Gluten, Grain & Dairy Free Healthier Pecan Pie Bars

My family and I love pecan pie so when I started my wellness journey a little over 10 1/2 years ago and the holidays rolled around I was determined to learn how to make one of our favorite holiday desserts healthier and not gain back any of the weight I had lost up to that point on my journey. So I stuck with my healthier habits and enjoyed my favorite foods in a healthier way.

This recipe does not disappoint and you will know exactly what I mean when you try it. Not only is it gluten and dairy free it's so much less sugar then the original recipe I used to make. It's a great dessert to bring to holiday parties and it will win the pecan pie lovers over. Trust me they always say this is a 10/10. It's a holiday staple over here and I hope it becomes one for you as well.

We need to make the crust first:

2 cups of almond flour

1/4 cup of organic maple syrup

1/4 cup of organic melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon of organic vanilla

Ingredients for the filling:

1/2 cup organic brown coconut sugar (I use Big tree farms only, I'll share why below)

1/4 cup of organic melted coconut oil

1/4 cup of organic maple syrup

2 teaspoons of organic vanilla

2 pasture raised organic eggs

1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans (raw and unsalted are best)

Turn the oven on to 350. While that is heating we will make the crust. I like to cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the 9x9 glass pan or you can use organic coconut oil to grease the pan. Mix the four ingredients to make the crust. Then add it to your glass pan and press down until its an even base. Bake this for 14 minutes or until you notice a very light color on the edges.

While your crust is baking you will make the pie filling because as soon as that crust is down you will add the filling on top of it and bake it for an additional 23 minutes. To make the pie filling you will take all the ingredients except the pecans and mix together. Once smooth you will mix in the pecans. Then pour the mixture on top of the crust and bake. Once it's done baking you will want to let it cool for 45 minutes. Once the pan is cooled you can place the bars in your fridge to chill for a good hour. This makes 16 servings and they will last storage wise for a week.

I wanted to share why I only like to use the One Tree Coconut Brown Sugar. It's unrefined, unprocessed, vegan, gluten-free, rich in nutrients, low glycemic and are true 1:1 replacements to cane sugars. I am always looking for ways to make ingredients healthier and this has been a go to of mine for years. My local grocery stores sells the brand but if you can not find it here is the link to their website: https://bigtreefarms.com/products/organic-coconut-sweeteners/