the whiskey tasted dry. Unfortunately, we have not experienced this with ours. What kind of whiskey were you using? And did you use a lot more pecans than called for? Curious as to why this would’ve happened… 🙂
Hi Erin! Thanks for getting back to me! I use Bulleit bourbon – I only use a 1/2 cup of whiskey so it’s possible that I just used a few too many pecans which over powered such a small amount! I’ve just made a bigger batch and soaked the pecans first, and used a little under 1:3 ratio. We shall see at the weekend when it’s ready! I’ll let you know!
You’re welcome! I wonder if the small amount of whiskey and the additional pecans caused it to be overpowered. I’m curious how this second batch turns out for you, and I hope you find it delicious!
What do you mean by tasted dry? Mine left us with cotton mouth (i used a different process, though). Also used Bulleit. Pretty sure i used more pecans than called for too. I also left them to infuse for quite a bit longer. I did soak mine in water first.
Hey Dustyn. I think Annah is talking about the same thing. Cotton mouth = dry mouth. I’m sorry this drink didn’t turn out for y’all. If I had to take a guess – and I could be wrong – but I think too many pecans plus infusing for quite a bit longer might be what caused this. Ours was delicious and didn’t leave us with dry mouths. If you make it again, try it how I laid it out in the recipe and let me know what you think!
This sounds delicious! I will be making this recipe. Cheers!
Woohoo! So happy to hear you’re be making this recipe, Dana. I hope you enjoy it–CHEERS!
LOVE those rocks glasses… where did you find them? Love this site… just found it. Thanks, Gab
Awesome recipe! Where did you get those glasses? I have searched and searched the internet and can’t seem to find them? I love the look! Thanks!
Old Fashioneds were my Grandpa’s favorite drink… I think he would have loved this version!
LOVE those rocks glasses… where did you find them? Love this site… just found it. Thanks, Gab
Awesome recipe! Where did you get those glasses? I have searched and searched the internet and can’t seem to find them? I love the look! Thanks!
Old Fashioneds were my Grandpa’s favorite drink… I think he would have loved this version!
This sounds delicious! I’m going to go get pecans today. Do you do anything with the pecans when you’re done infusing the bourbon?
Hooray, Lori! I love that you’re going to make this.
I don’t do anything with the pecans, as they lose all their flavor and are just kind of mushy. Maybe you could turn them into a pecan milk of sorts… but that might be overwhelmingly bourbon-y.
Let me know what you think and if you have any questions! So excited that you’re making this!
Curious, if I possibly used too many pecans and left it for a day or two longer than recommended, can I add more plain whiskey to it to cut it a bit? Thanks so much!
Do you refrigerate during the 3-4 day period of just leave on the counter?
Hi Kayla, you can just leave it on the counter!
Thanks for your question; I’m going to go add this to the FAQ section of the post to make it clearer.
This is a great recipe and I’m thankful for finding it. However, to discard the bourbon soaked toasted pecans is to miss a wonderful opportunity. I toast the pecans again and make chocolate brownies with them. Amazing!!
Oh, that’s a brilliant idea to re-toast those pecans and use them in brownies. YUM!