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This Paleo Pecan Pie is a healthier version of a holiday favorite! This recipe is a gluten-free & grain-free alternative to traditional pecan pie with the best Paleo pie crust I’ve ever tried. This is the perfect paleo Thanksgiving dessert.
Phew, just barely sneaking in one last Thanksgiving recipe before the big day. This is a good one though, so listen up: I took a super guilty, sugar-free favorite and I made it way more guilt-free. This pie proves that pecan pie does not need corn syrup to be good. In fact…it’s way better without that nasty, overly-processed stuff.
Pecan pie is a favorite of mine and has been ever since this pecan pie recipe entered my life. It’s full of browned butter and brown sugar and tons of pecans. That recipe is absolutely delicious and is what this one is based on. However, that one, though corn syrup-free as well, is still full of sugar and definitely a sinful treat.
How is this Paleo Pecan Pie healthier?
This version of pecan pie went totally Paleo, nixing the gluten, grains, refined sugars, dairy, and butter, in favor of the more wholesome almond flour, coconut sugar, and coconut oil. The pie is still chockful of pecans, and don’t worry – you won’t be missing that flaky pie crust either.
Perhaps one of the best things to come out of this recipe is this pie crust. I’ve been getting frustrated with Paleo pie crusts recently. I kept trying press-in crusts, avoiding rolling out dough because it’s one of my least favorite kitchen tasks, but everything just tasted too chewy and burnt too quickly and just wasn’t right.
This time, though, I switched methods:
To make this flaky gluten-free pie crust: you’re going to use solid coconut oil and cut it into the almond flour, similar to what you’d do for a normal pie crust with butter and flour. Then, you’ll stir in the egg to bring the dough together.
Next, the crust will chill in the freezer to re-solidify the coconut oil, creating that flaky texture we all love. I rolled it out between parchment sheets, making it super easy to transfer to the pie pan and nixing the need for any extra flour.
This is a pie crust I’ll be using again and again (in fact, I’m using it for more pies on Thanksgiving!). With this pecan pie filling, the combo is irresistible!
The sweetness of this gluten-free pecan pie is subtle, not the cloying sweetness that comes from traditional pecan pie. This pecan pie avoids the thick, sugary goo in favor of a more subtle and flavorful filling that is chockful of crunchy pecans.
Best of all? You can sneak an extra slice without any guilt because all of the ingredients are whole foods.
This Paleo pecan pie got a huge thumbs up from everyone who tried it, even the traditional pecan pie lovers. My Grammy declared it one of the best things I’ve made, and for it being a healthy treat, that’s about as high of praise as it can get!
Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Need more paleo Thanksgiving desserts?
- Pecan Pie Bars for a more portable version of this pie!
- Paleo Chocolate Pecan Pie for the chocolate lovers.
- Paleo Vegan Pumpkin Pie to serve with this one on Thanksgiving!
Paleo Pecan Pie
Ingredients
For the pie crust
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, solid
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
For the filling
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon blanched almond flour
- 1 tablespoon almond milk or any non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
Equipment
Instructions
For the crust
- In a medium bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut sugar, and salt. Add in the coconut oil and using a fork (or your fingers), cut into the almond flour until the coconut oil is in mostly incorporated. Stir in the egg until the dough is slightly moist and forms a ball. There may be streaks of coconut oil running through your dough.2 cups blanched almond flour, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ⅓ cup coconut oil, 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, 1 egg
- Press the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling, or place in the refrigerator if not using immediately (can keep in the fridge for up to 1 week).
- When ready to bake, roll out your dough in between two sheets of parchment into a 12-inch circle. Lay dough into a 9-inch pie dish (not a deep dish).
For the filling
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs until slightly foamy. Stir in the maple syrup, coconut sugar, and coconut oil. Whisk together until fully combined. Stir in the almond flour, almond milk, and vanilla. Add the pecans and stir until they are fully coated.¾ cup coconut sugar, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, ⅓ cup coconut oil, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon blanched almond flour, 1 tablespoon almond milk or any non-dairy milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups pecans
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pie dough. Bake in the preheated oven at 325°F and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top no longer jiggles in the center. Cool completely in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.
