These maple vegan pecan pie bars are delicious bites that taste exactly like a traditional pecan pie recipe without corn syrup. Do you know the one that you love during the holiday season? Yeah, that's the one. The vegan, buttery shortbread crust topped with gooey maple-flavored pecans will be your new pecan dessert, especially for Thanksgiving or any holiday gathering. Try this recipe for pecan pie bars today with a delicious pecan pie topping.
This recipe is in partnership with Steep Into It.
Easy Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
I have no doubt in my mind that you will enjoy these pecan pie bars, typically made with a shortbread crust, but mine are made without corn syrup. A classic pecan dessert made with healthy, good-for-you ingredients. You can also add the adaptogenic mushroom powder to help with everyday stress. The holidays oftentimes bring out stressful situations, and adaptogens help your body cope with that stress in a natural healthy way. You can read more about adaptogens here. I used the Be Well, Everyday Premium 5-Mushroom Extract Blend by Steep Into It.
Ingredients You Need for Vegan Pecan Pie Bars
Pecans: This delicious crunchy nut has a natural buttery, rich flavor that makes pecan pie so full of flavor.
Almond Flour: Almond flour has a nice delicate flavor profile which allows the vegan butter flavor to shine through in this shortbread crust made without corn syrup.
Vegan Butter: This buttery shortbread crust can't happen without adding this key ingredient. You will love the decadence of this shortbread crust but with a vegan twist.
Maple Syrup:To get that maple flavor coating the tasty pecans, use good quality maple syrup. The maple syrup and coconut sugar replaces the corn syrup you typically find in a traditional pie bar recipe. These pecan pie bars are made without corn syrup, because maple syrup and coconut sugar have more vitamins and minerals.
Coconut Flour: This is one of my favorite flours to add to baked goods. So, coconut flour tends to make baked desserts dry and crumbly, which is why I used it only as a binder starch for the filling and a tiny bit in the crust to hold everything together nicely.
Coconut Sugar: I personally love using coconut sugar in baked goods but if must substitute, try brown sugar instead.
Adaptogenic Mushroom Powder: This is an optional ingredient. I love adding in adaptogens to my recipes to help the body cope with the stressors in life. There is no flavor change if you use Steep Into It's mushroom powder blend, but you will gain the benefits of more energy, immune support, and digestive health.
Pecans Health Benefits
This crunchy nut is a satisfying snack because of its protein, healthy fats, and fiber content. You will feel satiated by snacking on this yummy nut of goodness.
Pecans are a wonderful source of magnesium, potassium, and calcium too. The magnesium and potassium will aid in lowering your blood pressure.
Healthy fats should be included in your diet and pecans are a perfect way to get in those monounsaturated fats (1). For example, evidence supports that including monounsaturated fatty acids in your diet, may benefit heart health (2).
Pecans are also great for cognitive brain function. A study of Chinese adults concluded that nut consumption was associated with improved mental cognition and may protect against decline (3).
PECANS KEY NUTRIENTS
Protein | Fiber | Healthy Fats | Copper | Thiamine | Zinc | Magnesium | Potassium| Iron | Calcium | Phosphorus
How to Make an Easy, Vegan Pecan Pie Bar Recipe
STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
To Prepare the Crust:
STEP 2
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt, vegan butter, and maple syrup. Make sure to use cold butter, as we are making crumbly sand-like consistency.
STEP 3
Next spread the shortbread dough evenly into the lined baking dish. Press down with your fingers or spatula. Be sure to pack it down well and evenly. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep on it because oven temperatures vary slightly. Once it's golden brown, remove it from the oven. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
To Prepare the Filling:
STEP 4
Next, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the melted butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, milk, pecans, and coconut flour.
STEP 5
Pour the filling mixture over the top of the cooled shortbread pie crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven. Set aside to cool completely before cutting into 16 equal pecan pie bar slices.
How to Store These Pecan Pie Bars
Fridge: Store any leftover pie bars in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Maple Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups Almond Flour
- ¾ cup Coconut Flour
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter cold and cubed
- 4 tablespoons Maple Syrup
- Optional: 1 teaspoon of adaptogenic mushroom powder I used the Steep Into It brand
Filling Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup melted vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened dairy-free milk of choice
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 cups pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- To prepare the crust: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt, vegan butter, and maple syrup. Make sure to use cold butter, as we are making crumbly sand-like consistency.
- Next spread the shortbread dough evenly into the lined baking dish. Press down with your fingers or spatula. Be sure to pack it down well and evenly. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep on it because oven temperatures vary slightly. Once it's golden brown, remove it from the oven. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- To prepare the filling: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the melted butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, milk, pecans, and coconut flour.
- Pour the filling mixture over the top of the cooled shortbread pie crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven. Set aside to cool completely before cutting into 16 equal pecan pie bar slices.
Notes
Nutrition
PECAN PIE BARS FAQ
Can I make these pie bars with all-purpose flour?
Yes. If you don't have dietary restrictions like celiac disease, you can substitute the almond and coconut flour with equal parts of all-purpose flour.
Can I make this recipe into one large pecan pie?
Yes, if you prefer to make one pecan pie instead of individual pecan pie bars, simply follow the directions as usual, except don't cut into bars.
How many calories are in one slice of these paleo pecan pie bars?
Each one of these slices is 403 calories, 5.2 grams of protein and 7.5 grams of fiber.
Enjoy These Easy, Healthy Vegan Pecan Pie Bars Recipe!
Did you try out my easy and healthy gluten-free vegan pecan pie bars for a delicious vegan pecan dessert during the holidays? In addition, if you share a picture of your pecan dessert, be sure to tag me.
Let me know in the comments below. Meanwhile, connect with me @Eat_Your_Nutrition on Instagram. I love seeing your photos. #EatYourNutrition #LauraVillanueva
Healthy Holidays Survival Guide
Ultimate guide to thrive and survive during the crazy holiday season. Healthy eating tips, reset meal plan, and recipes for the holidays. for your recipe.
REFERENCES:
- Del Gobbo LC, Falk MC, Feldman R, Lewis K, Mozaffarian D. Effects of tree nuts on blood lipids, apolipoproteins, and blood pressure: systematic review, meta-analysis, and dose-response of 61 controlled intervention trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Dec;102(6):1347-56. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.110965. Epub 2015 Nov 11. PMID: 26561616; PMCID: PMC4658458.
- Campos VP, Portal VL, Markoski MM, Quadros AS, Bersch-Ferreira ÂC, Garavaglia J, Marcadenti A. Effects of a healthy diet enriched or not with pecan nuts or extra-virgin olive oil on the lipid profile of patients with stable coronary artery disease: a randomized clinical trial. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2020 Jun;33(3):439-450. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12727. Epub 2019 Dec 19. PMID: 31856379.
- Li M, Shi Z. A Prospective Association of Nut Consumption with Cognitive Function in Chinese Adults aged 55+ _ China Health and Nutrition Survey. J Nutr Health Aging. 2019;23(2):211-216. doi: 10.1007/s12603-018-1122-5. PMID: 30697633.
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