2Thaw the deep dish pie crusts for about 15 minutes out of the freezer.
3Poke holes in the pie crusts with a fork.
4Bake the pie crusts at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5While the pie crusts are baking, pour pecans onto a baking sheet.
6Toast the pecans in the oven with the pie crusts for about 10 minutes.
7Remove the toasted pecans from the oven and place them in the freezer to cool.
8Allow the baked pie crusts to cool completely.
9In a bowl, combine two 8-ounce packages of softened cream cheese, 1 cup of packed dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of butter extract, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
10In a separate bowl, whisk together two small boxes of Jello instant cheesecake flavored pudding and 3 cups of milk until thickened.
11Mix the thickened cheesecake pudding into the cream cheese mixture by hand.
12Crumble about half a cup of the cooled toasted pecans into the mixture and mix well.
13Fold in one container of Cool Whip into the filling.
14Fill the cooled pie shells with the mixture.
15Place whole pecan halves on top of the pies for decoration.
16Refrigerate the pies for at least six hours.
Ingredients
2 Pillsbury deep dish pie crust
pecans
2 8 ounce Philadelphia cream cheese softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp butter extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 small boxes Jello instant cheesecake flavored pudding
3 cups milk
2 containers Cool Whip
Equipment
ovenforkbaking sheetwhiskstand mixer (optional)
Tips
Handle pie crusts with care to avoid damage.
Poking holes in the pie crusts helps prevent excessive shrinking during baking.
Toasting pecans enhances their flavor.
Cool toasted pecans and baked pie crusts completely before assembling the pie.