Pecan pie lovers, this one’s for you! We’ve tried for some time to create the perfect vegan pecan pie, and after some pie struggles last year, we changed our vision a bit and boy are we happy with the result! Introducing: pecan pie bars with crunchy, buttery pecans and a shortbread-like crust.
With all the classic flavor of pecan pie, they’re undetectably gluten-free and vegan, and perfect for your holiday table. Even better? They’re made with simple methods (no food processor required!) and just 9 ingredients. Let’s make dessert!
Origins of Pecan Pie
In our search for the origins of pecan pie, we found a few theories. But the most common one is that it was invented by French settlers in New Orleans who were introduced to pecans by Native Americans. Recipes then appeared in cookbooks in Texas in the late 1800s. And by the 1920s, the company Karo began printing a recipe for pecan pie made with their corn syrup, turning the dessert into a nationwide sensation!
The following is not your usual pecan pie recipe but our inspired take on the classic dessert — made gluten-free, vegan, and without corn syrup.
How to Make Pecan Pie Bars
These pecan pie bars begin with a shortbread-like crust made by mixing almond flour, tapioca starch, and salt, then adding in vegan butter and maple syrup to form a dough.
The dough gets pressed into a baking dish and into the oven it goes!
While the crust bakes and cools, we make the filling with chopped pecans, melted vegan butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, dairy-free milk, and tapioca starch. It goes over the par-baked shortbread crust and back into the oven.
After baking, the filling transforms into a crispy, gooey, buttery, majorly addictive masterpiece. You’ve been warned!
Lastly, it must cool before being sliced into bars. We know, it’s the hardest part! But it makes them perfect for prepping the day ahead to free up oven space for other Thanksgiving recipes.
We hope you LOVE these pecan pie bars! They’re:
Sweet
Buttery
Rich
Classic
Decadent
& BURSTING with pecan flavor!
They’re the perfect dessert for the holiday table or any time you have an abundance of pecans! Top them with Coconut Whipped Cream or Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream for extra decadence.
More Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
- 1-Bowl Pumpkin Pie (Vegan + GF)
- Apple Pie Crumble Bars (Vegan + GF)
- Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bars (V + GF)
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Tart
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Pecan Pie Bars (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 ½ cups almond flour (can try subbing cashew flour, though we haven't tested it and can't guarantee the results)
- 1 cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 6 Tbsp vegan butter, cold and cubed (we used Miyoko’s)
- 5-6 Tbsp maple syrup
FILLING
- 1/3 cup melted vegan butter (we used Miyoko’s)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (see notes for substitutions)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp plain unsweetened dairy-free milk (we used almond milk)
- 2 Tbsp tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 2 cups raw pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C) and line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- CRUST: In a medium mixing bowl, combine almond flour, tapioca starch, and salt. Whisk to combine and break up any clumps. Add cold vegan butter to the flours, and use clean hands, a pastry cutter, or a fork to cut the butter and mix it with the flours until the mixture looks like wet sand. It should hold together when squeezed, and there should be no clumps of butter larger than a pea. Add the maple syrup (starting with the lesser amount) and stir well until the dough comes together.
- Transfer mixture to the parchment-lined baking dish and spread evenly to distribute. If you are struggling to get it even, place parchment paper on top and use a flat-bottomed object, like a drinking glass, to press down firmly until it’s evenly distributed and well packed. Place crust into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until it looks pale and dry in the center and the edges just start to look golden.
- FILLING: While the crust bakes, make the filling. To a medium mixing bowl, add melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, dairy-free milk, and tapioca starch. Whisk to thoroughly combine, making sure to break up any clumps of tapioca starch. Add in the chopped pecans and give it a stir to evenly distribute. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes.
- After the crust has cooled, add the filling to the crust, spreading it evenly and making sure the pecans are distributed throughout. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The edges should be bubbly and the filling slightly darkened in color. The middle should still be slightly wiggly when it’s done, so don’t worry! It firms up quite a bit when it cools.
- Let the bars cool completely before slicing. Once cooled, cut into 16 equal squares and serve! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of maple syrup.
Angela says
Can I use arrow root startch instead of Tapioca startch without throwing off the consistency?
Hi Angela, we haven’t tested that, but other readers have reported it works!
Ashley says
Hi! I’m super excited to try this! Wondering if you think I could add the filling to a pre- made pie shell? Just to save time :) thanks!
Hi Ashley, That should work! You may need to increase the filling by 1/2, or double it, to get enough to fill a pie pan, and then it will probably need to bake for longer. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Nancy says
Can I use regular pecans instead of raw
Hi Nancy, raw pecans are simply pecans that have not been toasted. Hope this helps!
Jenny says
Holy moly, this is THE BEST pecan pie I’ve eaten since I had to start eating gluten free 12 years ago! I made it last night for a fall festival bake sale at my daughter’s school, and I can’t stop eating these bars. I only packaged up half of the bars for the bake sale because I did not want to part with them! The only changes I made to the recipe were using dairy butter and milk. Amazing recipe!
Aw, thank you SO much for the lovely review! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jenny! xo
Julia Summers says
Can I make this in a tart pan? Thanks!
Hi Julia, we haven’t tested it that way, but it might work! Let us know if you try it!
Jodell Glodowski says
Supreme results! I always get raves. Easy to make.
Woohoo! Thanks for the great review, Jodell!
Salonika says
I just wanted to let you know that I made this recipe for a dessert bake off at work & it won first place. It was soo good & everyone loved it. It was easy to follow & that crust alone is amazing. I’ll be making it more often.
