Gooey caramel-sweet Pecan Pie Bars that are simple, healthy, and perfect for holiday sharing! Vegan, paleo, refined sugar-free.
Why didn’t anyone ever tell me pecan pie was so good?
It’s only been a classic dessert for approximately forever, but never has a bite of the nutty stuff crossed my lips until now. What kind of dessert lover from the south am I? – a very NOT cliche one, obviously.
You know how sometimes it is the most basic recipes we overlook though in favor of the new and sparkly and Pinterest-popular? Pecan pie is no golden milk unicorn spice avocado toast latte (and thank goodness for that!) It doesn’t have to be flashy or glamorous because it’s just SO. GOOD.
But you probably already know that, don’t you? You’re probably here because you are already a fan of the stuff and just looking for a version that isn’t 90% butter and sugar. Fruit-sweetened. Super-easy. Wholesome-ish. Yep, I have just the recipe for you…
Acceptance of nuts in dessert things was a process for me. I wasn’t just born okay with walnuts in my brownies and almonds in my ice cream.
The evolution went something like this: rocky road ice cream > chocolate turtles > white chocolate macadamia cookies > jello instant pistachio pudding > ANYTHING. So really mini marshmallows are to thank for where we are today, because I never would’ve tried rocky road if it weren’t for their squishy sweet persuasion powers. But here I am making a pie loaded with pecans and loving every single bite.
And as far as nuts in desserts go, I’m starting to realize pecans are one of my favorites. It depends on the occasion of course, but pecans have a built in…toasty-ness? richness? buttery-ness? All of the above-ness? They are perfect with pumpkin, crazy good covered in chocolate, and killing it at the pie game of course. Do you know any other nut with a holiday pie named after it? I didn’t think so.
Pecans, you’re pretty groovy.
Ingredients in this recipe that are not pecans:
- Medjool dates. If you know me and you know pecan pie, you saw this one coming from many miles away. Instant buttery caramelized flavor. Easy 3-ingredient crust binding. The only kind of “sugar” this pie needs.
- Coconut. Fact – pecans are expensive. But I really wanted to keep the crust flour-free, so instead of using all pecans I used a mix of pecans and shredded coconut. Plus coconut just works with these flavors.
- Vanilla + sea salt. Because if we’re going to do the caramel-y thing, we’re going to do it right.
- Arrowroot starch. Something has to bind all this sweet filling stuff together so it sets and slices like a dream. And that something is arrowroot starch. But cornstarch or tapioca starch would work too.
- Simplicity. Um, do you see that list? Only six ingredients for the crust AND the filling – that’s what I’m talking about.
I know, I know these are squares not slices. But hear me out – pie requires plates and utensils, squares require nothing but fingers. So for sharing OR single-handed consumption, squares = pie simplified. But yes, you can bake it as a pie pie too.
Happy nutty square pie making to you!
Vegan + Paleo Pecan Pie Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 squares 1x
Description
Gooey caramel-sweet Pecan Pie Bars that are simple, healthy, and perfect for holiday sharing! Vegan, paleo, refined sugar-free.
Ingredients
Crust*
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (70g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 8–10 (150g) pitted medjool dates
Filling
- 12 (200g) pitted medjool dates
- 1 1/4 cup (300g) non-dairy milk
- 3 tbsp arrowroot starch ((can sub cornstarch or tapioca starch))
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 cup (150g) pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- For the crust, combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until sticky and clumpy.
- Press firmly into a square pan (8×8″) lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
- For the filling, blend the medjool dates, milk, arrowroot, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- Add 1 cup of the pecan halves and pulse them in.
- Spread on top of the crust. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans on top and press them in lightly.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F or until the pecans on top are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven. Cool. Then refrigerate overnight.
- Slice into squares and enjoy! Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
For a cheaper oat flour option, you can use the crust from this pie recipe instead.
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Firstly, yeah pecans are SOOOO groovy! And secondly, squares look so much better than slices! I could destroy the whole lot of them in no time! Beautiful work!
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I’m not sure I’ve ever called a nut “groovy” before, but it just fit😂 And you could destroy the without even having to wash a fork after, which is what I call winning. At life. And monday. Happy new week Anna!