Must try this!
Is there anyway to make it with coconut flour?
Hi Kandi. For the crust, using coconut flour would require an entirely different recipe because coconut flour is super absorbent and requires a lot more liquid than this recipe has. If you’re looking for a coconut flour crust I would look for a recipe specifically using coconut flour for best results. For the filling, you could probably sub in about 1 teaspoon of coconut flour for the almond flour and have good results, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t make any guarantees. Sorry for the semi-vague answer! Good luck.
Loved this recipe!! I froze the coconut oil for a few minutes before cutting it into the almond flour with my dough mixer, and it was yummy!! I also had no maple syrup on hand, so I used raw honey instead. I made a regular pecan pie and this recipe, and the paleo tastes WAY better!!! I’ll make it again with maple syrup to compare. But, I have a new favorite!!! Thanks so much for this delicious recipe!!! Happy Thanksgiving!
SO happy you loved it!!! :) Happy Thanksgiving, Marla!
Thank you for actually cooking and trying the pie before posting a review!! It’s frustrating when you’re trying to find out if people really like a recipe and all the reviews are “I can’t wait to try it.” “Looks delicious” Ugh! Those aren’t reviews!!
Hi Marla, did you substitute the exact amount of honey? I tried making it with organic honey (not raw though) & the pie was soupy, it didn’t set. So I tried it a second time with an extra egg, same results. And a third time with an added teaspoon of coconut flour to the almond flour, same results. Absolutely, positively delicious so I’m obsessed with figuring out how to get it to set!! It’s hard to believe that organic honey would make such a difference in the pie setting compared to raw honey or maple syrup? If anyone has any suggestions, I’d greatly appreciate the help!
Hi Christy, are you using honey in place of the coconut sugar too, or just the maple syrup? If it’s in place of the coconut sugar too, that’s adding a LOT more liquid to the recipe and it’s not designed to set so much liquid.
Can I substitute butter for coconut oil
You can definitely use butter instead. Make sure it’s cold, straight from the fridge! Hope you enjoy it, Cheryl.
The instructions calls for eggs in the filling, but they are not listed in the ingredients. How many eggs go in the filling? Thanks.
Hi Courtney – there’s two eggs in the filling, they’re listed fourth down on the ingredients list for the filling.
Sorry. I clearly missed them. Thanks so much for responding. I plan on making this for Thanksgiving!
No worries! :) I hope you love the pie, have a great Thanksgiving Courtney!
My parents absolutely loved this recipe. I’m glad that it was relatively easy to make. I used the tsp of coconut flour substitution as I didn’t have any almond flour available. I wish I could upload a picture of how the pie came out – everyone thought it looked great! Thanks again
So happy to hear that, Idi! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback with me.
I would love to try this, but eggs are also on my “no” list. Any suggestions for a substitute?
Hi there, I haven’t ever tried making a pecan pie without eggs and I’m not sure if the filling would set how it’s supposed to without them. You could try using an egg replacer, like Bob’s Red Mills? I can’t make any guarantees though – my apologies I don’t have a more helpful answer!
Can I use honey instead of coconut sugar
It will affect the texture since it adds more liquid – I haven’t tested that way so not sure exactly how it would work.
Thank you so much for this pie. I made it this morning for my Thanksgiving get together. I had a craving for pecan pie but didn’t have the heart to make the sugary sweet traditional version. I google paleo pecan pie and this is the first one to come up.
It is amazing. I am so impressed. One more thing to be great full for today! Paleo pecan pie!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
So thrilled you’re loving it, Tammy!!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving :)
I absolutely LOVE all of your recipes. I’m gluten, dairy and sugar free and your book and blog have been a lifesaver!!!! I really want to make this pie but I can’t eat coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar. Is there anyway I can make pecan pie without this? Maybe with maple syrup?
Hi Brittany, thank you so much!!! You should be able to increase the maple syrup here, my only worry is that the extra liquid would prevent it from setting up in the right way. I wouldn’t use more than 2/3 cup…or you could use maple sugar if you can get your hands on it!