Whoop! We’re so glad you and your colleagues enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing! xo
Scott says
Very nice recipe; I’ve made it twice, and the groups I’ve made it for loved it. You do have to be careful to bake until it’s bubbling thoroughly.
Just a note: it would be very helpful if you gave *all* ingredients by weight. Just as it’s easier to weigh out X grams of almond flour than measure Y cups, it’s much easier to weigh out maple syrup and similar liquids (the sea salt or similar teaspoon/tablespoon measures being the exception).
Hi Scott, thanks for sharing your experience! You can find the weight measurements by clicking “metric” beneath the ingredients header. Hope that helps!
Scott says
Hello. Except that liquid measurements go to metric volume, not weight—i.e., from cups to ml.
Ah, okay! Thanks for the feedback.
Ayana B. says
THIS. CAME. OUT. AMAZING. I’ve made pecan pie a couple of times in previous years, prior to going plant-based. I LOVE pecan pie, it’s my favorite, but I used to hate how much corn syrup went into it.
Yesterday was my boyfriend’s birthday, and he also loves pecan pie, but never had one made from scratch before. I made this for him, instead of cake, and he had goosebumps (I’m not even kidding, he literally had goosebumps going ALLLL the way up his leg to the top of his thigh) after the first bite. Mind you, this was my first time making this recipe. I will FOREVER use this as my go-to pecan pie recipe.
Some things I did different:
1.) I made this into a pie in a 9-inch pie pan. It turned out BEYOND well.
2.) When I started baking, I realized that I only had less than 1/2 cup of arrowroot powder left for the pie crust (I didn’t have tapicoa starch and used arrowroot instead) and ended up substituting the other half 1/2 cup with spelt flour. The pie crust mixed together perfect. I was nervous at first with the substitution, but I’m not even mad at the end result and may do the same again. I’m thinking it might’ve helped with the pie crust, being that I didn’t make this into pie bars.
3.) I had coffee liqueur from Mexico that I bought during my trip there and poured a bit into the filling mix.
4.) I substituted the maple syrup for agave, in the filling.
All-in-all, an amazing pecan pie recipe for my first time not using corn syrup and going with better ingredients. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
Aw, YAY! We’re so glad it was such a success! Thank you for the wonderful review, Ayana! xo
Kirsten says
Wow did this turn out great! My husband’s favorite dessert before going plant based was pecan pie. I also am plant based and gluten intolerant. I’ve made so many of your recipes at this point and I’ve never been disappointed so I figured I’d give this a try. My husband said it was a 10/10 and I agree! Perfect flavor and texture. Followed recipe to a tee.
Yay! So glad you could both enjoy a classic recipe, Kirsten. Thanks for the great review!
Emma Shulman says
Hey there
Could you replace the Miyoko butter with Virgin coconut oil?
Many thanks!
Hi Emma, We tried the crust with coconut oil and it works but it does have a slightly different final texture, and we preferred the taste of the vegan butter. We didn’t try it in the filling and aren’t sure if it would work, but it might! Hope this helps!
Emma says
Okay thanks for letting me know. Will keep you posted with how it turns out once I have made it with the coconut oil!
sandra forte says
Ok, ok these are seriously delicious. Followed the recipe to a tee and they worked out perfectly!! When it comes to vegan recipes you are a an absolute goddess!! Love love love
Aw, thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Sandra! xoxo
Amy Yoder says
Has anyone made this recipe strictly gluten free and not vegan? If I use real butter and milk do you think the results will still be as good? Thanks for the help in advance
Hi Amy! Other readers have had success with dairy butter, but we aren’t sure about milk. We haven’t tried it ourselves but we think it would work! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Shelagh says
Hi, this looks delicious but I don’t have tapioca flour. Would half a cup of cornstarch work the same?
Hi Shelagh, we haven’t tested it with cornstarch so we can’t guarantee it will work. We’d suggest checking the comments to see what other readers’ experiences with it have been. If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words in the post and comments. Hope that helps!
Shelagh says
OK Thanks. I’ll ck out all the comments!
Jessalyn Law says
I used cornstarch and it worked flawlessly. Such a delicious recipe, just like everything else by Minimalist Baker!!!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jessalyn! Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Sara says
This was amazing! I made it for my husband for Christmas and he has requested it for his birthday now. He is sensative to almonds so used cashew flour instead. Just put raw cashews in my vitamix. Super simple and delish!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Sara. So glad you both enjoy this recipe!
Darcey says
Seriously one of the top 5 things I made in 2021 and definitely the best dessert I made. Incredible flavor and texture.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review, Darcey!
joya says
let’s just say…..WINNER!
i admittedly have a lot of baking experience and intuitive sense in the kitchen so felt perfectly fine going rogue in terms of using this as a starting point and then mixing and matching some of the ingredients. for example, i used real butter.
they taste amazing and it wasn’t just me that thought so! a coworker and his wife corroborated the findings :)
if you or someone you know likes pecan pie, you’re going to have a friend for life if you make them these.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Joya. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
jude says
I made these and they went down a storm. I didn’t add the brown sugar as I thought that was sugar overload. I also used 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup maple syrup.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jude! Thank you for sharing! xo
Robin says
hi , tried to make the pecan bars, the filling was short on liquid, half a cup of maple syrup , this seems not enough?
Hi Robin, Did you also add the 1/3 cup melted vegan butter and 2 Tbsp dairy-free milk to the filling? It should provide plenty of liquid that way. Did it cook up okay?
