These Pecan Pie Bars are thick and caramelly, with a crispy coconut flour shortbread crust and a gooey pecan pie filling on top. These gluten-free, paleo, and vegan bars will be the star of your dessert spread!
Let’s chat about Pecan Pie Bars! Pecan pie often gets left behind in the fall baking hysteria surrounding everything pumpkin spice and apple, but I believe it rightly deserves it’s spot at the dessert table. When pecan pie is good, it’s gooey, crunchy, and NOT cloyingly sweet.
Unfortunately, many times, cloyingly sweet is ALL we get with pecan pie. For many, many years, I wasn’t at all a fan, because all I associated with pecan pie was a thick, gelatinous, corn-syrup filled layer of jelly-like sweetness. Even the thought of it kind of grosses me out, to be honest. Sorry to all the OG pecan pie lovers out there – it’s just not for me.
The first time I TRULY loved pecan pie came when I started making it myself. First, with this classic pecan pie – it’s not gluten-free or vegan, but it is truly delicious and full of browned butter and NO corn syrup. It was a staple on my holiday table for a few years.
It got dethroned by this Paleo Pecan Pie though, and then subsequently, this Paleo *Chocolate* Pecan Pie. They’re both absolutely delightful, with the chocolate in the second version adding a little extra bitterness and richness, from the dark chocolate that’s folded in and melted into the filling. Swooooon. 🙌
But I think these Pecan Pie Bars might top them all…in terms of ease, these are definitely the winner, and they’re certainly right up there in terms of deliciousness too! No pie crust needed, just a delightfully easy and delicious shortbread crust.
The crust is made with coconut flour, which helps provides that sandy, firm bite that is so customary with shortbread. It’s prebaked until firm, golden, and crispy before being topped with the pecan topping, so it keeps that nice crunchy bite and doesn’t get soggy, even after the liquidy topping is poured over the top.
For the filling, we create a quick caramel over the stove, heating it just enough to bring the coconut sugar, maple syrup, and coconut oil together into one smooth, creamy caramel. This also helps the coconut sugar to melt down a bit. Once that’s off the heat, a slurry of non-dairy milk, flax meal, tapioca flour, vanilla and salt are whisked in.
The flax meal and tapioca flour help the caramel thicken up in lieu of the eggs that are typically found in pecan pie to play the binding role. Toasted pecans are stirred into the caramel mixture, and then the whole shebang is poured over the crunchy cooled crust. It’s all baked for 30 minutes until the caramel is nice and bubbly.
And then the hardest part: waiting for them to cool. I made them at night, so I just stuck them into the fridge overnight so they were out of sight, out of mind. Once they’re firm, slice them up and try not to devour them all in one sitting!
Jesse and I have been demolishing these…the first batch I made disappeared rapidly from the fridge, but thankfully I’ve still got some from the batch you’re looking at hiding in my fridge. Our favorite way to devour them has been warming up in the microwave for 30 seconds until gooey, and then topped with a scoop of vanilla dairy-free ice cream. Heaven, I’m telling you.
Once your teeth sink into the gooey caramel topping, full of crunchy toasted pecan bits, and then into the crunchy shortbread crust, you’ll be in pure dessert heaven. It’s sweet, caramelly, nutty, crunchy, chewy, and absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS! I hope these take a spot at your holiday dessert table, because I know they’ll be on mine. Enjoy! :)
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Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread crust
- 1 cup coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ⅓ cup coconut oil softened to a similar consistency as softened butter
For the filling
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- ⅓ cup non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons flax meal
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ cup pecans toasted + roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8x8” square pan with coconut oil (I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper as well if your pan doesn't have a removable bottom).
Combine the maple syrup and coconut oil and whisk until fully combined. Stir in the coconut flour and salt until a smooth dough is formed.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely.
For the filling, combine the coconut sugar, maple syrup, and coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk to combine. Bring to a low boil and let simmer for about 2-3 minutes and then remove from heat. Let cool slightly.
- While it cools, whisk together the non-dairy milk, flax meal, arrowroot starch, vanilla extract, and salt in a small bowl.
- Add the milk/flax mixture to the slightly cooled sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Stir in the pecans.
Pour the pecan mixture over the cooled crust and bake for 30 minutes.
- Let cool completely, at least 2 hours, in the refrigerator before cutting into 16 squares.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Brenda says
Is there any substitution for arrowroot starch and tapioca flour? I don’t have any of those two!
Rachel says
Hi Brenda, I haven’t tried it with anything else, but you could use cornstarch if you eat corn.
Dani says
In the oven as we speak… the sauce is, in a word, decadent!!!
Swapped out ground chia for the flax meal, and dropped home made Paleo chocolate chips on top… can’t wait for the next three hours to pass so I can eat one!!
Thank you!!!!
Rachel says
Amazing, I hope you love them!
Jacqueline says
YES I used chocolate and chia as well! So good
Ashley says
These sound divine! Shortbread is so easy and tastier than most other crusts! I have a similar aversion to the classic corn syrup sweetened version, but ever since making healthy pecan pie a few years ago I have been hooked.
Rachel says
Thanks so much for the love, Ashley!
Sharon says
Made these this morning and they are easy to make, the house smelled divine, and wow such a treat for the tastebuds! I was wondering, is it possible to substitute the coconut flour for another gluten free flour without sacrificing the shortbread texture? Almond flour? Cashew flour? Maybe hazelnut? Just wondering if I can smooth out the coconut flavor just a tad with a different flour. Thanks!!
