Pecan Pie Bars

Vegan and gluten-free pecan pie bars with an almond flour crust, naturally sweetened with dates and packed with pecans. The perfect vegan pie alternative! 

For Thanksgiving last week, we had *three* kinds of pies.

Pumpkin, apple, and pecan.

I had the corner on Pecan,  because I decided Thanksgiving was the perfect day to test Pecan Pie Bars on my family!

(I usually try to recipe test on days I see a lot of people to get rid of leftovers in exchange for honest reviews.)

The feedback was a resounding thumbs up! 

Don’t worry, I perfected the recipe since then so you don’t have to test on yours. 

These Pecan Pie Bars are made with just seven ingredients in under an hour for a sweet, nutty treat. 

It’s kind of a pie, and kind of a bar, built in three layers of deliciousness.

They start with an almond flour crust, followed by a date-nut based filling, and finally, topped with crunchy whole pecans. 

They’re totally vegan, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened with only dates!

What You Need to Make Almond Flour Crust

Here’s what you need:

• Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour
• coconut oil
• Medjool dates (the gooey-er the better!)

That’s it!

I love using Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour in my vegan and gluten-free baking.

This flour is made from finely ground almonds and is super fluffy, moist, and versatile.

I love using it to make all the baked goods; from delicious cookies to muffins to pie crusts! 

How to Make Grain-Free Pie Crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 inch or similar sized pan with parchment paper and set it aside.

Add the almond flour, melted coconut oil, and dates to a food processor or high speed blender and pulse until everything is well-combined.

Stop and scrape down the sides as needed to recombine everything. 

You should have a sticky dough that sticks together when pressed with your fingers. 

Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the parchment lined pan.

Then, transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes while you prepare the pecan pie filling!

What You Need to Make the Pecan Pie Filling

Here’s what you need:

• dates
• neutral nut or seed butter
• unsweetened almond milk
• arrowroot powder 
• whole pecan halves

That’s it!

How to Make the Filling

Rinse out the same food processor or blender you used to make the crust.

Next, add the dates, nut or seed butter, almond milk, and arrowroot powder.

I used sunflower seed butter to make this recipe but almond, cashew, or pecan butter will work, too!

Blend the mixture until it’s thick and creamy, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed to recombine. 

Next, add half of the pecans (1 cup) directly into the blender and stir with the spatula to coat them. 

The pie filling is almost done!

How to Bake Pecan Pie Bars

When the crust is done baking, remove it from the oven.

Pour the coated pecan blender mixture on top of the crust layer and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it into an even layer on top of the crust.

Next, sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup of pecans an even topping for the pecan pie bars. 

You can use more or less than 1 cup, if you like! 

Place the pan back in the oven and bake the bars for 25-30 minutes, or until the pecans are browned on top and the pecan pie filling is mostly solid looking. 

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool *completely* before slicing into squares for serving. 

This is important!

The pie bars will not cut well and will crumble unless you cool them before slicing. 

For a quick cool, transfer the pan to the refrigerator or freeze for 20-30 minutes to chill. 

How to Serve Pecan Pie Bars

Enjoy these Pecan Pie Bars for an “easy as pie” plant-based dessert. 

You’re going to love that they’re totally vegan, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened with dates! 

They’re really easy to assemble and bake for a holiday dessert to share! 

Try pairing them with a cup of coffee, hot chocolate, or warm almond milk latte. 

The pie bars can be served chilled or reheated in the microwave. 

Store the Pecan Pie Bars in the fridge for up to one week and freeze them for long term storage.

Cheers! 

More Vegan Pie Bar Recipes

• Avocado Key Lime Pie Bars with Avocado Crust

• Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars

I Want to Hear From You

If you make this Pecan Pie Bars, recipe, let me know!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.

Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.

Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.

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XO Lauren

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This post is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!