Robin Samways says
Hi
Thanks for your reply, yes added all the other liquids,
Hm, we’re not sure what went wrong then. Did it look like the video/photos?
Robin says
no nothing like video/photos, I’ll give it another go % let you know the result
So strange! Keep us posted. This is a reader favorite so we hope it works out for you next time!
linsey says
I made these for Christmas Eve dinner and wow – so so good, but even better the next day after being refrigerated.
My crust seemed a bit wetter than I expected and I ended up baking for a few extra minutes, and really could have gone with a couple more – about 7 extra in total probably would have been good. I did substitute real butter in the crust.
Otherwise, but pure deliciousness as always and this will definitely be a regular go-to dessert in my home. The best part is I usually have all of the ingredients on hand already!
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed these, Linsey. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
Lola says
These are the BEST! Your best baking recipe ever! I never attempted pecan pie because i thought it was too hard to make. You showed that it is simple and can be made in a cruelty free way. Result – blown away! I ended up making this recipe as a pie for both Christmas and now New Year and everyone loved them. Most importantly I love them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Off to check if you have a pumpkin pie recipe and buy your book to support you and your amazing work.
Hooray! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Lola. Thanks so much for the wonderful review!
Lisa says
These are AMAZING!!! I used Bob’s Red Mill GF all purpose flour instead of the Tapioca starch in the crust. But I used tapioca in the filling. When I first tried it, It wasn’t great but after a night in the fridge, it was EXACTLY like eating pecan pie. I will make this every year (or more often). They were perfect and my whole family agrees.
Yay! We’re so glad you and your family liked it, Lisa! Thank you for sharing! xo
Pam S. says
I made these to take to my daughter’s for Christmas. They taste very similar to Pecan Tassies that I used to make every year and are really good! My daughter has to eat dairy-free and I have to eat gluten and dairy-free. This same daughter introduced me to your website….so many wonderful recipes! Thank you for such delicious options. This recipe is simple and definitely ‘a keeper’!
Aw, love that! Thank you for sharing, Pam! xoxo
SG says
I just made these bars and they are 10/10. These are going to be a regular rotation in the house during the holidays.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
KC says
I made this with the original ingredients without substituting in an 8×8 pan. Thankfully, I had a foiled covered cookie sheet under it because it bubbled out of the pan & went all over. It would’ve caused it to burn onto the bottom of the oven and made the smoke detector go off. You did not mention how deep the dish or pan needed to be at all. I wish I would have tried a 9×13 pan or very large & deep casserole dish. It was a very expensive lesson in what not to make again. Between pecans, vegan butter, pure maple syrup, & almond flour, trying it was a very costly mistake.
Oh no! So sorry to hear this happened, KC, and thanks so much for sharing your honest experience with us, it’s so helpful to us and other readers! Did you happen to make any modifications to the ingredients? And did the final bars turn out okay or could you not eat them? Our 8×8 is ~3″ deep, which we believe is fairly consistent, but we’re curious how tall yours is?
Karen L Colombo says
The 8×8 pan I have is 2 inches high. It just never got done enough to eat or do anything with. I had to throw the entire thing away. It makes me sad. I normally have no problems & am a seasoned cook & baker. I used the exact ingredients listed, so I wasted quite a bit of money on something that didn’t work out at all. It may have in a bigger pan. The size of the dish in your photo does not look like it’s an 8×8. It looks longer for sure. I don’t want to wast a bunch more time & money trying it again.
Anneliese says
Made these for a holiday party and they were a hit! So easy to make and perfect sweetness versus savory with the biscuit.
Yay! Thanks so much, Anneliese!
Sam says
Hi! I love these bars and plan to make them for the holidays- but it would be the first time making them using real butter- will this be ok or should I go buy vegan butter? Thanks!
Real butter will work!
Jena says
Wow I am so impressed with how this recipe turned out! I do a lot of GF / DF baking and this is one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever made. I used brown coconut sugar (instead of regular brown sugar) and I ran out of maple syrup half way through (so I used 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup honey for the filling). It turned out perfect. Will be my new go-to for entertaining! So easy and delicious.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jena! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Susan says
Could I use regular flour instead of almond and tapioca?
Hi Susan, We haven’t tried it, but it should work. For the crust, we’d suggest replacing both the almond flour and tapioca starch with 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour. If it is too crumbly or dry after adding the butter and maple syrup, you can add 1-2 Tbsp cold water until it just comes together. Let us know if you try it!
Stacie says
oh. my. goodness. These are incredible!! I’m not a huge pecan pie person, but had some to use up… made these instead and WOW do I want to make them for everyone I know. The caramel mixture is perfection and the crust is so easy to make!! Definitely one of those “wouldn’t know these are vegan”… Thank you for the recipe!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for sharing, Stacie. So glad you enjoyed!
Teri Taylor says
These look so delicious! Has anyone tried making them ahead of a holiday and freezing them? I was wonderfing if that would work or if the crust would get too soft. Thank you!
Megan Haase says
Omg! These were incredible. My whole family loved them. They were moist and flavorful and I will definitely be making them again soon.
Woohoo! We’re so glad they were a hit with the whole family! Thank you for sharing, Megan! xo
Sam says
So yummy! I subbed arrowroot for the tapioca and it worked just fine. I didn’t need to bake it as long, it was done after 10 minutes. Perhaps my pan was a little bigger and this is why. I also did slightly less syrup and sugar in the filling, and used coconut sugar, it was perfectly sweet. So happy I can eat some kind of pecan pie dessert! So easy too.
