Vegan Pecan Pie Bars
These pecan pie bars are the best ones I have had in my life. I couldn't find a truly healthy and tasty vegan pecan bar recipe so I had to create my own; and you won't be disappointed. Absolutely delicious, processed sugar free, oil free, gluten free, and full of nutrition!
Everyone who tested this vegan recipe loved it, and I am so confident you will love them too! These pecan bars are perfect as a snack, or with brunch or dessert. They're also a great healthy treat for children. They taste like pecan pie, but are so much better, with a caramel-like pecan topping and an amazing shortbread crust that even has lupini flour for extra protein.
I seriously haven't seen a healthier vegan pecan pie recipe like this anywhere else. So just remember, you saw it here first!
Healthy Vegan Pecan Pie Bars with Dates
I tried some vegan pecan pie last year, but when I asked about the ingredients I was absolutely shocked. Nothing was healthy about it besides the pecans. I’m a big fan of healthy desserts, and one day I wanted to make healthy pecan pie bars. I used to do market research for a living, so I can research pretty fast, however, I found NO healthy recipe online. So, I decided to create these bars from scratch. I was determined to make vegan pecan pie healthy and yet still tasty. This recipe has no corn syrup or rice syrup; instead I use mostly dates. Oh... and no processed white flour either, as I was aiming for a healthier pecan pie.
This was one of those experiments that worked on the first try! I've been cooking from scratch since I was very little, mom never used recipes, so I'm used to getting creative in the kitchen; and I love it! It feels like painting to me. But you know what I love even more? That I get to share this recipe with you and now you can also enjoy these yummy vegan pecan bars. I love them because they are:
Healthier than any recipe I’ve seen.
Super easy to make, and you just put the whole pie in the oven only once. Simple process.
Incredibly tasty, just like a healthy pecan pie.
Ingredients are mostly whole foods, which means it’s refined sugar-free and oil free.
It provides enough energy to use as a pre-workout meal, which I did before training legs!
Shortbread crust.
Only 9 Simple Ingredients
Pecans
Almond flour
Lupini flour (protein)
Tahini
Pitted dates
Pecans
Maple syrup
Vanilla Extract
Unsweetened plant-based milk
If you can’t find lupini flour, replace with chickpea flour, which is not as high in protein content, but still really nutritious.
Tahini: I used fresh tahini, which is a bit runnier than the tahini from a grocery store. If yours is kind of thick, you might need to add a tiny bit of water or extra plant-based milk to make the date paste.
Unsweetened plant-based milk: I used organic soy milk for this recipe, but a good almond milk, cashew milk, or oat milk works too.
How to Make Pecan Bars?
For this recipe you will need a food processor, a mixing bowl and a baking pan.
Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C).
For the crust, mix dates with the tahini, syrup, and vanilla extract in the food processor until you have a paste. Add this mix to a bowl, add the flours and salt and mix with your hands until you have a good doughy texture. Press into the baking pan. I used a 9"x9" baking pan lined with parchment paper.
For the filling, mix tahini, dates, syrup, plant-based milk, and vanilla extract in the food processor until you have a thick paste. In a bowl, add the paste and pecans. Mix with your hands or wood spoon, and press the pecan filling on top of the crust.
Put it in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy! I let mine cool for 20 minutes and then I just put it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Store leftover pecan pie bars in the fridge for 6-7 days. Alternatively, you can freeze them too.
These Bars Are
Gluten free
Egg-free
Oil free
Dairy-free (without butter)
Healthier than other recipes I’ve seen
Refined sugar-free
Easy to make
Amazing as dessert, breakfast, snack, or as a pre-workout meal