This easy vegan pecan pie needs just 8 ingredients and is completely gluten free/refined sugar-free, but it's still the perfect treat for Thanksgiving.
It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without pecan pie. Specifically, vegan gluten free pecan pie.
Oh gosh, I'm so excited to share this recipe with you! It came out of my desire to create a beautiful dessert, one that was delicious to look at as well as to eat.
To be fair, it's not difficult to make a pecan pie look gorgeous. Simply decorate the top with toasted nuts in concentric circles and you're halfway to being a pro food stylist.
I think my favourite thing though about this pie is just how simple it is to make. You can knock it out in less than 2 hours, and 45 minutes of that is cooling time.
THE RECIPE
Anyone who follows this blog regularly will know I love creating healthy recipes. However I don't think taste should be compromised when it comes to creating nourishing dishes - and dessert is definitely no exception!
This healthy pecan pie recipe contains nutritious ingredients such as pecans, almonds, flax and nut butter. So not only does it taste incredibly indulgent but it's also good for you, containing a good amount of protein and healthy fats. Plus, it's only sweetened with dates (though you'd never know).
I've had this homemade pecan pie taste-tested by several trusted humans and can confirm that it passed with flying colours! So go on, try it.
Take it to any Thanksgiving dinner and it'll be devoured in minutes. (Plus, you'll be that domestic god/goddess who makes the insanely gorgeous desserts.) What are you waiting for?!
FAQS
Typically no, as regular pecan pies usually use eggs and butter. This one is completely vegan however, and uses coconut oil, flax and coconut milk in place of these traditional ingredients.
You can! For a really interesting flavour combination, try using peanut butter in the filling and peanuts in the pie crust, instead of other nuts/butters. This also cuts down on the cost of the pie, as peanuts are considerably cheaper than other nuts.
Date paste is a healthy liquid sweetener, literally made by blending dates and water until smooth. It's considered healthier as it contains all the nutrients and fibre of whole dates, unlike many liquid sweeteners which are essentially sugars.
To make it, use my date paste recipe. (This method will likely give you slightly more than you need for this recipe.)
If you're short on time and making date paste takes too long, feel free to use maple syrup. Just be sure to use a little less than you would date paste, as maple syrup is considerably sweeter.
LOOKING FOR MORE VEGAN THANKSGIVING RECIPES?
I have lots of vegan Holiday recipes, from Stuffed Pumpkin to Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes!
(Minimalist Baker also has a great selection of Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes if you're looking for more.)
Easy vegan Pecan Pie (gluten-free)
Special Equipment
- Quiche/flan tin
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup pecans
- ½ cup almonds
- ¼ cup dates (about 8-9 small dates)
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice (or feel free to just use cinnamon if you don't have it - it's such a small amount that you won't notice a huge difference)
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon water
Filling
- 1 400ml can coconut milk (stored in the fridge overnight)
- 1 cup date paste (see link to DIY Date Paste below)
- 2 tablespoon melted (but not hot) coconut oil
- ¼ cup nut butter (I like almond, cashew or peanut)
- Pinch of sea salt
To Decorate
- 1 heaped cup pecan halves
- Pinch of sea salt flakes
Instructions
To make the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Lightly grease an 8-9-inch flan or quiche tin with coconut oil.
- To make the crust, add all ingredients to a food processor and blitz until the mixture comes together.
- If you don't have a food processor, blend the pecans and almonds in a high speed blender until a flour forms, then turn out into a mixing bowl. Do the same with the dates until they are broken into small pieces, then scoop into the bowl. Add all other crust ingredients to the bowl and mix with your hands to combine.
- Press the mixture flat into your flan tin with your hands.
- Bake for 10 minutes in the oven, then remove and allow to cool completely.
To make the filling and decoration
- Toast decorative pecan halves in a skillet on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes, turning frequently, until they are fragrant and browning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Remove the can of coconut milk from the fridge and open it. Scrape the hardened coconut cream that has solidified in the top half of the can into a large bowl. (The leftover coconut water isn't needed for this recipe. You can use it in smoothies or on cereal!)
- Using an electric whisk, beat the cream for 2-3 minutes, until it is lump-free and fluffy. It should have roughly the same consistency as whipped cream. Place in a bowl in the fridge while you complete the next step.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the date paste (you can make your own with this recipe), coconut oil and nut butter for 2 minutes until you have a smooth caramel.
- Using a metal spoon, gently stir the cream and a pinch of sea salt into the mixture until everything is combined.
- Spoon the filling into the pie base, and top with the toasted pecans in concentric circles. Sprinkle a good pinch of sea salt flakes over the top, and store in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Slice and serve the pie on its own or with ice cream.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please leave a comment or tip for others below. I'd love to know how you’ve made it your own!
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Diane Zwickel
Hi Elizabeth.So glad to hear you recovered from Covid! Scary times for everyone. Thank heavens Vancouver is still better off than many other parts of the continent!
I am excited to try this recipe this weekend for Thanksgiving dinner. Question re the coconut milk. I have started seeing Coconut Whipping Cream in cans in stores, and I bought one to have on hand. It is in a 400ml can and I believe the entire can is ready to use as a whipping cream. How much of this should I use in the recipe? I'm assuming it will make more than what you would get from an ordinary can of coconut milk. Also, I've been buying an organic coconut milk that has no solid in it - comes out blended and ready to use, so it wouldn't be any good for this recipe.
Thanks so much!
Elizabeth
Hi Diane! Thank you - I'm feeling so much better now. Yes, coconut milk can be tricky as no two brands are the same in consistency - they can vary wildly and some are useless for separating! For your reference, I find Wholefoods 365 brand to be one of the better ones (it almost always separates well and has a great consistency - not lumpy at all).
As for the whipping cream, I'm assuming here that the whole can is basically hardened cream, so if the can is 400ml you'll likely want about half of that (roughly 3/4 cup I think). Having not tried the whipping cream myself yet, I'm unsure as to whether it's as hard as the hardened part of the can of coconut milk, which could bet the only issue (as the hardened nature of the coconut milk helps the pie filling set. Let me know how you get on, and what brand you bought! 🙂
Diane Zwickel
Thanks! It is Cha's Organic coconut whipping cream and I think I bought it at Choices. When I shake the can I don't hear any liquid so you may be right about that. I'll try using half and let you know!
Elizabeth
Aha! How did you get on with it? 🙂