Great! We’re so glad it turned out well! Thank you for sharing your experience, Sam! xo
Alice says
I was going to ask if I could use arrowroot instead of tapioca since that’s what I have, so I guess the answer is yes!
Anne says
I’m a big fan and have made many of your recipes successfully.
Can you help me modify this recipe to work in my oven? The top was really runny after 35 minutes, so I baked it 15 minutes longer – then the perimeter was overcooked and hard and the middle still runny. It still tasted good though so I’d like to try again.
Can I make it as mini or regular cupcake size? Then it seems the parchment paper would be too bulky. Any other ideas! Thank you!
Hi Anne! Was the center part still runny after cooling/chilling? And did you happen to make any modifications to the ingredients?
Anne says
The middle ended up just right. I didn’t modify anything but wonder if using a pyrex pan and baking on the the lowest rack in the oven makes a difference.
Glad to hear it worked out, Anne! A glass pan works well for this recipe, but perhaps moving to the top rack (unless you’re using convection) would be helpful next time around!
Heather says
Delicious! So easy to make!
Woohoo! Thanks so much, Heather!
Steph says
This was the favorite dessert at Thanksgiving dinner by far. Thank you! Going to make it again for Christmas dinner.
Steph says
Made your coconut whip to put on top as well. Amazing stuff
Woohoo! That’s so great to hear, Steph! Thank you for sharing! xo
Angela says
Oh my word these are so amazingly addicting. Followed recipe exactly. My house smelled divine and everyone gobbled them all up! Thanks for another successful recipe, it’s definitely our new fave!
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thank you for sharing, Angela! xoxo
Vanessa says
Dana! When you posted these on IG I knew I needed to make them for a family gathering yesterday. They were a big hit!!
I was out of arrowroot so had to use cornstarch and also had to sub turbinado sugar in place of brown sugar but these still made for delicious bars!
Due to time constraints, I served them pretty warm so they could have cooled a bit longer to firm up but having cold leftovers today from the fridge was great too! They are so rich and delicious!
Amazing! Love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Vanessa!
Vanessa says
Whoops! One mistake – I confused two of your recipes I made that day. The arrowroot / cornstarch was in the pumpkin cream sauce! Also tasty! So I only subbed out the sugar in these bars :)
Thanks again for so many delicious recipes!!
Oh, great! So glad you enjoyed both recipes!
Shelagh says
Hi Vanessa,
I don’t have Tapioca Flour but do have corn starch, How much did you use to replace the tapioca flour?
Thanks!
Shelagh
Vanessa says
Hi Shelagh!
My comment had a mistake, I used the cornstarch/arrowroot sub in a different MB recipe for some sauce the same day.
Good luck!
Vanessa
Janz says
I substituted the tapioca starch with cassava flour and it worked great. Thanks!
Woohoo! Thank you for sharing, Janz! xo
Andie says
These were so simple and yet so decadent and delicious! They stole the show at our ThanksVegan table! My husband loves pecan pie, but hasn’t had a decent version since we went vegan in 2011. He was ECSTATIC! I’m not even a big pecan pie fan and loved them! We followed the recipe exactly and had great results. Definitely a make again (and again and again)!
Aw, that is SO great to hear, Andie! Thank you so much for sharing! xoxo
Jen V says
These bars are absolutely incredible! Just like pecan pie but even better. The shortbread crust was perfect and the filling had such a decadent flavor. Next time I’m doubling the recipe and keeping a whole pan for myself ;-)
Ha, love that! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jen! xoxo
Trish says
We used cornstarch, salted butter and no vanilla and the recipe was still amazingly good!
Trish says
Forgot to mention, this recipe is so much better than pecan pie!
High praise, indeed! So glad you enjoyed!
This is so great to hear! Thanks so much, Trish!
Maria Constantine says
I only had half the maple syrup so I used honey for the difference. It was FANTASTIC! Tip: give yourself plenty of cooling time to be sure that it’s firm before you cut it.
Woohoo! So great to know that the honey worked! Thanks so much, Maria!
Rachelle says
This is an amazing GF dessert. It is pecan pie meets shortbread. Even my gluten eating family thought the bars were amazing and that includes a very discriminating teenager. Do you think that you could use oat flour instead of the tapioca starch? Also, my parchment did not 100% cover the corners and I am glad I removed it from the pan when still warm as it would have taken some effort to get them out of the pan, due to the pecan toping being very adherent to the pan. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that will definitely go into the Thanksgiving rotation.
Woohoo! Love to hear this! Oat flour might work well in the crust, but we haven’t tried it. For the filling you do need some sort of starch (tapioca, arrowroot, or corn) to help it thicken and firm up correctly. Thanks for the great review, Rachelle!
Lili says
Made these for my Thanksgiving feast. They were delicious! For many years I’ve been attempting different vegan pecan pie type desserts, and these are, by far, the best I’ve found! I used Bobs Red Mill Natural almond flour, Country Crock plant based butter sticks, and Pearl unsweetened Soy Milk. I forgot to buy tapioca starch so I used corn starch instead, 1:1 for the crust and it was great. For the filling, just to be safe, I did 1.5 tbsp corn starch and .5 tbsp agar agar. That sub worked like a dream. This is my new favorite pecan dessert…and breakfast ;) thank you!
Lili says
I forgot to say, I added a very small handful of Good Life semi sweet chocolate chips. It worked great for those of us chocolate addicts!
We LOVE hearing this, Lili! Thank you so much for your wonderful review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Jamie P says
Wowee! These bars were amazing! I made this for Thanksgiving and we gobbled them right up! Just like a yummy pecan pie but better! We added some whipped cream on top although you totally don’t need it! Thank you for sharing the recipe! Delicious!
