Vegan Pecan Pie Bars (dairy-free, egg-free, sugar-free, Keto, Paleo, vegan)

Have you ever thought to yourself “how can I possibly eat dessert if I am trying to follow a keto/paleo/low carb/vegan diet?”

I know at first it may feel a bit restrictive but I’m telling you right now the possibilities are endless! When you transition away from all the sugar and processed foods, your taste buds change. Foods you used to eat start to taste different… and not so pleasant! You start to realize how little sugar you need to fulfill the craving or desire and naturally start to default to real food snacks and desserts that allow you to keep your blood sugar even so that your energy and health stay high!

To sweeten these bars up, I used Lakanto’s maple syrup which is actually made using monk fruit! You can find this brand over at Thrive Market.

If you happen to love chocolate, you can add chocolate chips to these bars to make them even more decadent. And don’t worry, there is plenty of sugar-free chocolate chip brands on the market such as Lily’s brand (also on Thrive!) and Hu!

The hardest part of the process is waiting for them to cool down enough to dig in. But I promise it’ll be worth it if you do (seriously!).

Enjoy them at home or on the go, you can even bring them to a work holiday party so everyone can indulge “guilt-free”! I honestly don’t believe you have to be on any sort of special diet to fully enjoy these bars!

Yield: 16

Author: Yvonne Tomlinson

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Pecan Pie Bars w/ Chocolate Option (Keto, Paleo, grain free, sugar free, vegan)

Delicious pecan pie bars can easily be made into Chocolate Pecan Bars or a pie too!

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 19 MinTotal time: 34 Min

Ingredients

For the Shortbread Crust

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 tbsp sugar-free maple syrup (I use Lakanto)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla powder)
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 2 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

For the Pecan Topping

• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
• 5 tbsp warm water
• 2 cups pecans, raw
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut butter
• 2 tbsp sugar-free maple syrup (Lakanto is my choice)
• 1/4 cup granulated erythritol or sweetener of choice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I use stevia sweetened chocolate chips)

Instructions

To Make the Shortbread Crust

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Rub the sides with coconut oil if the parchment paper does not come up the sides.
2. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan.
3. Remove from the heat and add the maple syrup and vanilla.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, salt, and baking soda together. Add the wet ingredients in and mix until well combined. You'll want a slightly crumbly dough to form.
5. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the lined baking pan and bake until the edges are golden brown and the middle is lightly golden, about 10-12 minutes.
6. Let cool for 30 minutes before adding the topping.

To Make the Pecan Filling

1. First, mix the ground flax seeds with the warm water and let sit for 10-15 minutes. This is for the "flax egg" to gel up.
2. Optional: Place the pecans onto a cookie sheet in a single layer and roast them in the preheated oven until they brown slightly, 8-10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3. Combine the coconut oil, coconut butter, maple syrup, granulated erythritol, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Let boil for about 45 seconds stirring continuously until the granulated sweetener has become liquid.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5-8 minutes.
5. After cooling slightly, add the soaked flaxseed and mix well.
6. Next, stir in the pecans until they are fully coated in the gooey mixture.
7. If adding dark chocolate chips, spread them evenly over the crust now.
8. Scoop the filling into the crust and spread it out evenly with a spatula making sure the gooey mixture and pecans are evenly coating the crust. You can press the pecans into the pan lightly so they lie flat.
9. Bake until the filling begins to bubble and looks set, about 15-18 minutes.
10. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the pecan pie bars to cool completely before cutting, 4-6 hours. You can refrigerate them for 2-3 hours to speed up the cooling. You do want them cooled in order to slice evenly.
11. Once cooled, cut into bars and enjoy!!

Notes

Make sure you let these bars chill or cool completely before slicing, I know the temptation makes this part hard!

It also helps to run a knife around the edges of the pan before slicing.

You can refrigerate these bars in an airtight container for 7-10 days. And they freeze well too.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

325

Fat

30

Sat. Fat

15

Carbs

13

Fiber

4

Net carbs

9

Sugar

5

Protein

4

Sodium

110

Cholesterol

0