I feel like around the holidays, pecans are EVERYWHERE! I’m not complaining- I love their buttery flavor in sweet and savory dishes… have you ever had them toasted on top of a salad? LIFE CHANGING! Speaking of life changing, I had one of those moments the first time I tasted pecan pie. (Add it to the list of *junk* foods I never had until I went to college 😆) Don’t get me wrong- I certainly wasn’t deprived of pie in my life, in fact, my Grandma is the absolute Queen of Pies, bringing pumpkin and apple to every Thanksgiving and Christmas I can remember. But, it wasn’t until a Friendsgiving in college that I had pecan pie for the first time, and ever since, I’ve been hooked.
When I went to make my first pecan pie, I was instantly turned off by the fact the filling seemed to be pure sugar, including being loaded with corn syrup- an ingredient I try to avoid at all costs. Obviously pie is a dessert, but when I compared it to an apple or a pumpkin pie, it just seemed like pecan pie was so much worse for me than the alternatives. So I guess you could say I was stoked when I had the idea to use Vitafiber (20% off with the code: VFELLENW20) syrup in its place- not only taking away the inflammatory effects of corn syrup, but reducing the overall sugar content of the pie. I figured I wouldn’t use Vitafiber for it ALL (that might be a little too much fiber) so I halved it with brown rice syrup, one of the lowest glycemic sweeteners, made from fermented cooked rice.
In all honesty, I was very skeptical of how the combination of these two would turn out, but to my surprise, this pie turned out AMAZING! It has literally blown the minds of everyone I’ve fed it to, myself and the Queen of Pies, included.
Probably my favorite part about this pecan pie is it fully embodies my mission to show everyone that HEATH TASTES GOOD! Not only is the filling dairy-free, egg-free, butter-free, low sugar, and high fiber…but it’s loaded with pecans (duh!), which are the most antioxidant rich tree nut! These tasty little nuts are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are specifically high in manganese (63% of your daily recommendation in one serving) a mineral that serves as a powerful antioxidant helping to maintain proper nerve and brain function. In addition, they tout a good amount of copper, a mineral that likewise boosts brain function, but is also noteworthy in reducing inflammation in the body.
Ok, that’s enough talking for now… you’ve got to get cooking! Before I let you go, a couple other things to note about this recipe:
- If you’re not into graham cracker crust, simply use this healthier-for-you filling recipe with any crust you enjoy!
- Be sure to give the pie plenty of time to cool, so the filling sets and doesn’t ooze all over the plate when you cut it 😉
- Don’t forget the whipped cream!!
I hope you and your family enjoy this Pecan Pie during the holiday season as much as my family and I sure do- bon appetite!
- Yield: 6-8 slices
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Pecan Pie {vegan, reduced sugar, no corn syrup}
Ingredients
- For a Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 1/2 sleeves graham crackers (1 3/4 cup crumbs) - crushed into crumbs
- 6-7T coconut oil - melted, refined for no coconut taste
- 2T water
- For the pie filling:
- 3T ground flaxseed + 6T water
- 1/2 cup vitafiber syrup
- 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil - refined for more buttery taste and no coconut flavor
- 1T bourbon
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups pecans - roughly chopped
- coconut whipped cream or another non-dairy whipped cream - for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Use a food processor to grind the graham cracker into fine crumbs.
- Melt the coconut oil, combine with the water, and then add to the graham cracker crumbs, stirring until fully moistened. Lightly spray a 9-inch pie pan with non-stick spray, then press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and up along the sides. Use the back of a measuring cup to help even out the crust (the edges might still be a little loose).
- Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden, allow to cool as much as possible before pouring filling into the crust.
- When the pie comes out of the oven, turn heat to 350F and begin making the filling.
- Combine the ground flaxseed and water, set aside at least 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except for the pecans, until evenly mixed. Stir in the flax egg. Stir in the pecans. Pour filling into the pre-baked pie shell.
- Transfer to the oven and bake 40 minutes.
- Remove pie from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow to sit at room temperature at least 4 hours before slicing. Store at room temperature up to 3 days. Serve with coconut whipped cream or any other non-dairy whipped topping!
Allergens