We love hearing this, Jamie! Thank you so much for the lovely review and hope you had a great Thanksgiving! xo
Angela Turri says
I only have a 7×11 glass dish how long would j bake it for ?
Hi Angela, we aren’t sure on an exact bake time, but we’d suggest baking for slightly less time since the crust will be thinner with a bigger pan. Hope that helps!
Katherine says
These were amazing! I didn’t make any modifications. I made them for Thanksgiving and they blew the socks off of the vegan gf pumpkin pie somebody bought from a bakery.
Woohoo! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thank you for the lovely review, Katherine! xo
Crystal M. says
I made these for Thanksgiving! I used Country Crock’s new plant based butter with olive oil, which I was impressed with. The bars were gooey and tasted like pecan pie for sure. The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because I felt the crust was a little mealy in texture from the almond flour. I used super fine almond flour, but maybe next time I would mix it with some of my regular gluten free Cup for Cup flour. Overall, a solid recipe. Looking forward to seeing what new recipes are coming out for Christmas!!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Crystal! Glad to hear you enjoyed it overall! xo
Kim says
Such a hit! I will definitely be making these again next Thanksgiving.
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Kim! Thank you for sharing! xo
Patty says
Made these to take to my family Thanksgiving. They are so delicious and simple. Pecan pie without the stress of making a perfectly flaky crust. I think I could have let them bake a little longer but was afraid to burn it. Will be making them again!
Such a good way to describe it! Thank you for the lovely review, Patty! xo
Cedella says
I made these for thanksgiving, and got lots of good comments of these pecan bars! The only thing was the crust was very crumbly, but the top of the pecan bar was perfection! I’m going to try to make them again today to see if I can perfect the crust!
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them! It sounds like they may have needed a little more coconut oil to prevent them from being crumbly. Or if you made any subs in the crust, that could also be the issue!
Sami says
This looks amazing. Do you think I can make it work in a 9×9 pan? Or a 10 in round porcelain pie dish?
Hi Sami, A 9 x 9 should be okay, but we’d say cook the crust for slightly less time and watch closely to make sure it doesn’t burn. Hope that helps!
Ali says
Can you sub potato starch or corn starch for tapioca starch?
Hi Ali, we haven’t tried either so we aren’t sure! Another reader mentioned not having as much success with corn starch, unfortunately. Perhaps arrowroot?
Jess says
Loved this recipe and so did the fam for thanksgiving. Made it with coconut sugar and loved it. I baked it possibly a couple minutes too long but it was still fantastic! Everyone wants the recipe!
Woohoo! We’re so glad it was a hit with the whole family! Thank you for sharing, Jess! xo
Sheree Walters says
Oh wow!!! Every bit as delicious and decadent as non-vegan pecan pie bars/pie. These were extremely popular and there were lots of moand and oohs and ahhs! Very easy to make. I will make them every year. And when I get a craving 🥰
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thank you for the lovely review, Sheree! xo
Jean says
I made this using cornstarch instead of tapioca starch. All other ingredients were exactly the same as the recipe. My filling was very wet. It soaked the crust too much and made it soggy. It was very tasty but the texture wasn’t as I expected. I wonder if the cornstarch the problem?
Hi Jean, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out right! Yes, it’s likely the cornstarch. We’ve only tried this recipe with tapioca starch.
Becky says
Divine! Made these for Thanksgiving – I followed the recipe exactly other than instead of 2 tbsp milk I added 2 tbsp Bourbon which added a lovely rich element and ensured my kids won’t eat them.
Ha, love that! We’re so glad they turned out well! Thank you for sharing, Becky! xo
Delbert Plaisted says
Wow, look’s delish! Have you tried to make a vegan burger like the taste in Hashtag Burgers and Waffles?
Hi Delbert! Sadly we haven’t heard of that burger, but we do have some other burger recipes you could check out!
Rachael E Gaynor says
Absolutely delish! Served my non-vegan & non-gf family members and everyone raved about them!
Woohoo! Thanks so much, Rachael! xo
Kelly says
This recipe is amazing. I made these, and they were gone so fast. Followed the recipe exactly. Thank you for this!
Amazing! We’re so glad to hear it, Kelly! Thank you for sharing! xo
Emily says
Looks great! Do you think it would work as a pie crust or how much more crust recipe would you anticipate needing to make to do so?
Hi Emily! This crust is intended to be a “shortbread” style crust, which is tender and buttery, but not flaky. It would work in a pie pan (you would probably want to double it), but it will not be flaky and light like a traditional pie crust. Hope this helps!
Janice M Miranda says
Can you help me adjust the recipe for a 9×13 glass baking dish?! Please, help! Thanks in advance. It sounds great!! dairy and glutten free perfect for my Thankgiving day guests coming this week.
Hi Janice! We think the easiest way to do this would be to increase the recipe by 50% by changing the servings to 24 (use the little arrows in the “servings” box). That should be a good amount for that size of pan! You could also double it but the crust might be quite thick and it would take longer to bake. Let us know how it goes!
Darcey says
I made this last night and it seriously might be the best thing I have ever made. I followed the directions exactly and it was perfect. I honestly can’t believe how easy it was for how complex and delicious it is.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the great review, Darcey. So glad you enjoyed!
Jessie says
I turned these into mini pecan pies using just the filling from this recipe and your coconut oil crust recipe. They were perfect! everyone loved them :)
Woohoo! Love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jessie!
