This Gluten-Free Vegan Pecan Pie has a crispy, buttery crust and a fudgy, gooey filling and is loaded with toasty pecans. The pastry crust can be pressed in with your fingers, so there's no need for a rolling pin or floured surface, and there's no pre-baking required. It's also refined sugar free and naturally sweetened with dates. Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
I tested this Pecan Pie recipe so many times using different combinations of ingredients for the filling. I settled on blending together dates with almond butter, which creates the best filling: a rich caramel-like flavour and a fudgy, gooey texture. It's so similar to traditional pecan pie but without all the sugar and corn syrup!
How to make this recipe
Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Combine all ingredients for the pastry dough in a glass mixing bowl.
Tip: Add the water a few tablespoons at a time so that you don't add too much!
- Place the pastry dough into a greased pie dish and use your fingers to carefully press it across the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
- You can use a fork or your fingers to create a pretty pattern around the edge if you like.
- Place the soaked and drained dates, almond butter, plant-based milk, vanilla, salt (and brandy if using) in a food processor or blender.
- Blend until completely smooth, mixing it around a couple of times if necessary.
- Transfer the filling into the pie crust.
- Press the chopped pecan nuts firmly into the filling until you have pressed them all the way to the bottom and the surface of the filling is completely covered with pecan nuts.
Tip: Chopping up the pecan nuts makes it easier to slice through the surface of the baked pie.
- Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until the pastry crust is firm to the touch and golden brown.
- Leave to cool completely before cutting, keeping in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, to allow the filling to set properly.
Substitutions you can make
- You can replace the gluten-free flour in the pastry crust with rice flour.
- You can replace the gluten-free flour with plain flour if you're not gluten-free.
- You can add the brandy (or any other alcohol of choice) to taste, or omit it entirely.
- You can add some cinnamon to the filling.
- You can use any type of plant-based milk: I used cashew milk, but almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, rice milk etc all work well.
- You can replace the almond butter with pecan butter or sunflower seed butter.
How long does this Pecan Pie keep for?
This pie does taste best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
More gluten-free vegan pie recipes
- Cherry Pie
- Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- Apple Galette
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Apple Pie Bars
- Lemon Tart
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I'd really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Watch how to make this recipe
Gluten-Free Vegan Pecan Pie
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 30 g (⅛ cup) coconut oil
- 75 g (⅔ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub rice flour, or plain all-purpose flour if not gluten-free)
- 75 g (⅔ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
- 7 tablespoons water
For the filling:
- 260 g (1 ½ cup) pitted dates soaked overnight in cold water or 10 minutes in boiling water
- 170 g (⅔ cup) smooth almond butter (or sub pecan butter or sunflower seed butter)
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or sub any other plant-based milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- Splash brandy (optional - ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)
- 250 g (2 cups) pecan nuts , roughly chopped
Instructions
For the pastry:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl along with about 7 tablespoons of water, until it forms a firm dough - add the water a few tablespoons at a time so that you don't add too much!
- You can keep this pastry dough in the fridge for up to a day if you like, but there is no need to chill it before using.
- Place the pastry dough into a greased pie dish and use your fingers to carefully press it across the bottom and up the sides of the dish (I used a 9inch/22.5cm pie dish).
- You can use a fork or your fingers to create a pretty pattern around the edge if you like.
For the filling:
- Drain the dates and place in a food processor or blender with the almond butter, almond milk, vanilla, salt (and brandy if using).
- Blend until completely smooth, mixing it around a couple of times if necessary.
- Transfer the filling into the pie crust.
- Press the roughly chopped pecan nuts firmly into the filling until you have pressed them all the way to the bottom and the surface of the filling is completely covered with pecan nuts.
- Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until the pastry crust is firm to the touch and golden brown.
- Leave to cool completely before cutting, keeping in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, to allow the filling to set properly.
- Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
Video
Notes
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog - thank you.
Liz
I used arrowroot instead of cornstarch, maybe that was the fault. I boiled the liquid a little longer for this reason as I know arrowroot isn’t exactly same as cornstarch. I followed all directions except had a pre-made GF crust I used. The pie never set fully. The middle was very liquidy I even left the pie for an additional 10 min in oven. I did completely let it cool down as I was hoping that would help it “set” completely cooled and chilled, the center was still spilling liquid it would have poured off a spoon. Very sad. The part that was cooked which was closer to the edges tasted okay.
Rhian Williams
Sorry to hear that - did you leave it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight for it to firm up completely?
Robin M
Hi Rhian,
I had an idea for the pecan filling. I was wondering if it would be possible to mix the pecans in the filling then add to the pie crust instead of pushing the pecans in? Pushing them in seems like it could be tricky. Thinking the filling will be a tad thick and sticky. I obviously have not yet made this pie and was thinking of for a party this weekend.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Thanks, Robin M
Rhian Williams
Hi Robin! Yes you can mix the pecans in if you like. I found pushing them in was easier because the mixture was very thick and sticky, as you said! But if you can manage mixing them in first, then that works too! Would love to hear how you get on. Thank you!
Kathy
Is the 260g weight of dates before soaking or after soaking?
Rhian Williams
Before soaking!
Lynn
I want to make this today, but confused about comments on corn starch vs arrowroot... I don't see either in recipe?!
Rhian Williams
Hi - sorry for the confusion, I updated the recipe a couple of years ago and changed the ingredients. The old version contained cornstarch, but this new one doesn't (and is a much better recipe)!
Rishi
The coconut oil you used for the pie crust - is it solid coconut oil or a liquid coconut oil
Thanks
Rhian Williams
Solid!