Rachel says
Hi Sharon, I haven’t tried it with any other type of flour so I can’t say for sure. You can use refined coconut oil to help reduce the coconut flavor, too! So glad you’re enjoying them though :)
Jessica Hanley says
Is it possible to leave out the coconut sugar and substitute the flax meal?
Rachel says
Hi Jessica, unfortunately you need the coconut sugar for create the “goo” that holds the pecan topping together. You could try subbing with more maple syrup or date sugar, but I haven’t tried either and don’t know if it will work. For the flax meal, you could sub with ground chia seeds.
Tracy says
Oh my, these are fantastic! I’ve never been a big pecan pie person but my partner put in a request for pecan pie. I figured I might as well make some that meet my dietary restrictions so that I could try them too, and these completely exceeded my expectations! SO delicious, and quite easy to make. I will definitely be adding these to my holiday dessert spread. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Rachel says
So thrilled to hear that you and your partner enjoyed the bars! Hope they’re a hit at the holidays too :) thanks for your feedback!
Katie says
Can these be frozen for a few days??
Rachel says
Yup! Just make sure to wrap them tightly and seal in an airtight container! Enjoy!
kirsti says
can these be made ahead and frozen???? YUM!
Rachel says
Yes that will be fine, just make sure to wrap them tightly and seal in an airtight container! :)
Kristin says
Excellent recipe!! Making these now. Wanted to point out a funny typo… “until a smooth door is formed”
Ha! Working on my smooth door now.
Thanks for such great recipes!
Rachel says
Haha, thanks for pointing that out! I hope you love them :)
Judi says
Hi, thank you for your wonderful paleo recipes! Can I use eggs instead of ground flax seed? My husband loves pecan pie, I can’t wait to make these.
Rachel says
Hi Judi, I haven’t tried it with regular egg since the recipe wasn’t developed that way. Because flax eggs aren’t used, you would need to adjust the amount of liquid in the recipe too. I haven’t done it that way so I wouldn’t know the right amounts to recommend, sorry! If you do try it, I’d love to hear the amounts you use and how it turns out. Enjoy!
Tascha says
These were a hit with a non-vegan, glutenous crowd. I didn’t have coconut sugar, so I used demerara. I used the coconut flour, and it was so tasty. Added maybe a quarter of a teaspoon of maple flavoring to the liquid because I had it on hand. I also added maybe a tablespoon of coconut spread to the crust. They were gone in no time.
Rachel says
So thrilled to hear they were a hit! Thanks so much for the feedback, Tascha :)
Corey says
Help! What did I do wrong? My crust turned out soggy after I added the filling. I’d love to get it right because the flavors are amazing!!!
Rachel says
Hi Corey, how odd! Unfortunately, with so little info, it’s hard for me to know exactly what went wrong. Did the crust seem to be firming up after it’s first bake in the oven? It should be starting to get crispy after that first bake, or like you experienced, it’ll just get soggy instead as it absorbs the moisture.
Moniak says
I have baked these pecan bars 3 times. Twice brought them to work and all loved them. Today was my last day at work and I decided to bring these pecan bars again, and again everybody loved them, however some said they were a bit too sweet. Many people asked me to share the recipe. I made 5 portions for today’s farewell. This is one of my favourite recipes. I am not vegan but allergic and this recipe is a lifesaver if I want to bake something delicious that everyone will like.
Rachel says
So thrilled they’ve been a hit with you and your coworkers, Moniak! You can always reduce the amount of coconut sugar if you’d prefer them to be a little less sweet. Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Lourdes says
Hi, I just finished baking these with my family and we doubled the recipe so we put them in the oven for about 45 minutes instead of 30. Everything appears fine but we are unsure if it was still supposed to be a little soft when it comes out. Is it supposed to come out hard from the oven or just put it in the freezer for two hours? They look amazing and I can’t wait to try them! Thank you so much!
Rachel says
Hi Lourdes, they shouldn’t be hard coming out of the oven, they’ll firm up considerably in the fridge or freezer. Should still be fine having baked a little longer, they just might not be quite as gooey. Hope you guys enjoy them!
Ally says
I just made these so I could test them before thanksgiving and they are great! I substituted brown sugar for coconut sugar and cornstarch for arrowroot/tapioca starch and it all seemed to work out perfectly!
I know pecan pie is typically very rich (which the dessert was), but for my liking it was too rich. Is there any way to reduce or omit the oil in the filling so it doesn’t come out quite as rich? I know the oil is necessary for the crust or else the crust wouldn’t bind together, but maybe it’s not needed for the filling? I’m new to baking so it’d be nice to know if the oil is essential for the filling or not. Thanks!
Rachel says
Hi Ally, you could try reducing the amount of oil in the filling but I haven’t tested it that way so can’t make any guarantees that it will work out the same way. I would only reduce by a tablespoon or two if you try that!
Marcela says
I don’t know what happened! I followed the recipe/ measurements exactly but my crust turned out too crumbly, and my filling was very runny… Any idea of what could have gone wrong?
Rachel says
Hi Marcela, it’s hard to know without being in your kitchen with you! Did you change anything about the recipe, or are you baking at high altitude?