Diane says
I cant wait to make these! I love chocolate pecan pie. I was wondering your thoughts on what kind of chocolate to use that wouldn’t interfere with the texture of the filling? I could always drizzle on some dark chocolate. As always your recipes never disappoint. Thank you!
Hi Diane! We aren’t sure that chocolate would work in the filling, but we think drizzling it on top would be amazing! Let us know how it goes!
Kat says
From my mum’s previous experiences / pie adventures, I’d suggest about 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips. :)
Heather says
Could you put this filling in a pie crust and bake it as a pie? (instead of the bars)
That should work! You may need to increase the filling by 1/2, or double it, to get enough to fill a pie pan, and then it will probably need to bake for longer. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
The Vegan Goddess says
This is decadent and tasty. I never eat pecan pie because it’s too rich for my taste but wanted to try this in honor of someone who used to love it.
It’s richer than I would normally make for dessert with the brown sugar but to make myself feel a little better about it, I used light brown sugar. This was my first time using vegan butter (the brand you recommend) because I normally sub coconut oil for butter.
I accidentally put potato starch instead of tapioca starch in the crust but it turned out fine. I put tapioca starch in the filling.
I can’t wait to try the wild rice recipe and so many others. Thank you!
Amazing! So glad to hear you enjoyed. Thanks for the lovely review!
Jesse S. says
Do you think these would freeze well? I’m looking for a good GF treat to make for my sister that will keep… she was recently diagnosed with Celiac. Thanks!
Hi Jesse! We think they’d freeze pretty well, but you’d want to make sure they were fully thawed before enjoying. Hope this helps!
Robin says
Can you replace tapioca starch with any other? For ex: corn starch, rice flour, all-purpose gluten-free flour? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Robin! Arrowroot starch would be the best substitute here, or corn starch in a pinch. Let us know how it goes!
Lee Lyons says
Id love to try making this. Is there anything that I could substitute the tapioca starch for? Thank you.
Hi Lee! Arrowroot starch would be the best substitute here, or corn starch in a pinch. Let us know how it goes!
Nicole says
Wow these are so decadent! I used regular butter as I’m not vegan, arrowroot starch as I don’t have tapioca starch, and unsweetened vanilla oat milk. Both the crust bake and final bake took longer (by 10-15 minutes) than the recipe stated, and my oven was definitely at 350 (I have an oven thermometer). Maybe something to do with the dairy vs vegan butter? Anyway they turned out really well and are delicious – thanks for the recipe! Also I didn’t read the instructions and put all the crust ingredients in the bowl before tackling them with a pastry cutter and it still turned out well, so it’s a very forgiving recipe.
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Nicole, so glad you enjoyed!
Amy says
Delicious! I can’t wait to make them again. My friends couldn’t get enough of them!
Yay! We’re so glad you and your friends enjoyed them, Amy! xoxo
Judith says
This looks like a wonderful answer to my GF-DF questions about this favourite. Could cassava flour be substituted for tapioca flour?
Yay! Hope you love it, Judith! We think cassava would be too dense, but it might work. The next best option would be arrowroot starch. Hope that helps!
Raisa says
Can the tapioca starch be substituted w/ arrowroot starch?
Hi Raisa, we haven’t tried it, but we think either arrowroot or corn starch would be the best sub for tapioca. Let us know if you try it!
Chrys says
This was so simple to make, yet so delicious! I loved the buttery shortbread texture of the crust and the nutty, sweet pecan pie filling. I will definitely be making it again!
Yay! Love to hear this. Thanks so much, Chrys! So glad you enjoyed!
Jeannie says
Hi, perhaps a silly question, but should the pecans be raw? dry roasted unsalted? or dry roasted and salted? Thinking roasted might add more depths. Salted could enhance flavor or be too much? Would love your guidance. Thanks!
Hi Jeannie, good question and sorry for that missing info! We used raw, unsalted pecans. We’ll add that to the recipe.
Monique says
Hi! Could I sub regular butter in this recipe?
Yes!
Sarah says
Hello! I was wondering if I can use arrowroot starch instead of tapioca?
Thank you! Looks delish~
Hi Sarah, we haven’t tried it with arrowroot starch, but we think it should work. Let us know if you try it!
Carlotta says
Having a hard time finding tapioca starch. Is there a good substitution?
Hi Carlotta, perhaps corn starch or arrowroot starch? But we haven’t tried either! Let us know how it goes!
Suzanne says
Questions – is there any substitute for vegan butter like coconut oil? It seems to be the main ingredient in vegan butter. I can’t do sunflower products. I suppose dairy butter could also be used in the same quantities – it would still be gluten free but not vegan. Thanks!
Suzanne says
Sorry – I just saw you answered to coconut oil question already! However, if dairy butter is used, are the quantities the same?
Hi Suzanne! The same amount of dairy butter should be great here, yes! Let us know how it goes!
Lauree says
Can you replace the tapioca starch in the filling with cornstarch? Thanks for your help!
Hi Lauree, yes! We think that would work! Perhaps use 1 Tbsp more? Let us know how it goes!
Jamie says
Hi!
So trust and love your guys’ recipes💖
Do you think ghee would work? I know it’s not vegan but we are about to go on an elimination diet for medical issues and vegan butter is not allowed.
Thanks!
Jamie
Hi Jamie! We haven’t tried this with ghee, so we can’t say if it would work or not, and the flavor might be too strong in the pecan pie bars? It could be worth a try, though! Regular dairy butter would definitely work, too! Let us know how it goes if you give the bars a try!
