This Buttered Pecan Old Fashioned is everything you love about buttery, sweet, salty pecans turned into an incredibly delicious bourbon cocktail. It's rich, nutty, a little sweet, and has the most amazing salty bite that makes all those buttery pecan flavors pop. If you love sweet and salty combinations, this might just be your new favorite fall old fashioned.
The secret is salted brown butter fat-washed bourbon, which gives the cocktail a rich, toasted, buttery flavor with just the right amount of saltiness. We pair that with a homemade maple pecan syrup, cinnamon bitters, and black walnut bitters for a cocktail that's decadent, cozy, and basically tastes like buttered pecans in a glass. It's absolutely perfect for fall, Thanksgiving, or anytime you're craving something a little indulgent.
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⭐ WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BUTTERED PECAN OLD FASHIONED
Sweet and salty perfection. The salted brown butter bourbon brings a delicious savory bite that balances the sweetness of the maple pecan syrup.
Incredible buttery pecan flavor. Between the nutty brown butter, toasted pecan notes, maple syrup, and black walnut bitters, this cocktail is packed with rich, cozy flavors.
The perfect fall cocktail. It's decadent, comforting, and tastes like something you'd want to sip next to a fireplace on a chilly evening.
🥘 KEY INGREDIENTS
- Bourbon: The base of this cocktail! We're fat-washing the bourbon with salted brown butter to give it a rich, nutty, buttery flavor.
- Salted Butter: This is what makes the cocktail so special. I love using Kerrygold salted butter because of its rich flavor. Browning the butter brings out those delicious toasted, nutty notes, while the salt creates that amazing sweet and salty contrast.
- Pecans: The star of our homemade maple pecan syrup. Simmering pecans with maple syrup and brown sugar infuses the syrup with a rich, buttery, nutty flavor.
- Maple Syrup: Adds a deep, natural sweetness that works beautifully with the brown butter and pecans.
- Brown Sugar: Gives the syrup an extra layer of caramel-like richness.
- Cinnamon Bitters: A little warm spice ties all those fall flavors together.
- Black Walnut Bitters: These really bring out the nutty flavors in the bourbon and pecan syrup, adding depth and balancing the sweetness.
See recipe card for quantities.
🥃 HOW TO MAKE IT
- Step 1: Make the Salted Brown Butter Bourbon.
- Add one stick of salted butter (preferably Kerrygold) to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the butter becomes bubbly and the milk solids turn a beautiful amber brown, being careful not to burn them. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
- Add the browned butter to a large sealable jar with 2 cups of bourbon. Shake well and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate or freeze for 12-24 hours until the butter solidifies.
- Remove the solidified butter and strain the bourbon through a coffee filter or fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth to remove the remaining butter solids. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Step 2: Make the Maple Pecan Syrup
- In a saucepan, combine:
- 1 ½ cups pecans
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- Heat over medium to medium-low heat for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pecans have softened and the syrup is infused with their flavor.
- Remove from the heat and let cool completely before straining out the pecans.
- Step 3: Make the Old Fashioned
- Fill a mixing glass with ice and add:
- 2 ounces salted brown butter bourbon
- ¼-1/2 ounce maple pecan syrup
- 1 dash cinnamon bitters
- 2 dashes black walnut bitters
- Step 4: Stir and Garnish with a pecan!
Top TipS
Don't burn the butter! You want the milk solids to turn a deep golden or amber brown, not black. Brown butter should smell rich, toasted, and nutty. That's where so much of the cocktail's flavor comes from.
Adjust the sweetness to your liking. Start with ¼ ounce of maple pecan syrup for a more bourbon-forward old fashioned, or use ½ ounce if you prefer something a little sweeter and more decadent.
Take your time straining the bourbon. A coffee filter or cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh sieve helps remove the butter solids and gives you a smooth, clean cocktail with all that delicious brown butter flavor.
Buttered Pecan Old Fashioned
The Buttered Pecan Old Fashioned is everything you love about buttery, sweet, salty pecans turned into an incredibly delicious bourbon cocktail.
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 24 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink
Ingredients
Salted Brown Butter Bourbon
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter (preferably Kerrygold)
- 2 cups bourbon
Maple Pecan Syrup
- 1 ½ cups pecans
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
Old fashsioned:
- 2 ounces salted brown butter bourbon
- ¼-1/2 ounce maple pecan syrup (I prefer ½ ounce)
- 1 dash cinnamon bitters
- 2 dashes black walnut bitters
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Salted Brown Butter Bourbon
- Add one stick of salted butter (preferably Kerrygold) to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the butter becomes bubbly and the milk solids turn a beautiful amber brown, being careful not to burn them. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
- Add the browned butter to a large sealable jar with 2 cups of bourbon. Shake well and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate or freeze for 12-24 hours until the butter solidifies.
- Remove the solidified butter and strain the bourbon through a coffee filter or fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth to remove the remaining butter solids. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Step 2: Make the Maple Pecan Syrup
- In a saucepan, combine:
- 1 ½ cups pecans
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- Heat over medium to medium-low heat for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pecans have softened and the syrup is infused with their flavor.
- Remove from the heat and let cool completely before straining out the pecans.
Step 3: Make the Old Fashioned
- Fill a mixing glass with ice and add:
- 2 ounces salted brown butter bourbon
- ¼-1/2 ounce maple pecan syrup
- 1 dash cinnamon bitters
- 2 dashes black walnut bitters
- Stir until well chilled and combined.
Step 4: Strain and Garnish
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube and garnish with a pecan.
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