Vegan Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan bars arranged on wooden board with visible layers of crust and sticky pecan topping.

Gooey vegan pecan pie bars with maple, brown sugar, and warm spices on a crisp pastry base. Easy to make, corn syrup–free, and perfect for sharing.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 38

Total Time 48

Servings serves

Calories 294kcal

Ingredients

Base

1½ cups all-purpose flour 180 g
3 tablespoons light brown sugar 38 g
6 tablespoons neutral oil such as canola or sunflower (90 g)
2 tablespoons water 30 g
1 teaspoon baking powder 4 g
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 2 g

Filling

3 tablespoons cornstarch 24 g
⅔ cup full-fat coconut milk 178 g
3 tablespoons coconut oil 45 g
¾ cup light brown sugar 150 g
6 tablespoons maple syrup 90 g
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 2 g
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 15 g
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 g
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 g
½ teaspoon baking soda 2 g
2 cups chopped pecans 230 g

Instructions

Grease and line an 8” x 8”/20 x 20cm baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350° F/175C.

Make base:

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
Add the oil and water. Stir until a crumbly mixture forms.
Press mixture into pan. Pat into an even layer.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until just firm and golden at the edges.

Make filling:

In a heavy bottomed pan, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until the cornstarch is well distributed.
Add in the coconut oil, coconut milk, and maple syrup. Whisk until smooth.
Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until translucent and thickened, about 7 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in chopped pecans, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda. Stir until well distributed.
Pour on top of hot base and level out.
Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until set on top.
Cool in pan for at least 20 minutes before removing and allow to cool completely before cutting and eating.
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days (though the base will get soft the longer it sits) and bring to room temperature before eating. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Notes

Texture/taste Notes: Vegan pecan pie in handy bar form. Gooey, corn syrup free brown sugar and maple matrix loaded with pecans sits on a crispy, but sturdy, pastry base. Handheld and portable, these bars are perfect for parties. A perfect 2:1 ratio of caramely filling to lightly-sweet crust that doesn’t leave you feeling overloaded on sugar. Easy to make press in base for those that don’t want to fuss with rolling or crimping pie dough.

Oil choice: Any oil will work in the crumb base. The best choices are very neutral flavoured oils like canola, sunflower, or vegetable. Coconut oil also works but will make the coconut flavour more intense.

Vanilla and spices help balance out the coconut milk and oil so the brown sugar and pecan have a chance to shine through.

Baking soda: Adding baking soda to the filling helps reduce crystallization and encourages it to bubble up for maximum smooth, caramel flavour around the pecans.

Blind baking: Blind baking the crust helps keep it crumbly and firm all the way through. Prevent soggy bottoms and structurally unsound bars. The crust does not have to be baked all the way through, just enough to be slightly firm before adding the pecan layer.

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