I just love your videos and recipes! I have to say I always look forward to reading your ‘lead up’ to the recipe but I’m afraid I’ve never noticed the ‘Skip to the Recipe’ button, before. It just never occurred to me that I would want to do that. While I appreciate your thoughtfulness on providing the button; I have to say how much I would miss out on your musings and insights. Thanks always for sharing your great way with ingredients and recipes!
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Hi Annie! Your comment means SO much to me, thank you for the kind words and for reading and not just scrolling right on by. I like to give the option because I get it people are busy and rushed and just want the food already, but the fact that you do read and enjoy my silly thoughts means a lot to me💜
Amazing recipe – I also love to read your thoughts before diving into whatever recipe you’ve reeled us into lol But a lot of times I use the jump to recipe button as I tend to read your recipes on the train home from work and make it on another day. It’s not needed but of course very much appreciated. Have a lovely day
Hi Eric! I really appreciate you taking the time to sometimes read the rambles, but yes sometimes even I’m like let’s just get to the food already ha. And I appreciate the kind comment too 🙂 Happy weekend!
Hi Natalie! I wanted to let you know that, like TofuAnnie, I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts from top to bottom, and salivating over the photos and videos, of course! You oftentimes put a smile on my face and certainly brighten my days, so thanks for that. As for this recipe, I truly appreciate the wonder that is pecan pie and think these bars of yours would taste divine. But can you believe neither my husband, daughter nor son are fans of dates (crazy, I know, when I’m all too happy to savor them all on their own), neither of my kids are big nut eaters (beyond peanut butter, chopped peanuts with chocolate and the occasional walnut piece they have to sometimes endure while eating a cookie or brownie) and my son doesn’t like coconut. Perhaps this recipe would make converts out of them all! And if not, hey, then I guess I’d just have to eat the remainder of the bars. I think I could cope with that. 😉
Thank you Victoria for reading and even moreso for taking the time to leave me such a lovely comment, I truly appreciate it <3 Haha it sounds like you have quite the tricky family to bake for! As long as they all like chocolate though, I suppose I can forgive them the whole anti-date thing 😀 Actually my entire family took a long time to warm up to dates too, but one by one I convince them. Or the more for you plan sounds pretty great too. Thanks for the kind words, and happy baking/week!
It’s official, I will never NOT be obsessed with pie bars. All the delicious, nutty goodness here, in easy peasy bar form! Every time I see pecan pie I think DATES because like you said, they’re just perfection for the typical pecan pie flavor happenings. These look amazing! I’d throw out all the other desserts for one of these gems on Thanksgiving – okay maybe not throw out, but save for later, or something! 🙂
Pie bars are so much more low key, ya know?! The main difference is really just shape and the lack of sides but somehow that makes all the difference. Mmmm yes, dates + pecans was a match meant to be! But I feel that way about dates and A LOT of things and I think you agree😉 As long as you throw all the other desserts (especially that cheesecake!) in my direction…🤗 Happy Monday Sara!
Hi Natalie! Wow! These look fantastic! I can’t wait to try them. I also wanted to say thank you. As a person who chooses to not eat animal products and needs to be gluten free, your recipes are so spot on! I appreciate how innovative you are with your recipes and that they taste delicious! Thank you so much!
Natalie, thank your for having such wonderful recipes, descriptions, videos and pictures. Everything looks great and I too observe the no animal products in my lifestyle. You, young lady are an inspiration!!! 😉
You are too sweet! Thank you for the kind words of support, I am so happy all the vegan recipes work in your life too 🙂
Hi Cathy! I am so happy the recipes can work for you and your life, thank you for the kind words <3 And I hope these new nutty bars are no exception--enjoy!
quick question! did you use raw pecans or roasted pecans? would it matter if i used one over the other? what do you think!?
