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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.
Hi! This looks amazing. My husband doesn’t like things sweet. Could I omit the maple syrup and add 1/2 coco sugar instead? Thanks!
I meant 1/2 cup coco sugar instead of 3/4 :)
Hi Meredith, you can try but in this recipe the sweeteners provide a lot of the bulk of the filling so you won’t have as much filling, and since I haven’t tested that way I can’t guarantee how it will turn out.
Do you prebake the crust before adding the filling?
I didn’t, but if you want to ensure a super crispy crust, you can blind bake the crust for about 10 minutes at 350F!
Let me start by saying I am certainly no baker. This was my first time making a pie from scratch & boy oh boy am I impressed!! We host thanksgiving every year and wanted a healthier option to veg out on for dessert. Delicious! So happy with the way it came out. Super clear instructions. Thanks!!
Woohoo!! So happy to hear that, Samantha :D honored to have one of my recipes be a part of your celebration. Enjoy!
Can I substitute butter for the coconut oil?
Yes, for sure. Enjoy!
This is my go to recipe during the holidays. During Thanksgiving with how quickly the pie vanishes I’ve had to double on the recipe.
The best compliment! Thank you so much for the review and stars, Sylvia :)
So good – thank you!! I made this today, and it is delicious. I am not a baker, but this was so easy to make. I used Monkfruit Sweetener instead of coconut sugar – I used 1/4 cup of sweetener (and 1/4 cup of maple syrup) for the filling, and a tablespoon of sweetener for the crust. This will be my go-to pie from now on!
So glad you loved it, Monica! Thanks for sharing your feedback and monkfruit conversion :) happy Thanksgiving!
Tried it. Would not recommend. It tastes like oil. All oil. Followed instructions to a T. Oil came out of the pie and I now have a pool of coconut oil in my oven. Re-checked the proportions to make sure it wasn’t user error. Also the crust is mah at best, and did not cook on its underside.
Hi Jessie, how odd! I’m truly sorry you had trouble with this recipe. I haven’t made this one in a while (it was posted over a decade ago), and my new go-to recipe is this pecan pie. Without being in the kitchen with you, it’s hard for me to know where things went wrong, and I know it’s frustrating to have a recipe not turn out the way you’d hoped. I’m sorry you had that experience with this recipe.