These Pecan Pie Bars are an easy, fun and festive take on the classic holiday dessert, swapping out the corn syrup for healthier ingredients and a little secret for the crust. Oh, and they just so happen to be Vegan, Paleo and Gluten-Free. It’s a perfect make-ahead dessert recipe for your holiday party or cookie exchange!
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Alright peeps. It’s the first full week of December. It is time to get our BAKE ON… If you haven’t already started. Or if you’re like me and always baking, maybe you’re just baking overtime now. Certainly not complaining.
Cookies, brownies, bars, chocolate, candies… I mean, what’s not to love? Can you tell I really like sweets?
Which brings me to this amazing Pecan Pie Bar recipe!
Healthy Pecan Pie Bars
Vegan, gluten-free/grain-free, and the filling is made with paleo ingredients, which means no corn syrup! But I really don’t think anyone will ever know! They’re easier than they look, they just require a bit of patience is all.
We’re using the Simple Mills Artisan Bread Mix for the crust base, keeping them grain-free and gluten-free.
If you haven’t heard of Simple Mills yet, you really must check them out. They make so many amazing products – all grain-free, gluten-free, made with simple ingredients leaving out all of the unnecessary “stuff”. Everything from crunchy cookies, crackers, boxed mixes, frosting – they’re incredible! I’m actually obsessed with everything they make (their almond flour crackers are legit addicting). And I love how versatile their baking mixes are – I used this same artisan bread mix for a galette crust this past summer!
Ingredients for Pecan Pie Bar Recipe
- Simple Mills Artisan Bread Mix
- coconut oil
- maple syrup
- pecans
- non-dairy milk (cashew, almond, or coconut)
- coconut sugar
- molasses
- vanilla extract
- flaxseed meal
How To Make Pecan Pie Bars
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine Simple Mills Artisan Bread Mix with melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Press evenly into the lined pan, then poke some holes in the dough with a toothpick (see the picture in the post). Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool. Toast pecans at 325ºF for about 8 minutes. Turn oven temp up to 350ºF.
- Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine milk, coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla and flaxseed meal. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Allow to cool for 5 minutes to thicken. Add pecans into the filling mixture until coated, then pour over cooled crust.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the filling has set. Allow pan to cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Bring the pecan bars to room temperature for about 30 minutes before using a large sharp knife to cut into 16 squares. Enjoy!
When The Pecan Bars Are Done…
The filling will be just set, which means no jiggle in the middle, and a knife inserted in the center will come out clean!
Tips For The Best Pecan Pie Bars
- Make sure to poke holes in the crust before baking with a toothpick or fork. This prevents the crust from bubbling up too much.
- Cool the pecan bars completely and chill in the fridge before cutting to make it easier to cut into perfect squares!
How To Store
These pecan pie bars will keep best in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Since you have to chill the bars for a long time, they make a great make-ahead dessert recipe for your holiday party or cookie exchange!
More Dessert Bar Recipes You’ll Love:
If you make this Pecan Pie Bars recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 box Simple Mills Artisan Bread Mix
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 3 TBS maple syrup
For the filling:
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, I used cashew but almond or coconut works too
- 2 TBS coconut oil
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 TBS molasses, optional but adds a rich flavor
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 TBS flaxseed meal
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and line a 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper; set aside.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine Simple Mills Artisan Bread Mix with melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Use spoon or fork until combined. Press evenly into lined pan, then poke some holes in dough with toothpick (see picture in post – this will help prevent the crust from bubbling up too much). Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Once the crust has baked, toast pecans at 325ºF for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Turn oven temp up to 350ºF.
- Make the filling: In a medium sauce pan combine milk, coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla and flaxseed meal. Whisk together and allow mixture to come to a simmer, stirring frequently for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow mixture to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Add pecans into mixture until coated, then pour over cooled crust.
- Bake bars at 350ºF for 18-20 minutes, until filling has set. Allow pan to cool at room temperature before covering and transferring to fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Allow the pan to sit for about 30 minutes before using a large sharp knife to cut into 16 squares. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information
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