Sara says
Hello,
Would I be able to use ghee or maybe palm shortening? If so, would the amount be the same?
Thank you for sharing those recipe!
Hi Sara! We haven’t tried this with ghee or palm shortening so we aren’t sure if it would work. We wonder if the flavor of ghee might be too strong for the bars? If you tried it, we’d suggest using ghee over shortening, and trying it with probably 1 Tbsp less in the crust, and the same amount in the filling. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Haleigh says
I’m not familiar with vegan butter. Could ghee work here?
Hi Haleigh! We haven’t tried this with ghee, so we can’t say if it would work or not, and the flavor might be too strong in the pecan pie bars? It could be worth a try, though! Regular dairy butter would definitely work, too! Let us know how it goes if you give the bars a try!
Michele says
Is there a particular benefit from the tapioca in crust or filling, or just your go to thickener? Never use, but happy to be persuaded to switch!
Similarly, is the maple in addition to the brown sugar to create a maple pecan pie vs a traditional pecan pie or for a food science reason?
Hi Michele! The tapioca starch works in two ways here, it adds structure and “snap” to the crust, without it the almond flour would crumble apart. And it also helps thicken the filling – another starch such as arrowroot or corn would probably work, but we haven’t tried it. The maple is included in part because it helped us achieve our desired texture of filling (pre-bake), but also to try and balance the sweetness with a more natural sweetener. That said, you want to use all sugar, we think it would work well! Let us know how it goes if you give the bars a try!
Brenda says
Can I use coconut oil instead of the vegan butter?
Hi Brenda, We tried the crust with coconut oil and it works but it does have a slightly different final texture, and we preferred the taste of the vegan butter. We didn’t try it in the filling and aren’t sure if it would work, but it might! Hope this helps!
Jyoti says
I wonder if I could use coconut sugar and add some molasses to it ?
Hi Jyoti! You can probably sub the coconut sugar without the molasses, but when we tried it the texture wasn’t as caramel-y and firm as with brown sugar. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Seema says
Can I sub whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour for the almond flour? If so, do you know how much of each and I would need to add more liquid?
Hi Seema, We haven’t tried it, but it should work. For the crust, we’d suggest replacing both the almond flour and tapioca starch with 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour. If it is too crumbly or dry after adding the butter and maple syrup, you can add 1-2 Tbsp cold water until it just comes together. Let us know if you try it!
Chris says
Would Sucanat sugar work instead of brown sugar?
Hmm, the final texture might be slightly different, as brown sugar is ideal for firming up the bars and get the right texture of caramel, but we think sucanat would work fairly well!
Karin Gensel says
Hi! I was wondering if you could have recipes that are plant paradox, Dr. Gundry approved? Lectin free recipes would be soooooo awesome for me!!! Thank you, I love you guys , but have gone lectin free & need new recipes!!
Hi Karin, That’s not a dietary approach we’re very familiar with, but we’ll add it to our requests list.
Sarah says
Can you sub pecan flour?
Hi Sarah, we haven’t tried that, but it could work in place of the almond flour! Since pecans naturally have more oil than almonds, you may want to scale back on the vegan butter. Let us know if you try it!
Yei says
thank you for this recipe! It looks amazing! I have a question, can I use walnut flour instead? Thank you :)
Hi Yei, we haven’t tried it but we think it might work! Perhaps use a Tbsp or two less of butter, since walnuts are more oily than almonds. Let us know how it goes!
Mayen Ruiz says
This looks awesome and probably easier to make than pie! In place of almond flour ( because I’m allergic) can I use your gluten free flour blend? Please let me know as I’d love to make this for thanksgiving!
Hi Mayen! We haven’t tried this without almond flour, but it’s possible it could work with oat flour or a lesser amount of coconut flour. We don’t think our GF blend would work here, but it could. Let us know how it goes if you try any substitutions!
Mayen says
I’m also allergic to those alternatives. How about rice flour or cassava flour to replace the almond flour?
Hi Mayen, perhaps a 50/50 blend of the two, but we haven’t tried it so can’t guarantee it will work the same. Let us know if you try it!
Mayen Ruiz says
What if I were to do all cassava flour and then of course combined with the tapioca starch in the recipe? Also, *IF* I were to use your GF flour blend, would I still need to use the amount of tapioca starch called for in the recipe along with it? Thanks! I have SO many allergies and really want this to work out as it would be my own thanksgiving dessert! It’s been a while since I’ve had my favorite pecan pie!
Hm, it’s hard to say how it will turn out as we haven’t tried it with other flours! If using a grain flour or cassava flour in place of almond, just know they’ll be more drying so you’ll likely need less of them. For the crust, a blend of a starch and heartier flour (cassava, brown rice) would likely create the best texture vs. just using a starch or just using cassava. Does that make sense? For the filling, you’ll still need to use tapioca or another starch.
Mayen Ruiz says
Thank you Dana, I will try doing a blend of cassava and brown rice flour! Would you say a 50/50 ratio? And of course for the crust, I will still need the one cup of tapioca flour in addition to the blend correct? Thanks! If I try it I will report back!
Yes, a 50/50 ratio or perhaps 1:2 ratio (we’d say start with 1/4 cup cassava and 1/2 cup brown rice flour). And yes, still use 1 cup tapioca starch. Then work your way up on the brown rice/cassava until the consistency resembles a dough.
Liz says
These look delicious! Do you think I could use regular flour if I’m not concerned about gluten? Thank you!
