521 October 13, 2019 Dessert

Healthy Pecan Pie Bars

Name: Healthy Pecan Pie Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1.5 cups almond flour; 1/4 cup coconut flour; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted; 1 tsp vanilla; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 cup melted coconut oil; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 2/3 cup coconut sugar; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 tbsp almond milk; 2 cups chopped pecans

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Healthy Pecan Pie Bars are paleo, vegan, gluten free, and taste exactly like real pecan pie! They’re simple to make, have a delicious pecan filling on top, and only require 15 minutes of prep time.

The most delicious pecan dessert

As a kid, I never wanted anything to do with pecan pie. I absolutely loathed it, always preferring chocolate or anything cake related. It wasn’t until I grew older that I realized just how good pecan pie really is!

Now, I never turn down a slice or two.

The great thing about being an adult is that you don’t have to wait for a holiday to roll around in order to eat a certain food. The same goes for birthday cake! Why did it never occur to me to put a birthday cake in my grocery cart just because? Someone doesn’t have to be turning a year older to be “allowed” to enjoy a delicious slice of cake!

Anyway, once this realization hit me, I found myself with a huge craving for pecan pie. Though traditionally a Thanksgiving dessert, this recipe can be enjoyed any time of the year. And, with healthy ingredients, it should be!

These healthy pecan pie bars are extremely easy to make and are like a slice of pie right in the palm of your hand. If you like pecan pie, you’ve got to try these bars.

Pecan pie bars video

Ingredients used in this easy pecan pie recipe

This recipe has two main parts: the crust and the filling. For each section, you’ll need six different ingredients, tough a few overlap (maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla). All in all, this recipe uses simple, healthier ingredients for a more nutrient-rich dessert option!

Crust:

Filling:

Coconut oil
Maple syrup
Coconut sugar
Vanilla
Almond milk
Chopped pecans

That’s it! I really strive to keep my baked goods as simple as possible with some of the most nutritious ingredients.

What to use to make pecan bars

To make healthy pecan pie bars, be sure to have these items on hand. If you have a different sized pan, it will work! With a larger pan, however, you’ll have thinner bars and may not need as much baking time. Be sure to keep an eye as it cooks!

8×8 inch pan
Parchment paper or cooking spray
Mixing bowl
Stirring utensil
Saucepan

How to make healthy pecan pie bars

Healthy pecan pie bars are easy to whip together and require less than an hour, including baking time! Once finished, keep any extra bars stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

To start, preheat the oven to 350F and prepare an 8×8 inch pan with grease, cooking spray, or parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt until well combined.

Next, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Once out of the oven, let the crust cool completely.

In a saucepan, heat the coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla until boiling (about 3-4 minutes), stirring consistently.

Once boiling, consistently stir and let the mixture bubble for one minute. When a minute has passed, turn off the heat. Avoid overcooking, as this will burn the sugar.

Next, stir in the almond milk and the pecans.

Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and then bake for 20-22 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter for 15 minutes. Allow it to cool in the fridge for at least two hours before eating.

Once cooled, cut and enjoy!

Serve your pecan bars like this

When it comes to serving up pecan bars, I like to eat them like I would a warm brownie! Serve ’em up with coconut whipped cream or with a single scoop of vanilla ice cream.

For extra comfort, you can stick your pecan bar in the microwave for 10 seconds to warm it up a bit.

Ingredient substitution options

If you find yourself with a few different ingredients on hand, they may work in this recipe. Here are some common swaps that you may be interested in trying!

Maple syrup: I like to use maple syrup to sweeten my recipes, as it’s one of the ingredients that makes my baked goods a bit healthier! However, you can replace it with honey or molasses if necessary.
Coconut oil: Coconut oil can be replaced with any other similar cooking oil.
Coconut sugar: Instead of coconut sugar, feel free to use light brown sugar. Note that brown sugar tends to be a bit sweeter, so you may not need as much as far as flavor goes.
Almond milk: Any plant based milk will work in place of almond milk. Feel free to use coconut, soy, or oat milk!

For the base, you can use any type of shortbread. The coconut flour in this recipe creates a slight coconut flavor, but it’s not extreme. If you’d like to use a full almond-flour base, feel free! Any almond flour shortbread crust recipe should do the trick.

More bar-style desserts from Erin Lives Whole

If you liked this pecan pie bar recipe, get excited. There are so many similar dessert ideas on my blog! Bars are kind of similar to brownies, but they taste totally different and are super customizable. Have you tried my Pumpkin Oat Bars or my Cookie Dough Bars? If not, you’ll want to ASAP!