These Vegan Pecan Pie Bars are super easy to make thanks to a quick gluten-free pastry and no-cook date caramel layer made in the food processor! Gluten-free and naturally sweetened.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 45 minutes
  • Total time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 12
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
  • 2 tablespoons oat flour, certified Glutenfree if needed (or use white rice flour)
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil (semi-solid)
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

For the date caramel layer:

  • 9 soft Medjool dates
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy milk such as almond milk or oat milk (or more, if needed)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the pecan topping:

  • 1 cup pecans halves and chopped (I use and 1/2 cup of halves and 1/2 cup chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Method

  1. Make the crust: In a bowl, add the almond flour, tapioca starch, oat flour, baking soda, and salt and mix well.
  2. Then add in the wet ingredients - vanilla extract, melted coconut oil, maple syrup and mix and make a dough. Press and mix to combine.
  3. Line a 9x9 or 8x8 inch brownie pan with parchment. Then press this dough into the pan and even it out with a spatula.
  4. Preheat the oven to 345 degrees Fahrenheit (170c) and bake the crust for 11 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, make the date caramel: Blend dates, almond butter, 1/4 cup of milk, 1/8 teaspoon salt. Then add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is a smooth thick cream. If your dates are really hard, soak them in hot water and drain and then blend. You can also use up to 3/4 cup non-dairy milk total to help the mixture break down.
  6. In another bowl, add the pecans and maple syrup and toss well. Then sprinkle in the coconut sugar and cinnamon and toss again.
  7. Remove the crust from the oven then spread out the date caramel and even it out.
  8. Top the date caramel with the pecan mixture and even it out and then place this pan back in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
  9. Once the top is not liquidy anymore, take the pan out. Let it cool for 15 minutes then carefully remove the bars from the pan and let it cool for another 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.