Hi Liz, We haven’t tried it, but it should work. For the crust, we’d suggest replacing both the almond flour and tapioca starch with 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour. If it is too crumbly or dry after adding the butter and maple syrup, you can add 1-2 Tbsp cold water until it just comes together. For the filling, you will still need some type of thickener such as tapioca, arrowroot, or corn starch. Let us know how it goes!
Andy says
Nutrition info says 16 servings with 9g of sugar each, thats 144g. There’s more than 3/4 cup maple syrup and a 1/2 cup of brown sugar – should be almost double the sugar in these
Either way, delicious
Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention, Andy! Since the maple syrup is in there twice, we missed one of the measurements. We’ll get it updated right away!
Casey says
Hi! I am so excited to make this. However, do you think I would be able to substitute the tapioca starch with cornstarch (2:1, respectively)?
Hi Casey! We haven’t tried this with cornstarch but we think a 1-to-1 replacement of corn starch should work. Let us know how it goes!
Nicole says
Oops I just saw in the comments that arrowroot works, which I forgot I also have, and that corn starch works too. Disregard – thanks!
Thanks! Let us know what you think!
Jillian says
Do you think this would work with swerve brown sugar instead?
Hi Jillian! We haven’t tried this with swerve, but it might work! You may want to increase the tapioca starch in the filling by 1-2 Tbsp to help it thicken all the way. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Lisa says
can i use arrowroot or cornstarch instead of tapioca starch? or can i use tapioca flour? really just any sub for tapioca starch?
Hi Lisa! Tapioca flour is the same thing as tapioca starch (in our experience). It should look similar in color/texture to your other starches, if it doesn’t, arrowroot should work well. Hope this helps!
Nicole says
I would love to try this but don’t think I have tapioca starch. Would corn or potato starch work as a substitute for it? Thanks!
Hi Nicole! We haven’t tried it but we think corn starch would work. Let us know how it goes!
js says
hi, is it possible to skip the crust and just bake the filling? i’m trying to keep carbs to a minimum and don’t really need the crust — i’m more than happy eating the filling by the spoonful :-) if attempting such an approach, what would be the baking instructions (time and temp)?
thanks!
Hi there! We haven’t tried this and aren’t sure what the result would be, it might just burn to a crisp without the crust underneath it. You could try baking it on its own for ~20 minutes and checking to see if its bubbling. Once it’s bubbling and edges look golden/crispy, you may be able to let it cool and firm up. Let us know how it goes!
Crystal says
Think I could add chocolate chips without it tasting overly sweet? I love pecan pie with chocolate! Thanks!!
Possibly! These are sweet bars, but we’d say not quite as sweet as traditional, so it could work. Let us know if you try it!
Senait says
Recipe looks great! Can’t wait to try, could I use regular butter if preferred? Would the amounts be the same, and would you say unsalted better than salted butter? (I don’t bake much lol)
Hi Senait! Regular butter should work well, we’d suggest using unsalted! Let us know how it goes!
Katherine says
I need to know how to make these sugar free as well- please help!!!!
Hi Katherine! What kind of sugar free do you need them to be? Could they be naturally sweetened or do you want to use stevia?
Katherine says
Stevia would best as trying to do a sugar free diet right now and its terribly hard! Sugar is in EVERYTHING and tastes so good!
Gotcha! Unfortunately for this recipe the sugar is pretty essential, stevia won’t be able to create the same caramel-y texture. We did try this with some blended up dates and coconut milk, which could be a better option for you than the brown sugar. We didn’t enjoy the flavor quite as much but could be a worth a try!
Gracie says
Could a gluten free flour blend be used in place of the almond flour?
Hi Gracie! We haven’t tried it and we aren’t sure it would work, but it might! You could also try oat flour, or perhaps ~3/4 cup coconut flour in place of the almond. Let us know how it goes if you give any substitutions a try!
Lucy says
Could arrowroot starch work in place of the tapioca starch?
Yes, we think it would work! Let us know how it goes!
Nina says
I usually stock oat milk, would that work over almond milk? Thanks, excited to try!
That should work well!
Ellie says
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! I am so excited to try it this weekend, sounds divine!
Woohoo! Let us know what you think if you give it a try, Ellie!
Ellie says
I forgot to update that I indeed made it – it was utterly divine! The crust puffed up in the oven in a way I hadn’t expected and then seemed to collapse a bit after the final bake with the filling. That said, it made no impact on the enjoyment :). Thanks again!
Woohoo! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ellie! Thank you for the update! xo
Liz says
My daughter can’t have almonds. Is there an alternative to the almond flour in this?
Hi Liz! We haven’t tried it, but it’s possible that oat flour would work, or if your daughter can have coconut flour, you could try ~3/4 cup of coconut flour for the crust. Hope this helps!
Amanda says
Could you use coconut oil instead of vegan butter in the crust and the topping?
Hi Amanda! We tried the crust with coconut oil and it works but it does have a slightly different final texture, and we preferred the taste of the vegan butter. We didn’t try it in the filling and aren’t sure if it would work, but it might! Hope this helps!
Lacey says
I cannot wait to make this! Can I sub for all purpose flour? What changes would you make?
Hi Lacey! For the crust, we’d suggest replacing both the almond flour and tapioca starch with 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, if it is too crumbly or dry after adding the butter and maple syrup you can add 1-2 Tbsp cold water until it just comes together. We haven’t tried it, but it should work. For the filling, you will still need some type of thickener such as tapioca, arrowroot, or corn starch. Let us know how it goes!
Debbie says
Hey, is there a substitute for tapioca starch?
Hi Debbie! Arrowroot starch would work best in place of tapioca here, or corn starch in a pinch!