These Vegan Pecan Pie Bars have a crunchy, buttery base and a fudgy, gooey filling and are loaded with toasty pecans. They're also gluten-free and refined sugar free and make a great alternative to Pecan Pie!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword gluten-free pecan pie bars, vegan pecan pie bars, vegan thanksgiving dessert
Splashbrandy(optional – ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)
125g(1cup)pecan nuts , roughly chopped
Instructions
For the base:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.
Add the maple syrup, ground almonds, brown rice flour and salt and mix well – add a splash of any plant-based milk if it’s looking too dry to combine.
Transfer the mixture into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper – I used a one-pound loaf tin.
Use your fingers to push the mixture all the way to the edges, then use a spatula to press down on it until the surface is completely even.
Bake in oven for 10 minutes - you'll be baking this again so you don't want to over-bake at this stage!
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.
Spread the filling over the cooked base.
Press the roughly chopped pecan nuts firmly into the filling until you have pressed them all the way to the bottom and the surface is completely covered with pecan nuts.
Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes, until pecan nuts are golden brown.
Leave to cool completely before slicing, 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
*You can alternatively use almond flour.**You can use white rice flour but the texture is much better with brown rice flour.