I used raw. They get pretty toasty while the bars bake, but either would be fine 🙂
I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve eaten pecan pie, which I think is reason enough to make these delicious-looking bars!! Pecans are definitely underrated. Thanks for raising awareness for the little nuts 🙂
I can count on one finger and that is NOT okay. Somebody’s gotta advocate for these nutty little dudes, and you and me and your pie and these bars…I think we got this👊
Oh Natalie, now you’ve got me motivated to try pecan pie (I’ve never had one!). Pecans are one of the nuts that are totally not on my radar. A couple of years, I couldn’t have cared less for nuts.. now I love peanuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and cashews. Walnuts are okay! Oh and of course all of these in nut butter form 😀 But pecans? I shall gave them a real try soon 🙂 Amazing recipe, as always! The photos are bomb <3
SAME! I feel like food blogging/recipe development has really given me a new appreciation for nuts in general. There was even a time where I didn’t like peanut butter😱 Nut butter is probably still my fave way to eat nuts, but pecan pie is definitely WAYYYY up there now! Thanks lovely❤️
I love, love how much you packed a ton of pecans into these delicious bars! Pecans are my favorite nut and you know what, pecan pie was my favorite pie growing up! I always loved how gooey and sweet and nutty it was and it was never blob-like, hahaha! I have seen pecan pie bars before but they are always loaded with so much nasty butter and these look about a million times better, not to mention healthier and easier! I have always wanted to make my own vegan pecan pie (without the bucket of corn syrup, lol) and think I’ll just make these instead, lol! Loving these bars, you nailed these!
I honestly can’t believe you HAVEN’T made your own pecan pie recipe by now with your love for pecans and strong feelings about non-blob pies (i still laugh every time you say that😂😂). Well whenever you do it’s gonna be spectacular, we can all be sure of that! Ikr usual pecan pie ingredients: butter sugar nuts…oh yeah and corn syrup because normal sugar ain’t enough. These may be a little too date-y for you (biggest understatement ever lol) but medjools really did work perfectly here imo😊 Well I am happy to hear you approve and happy that I am starting to realize why pecans are so amazing!
Hahaha! I think the dates here are brilliant because they are already sweet and gooey, just like pecan pie is! Yeah, my mom made pecan pie every. single. year growing up and oh boy, heaven, pure heaven. But, of course it was loaded with corn syrup…not that I cared then, but I do now, so I’m sure I will do a maple syrup version whenever I get around to it!! And yes, to pecans, they sure are a magical and delicious ingredient! I love, love these bars!
Do you use dried dates? Or fresh? Never baked with them before!
Fresh! Natural Delights is my favorite brand 🙂
I made these today and they are AMAZING. I made a few modifications to the filling to make it smoother and slightly thicker, but my oh my. Thanks for your wonderful creativity. I will post my modified recipe on my blog, but will link to this post if that is okay! My blog is halahbakes.com
<3 Halah
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Yours looked awesome on Instagram, soooooo creamy and luscious! Happy to inspire such deliciousness🙂
I adore pecans but boyf can’t eat them so unless I harden my heart and just make something for me n daughter I don’t eat them often enough. Might just have to for this recipe though!
This recipe made me realize how truly delicious a nut they are, especially in sweet and caramelized stuff! Haha aww well maybe make him something else–too many desserts isn’t a real thing anyways 😉
Hi! Do you think it would be okay to do without the coconut? Thanks!
Sure, you’ll just need to add more pecans to make up for it. Otherwise the crust will be too sticky and not fill the pan completely 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Great, thank you & Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Hiya! I made these and they are pieces of heaven. Hope my friends will like them just as much as I do. Do they freeze well?
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Ahhh I am so so happy to hear it!! I haven’ tried them frozen, but I love them chilled and they will last at least a week in the fridge. Probably will freeze fine though if you want to give it a shot. Thanks for the feedback Dana and happy Thanksgiving!
Hi! These sound AMAZING! Do you have the nutritional value for them?
I’m so happy they enticed you, hopefully you get a chance to try them soon 🙂 I do not have the nutritional info calculated for these, but you can easily plug it in and figure it out yourself: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
There’s 256 calories per bar according to the program I plugged it into. Sorry I didn’t save the other info as I won’t be making them. I need something a little lower calorie.
Cool! Well I hope you find something else 🙂
Another winning recipe! Made these at Christmas and they were a big hit. Even my non whole food plant based family loved them, I didnt change a thing, they are perfect just the way they are.
Great job, another recipe to add to my ever growing cookbook
Thank you
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I am so so glad to hear it Diane! Non-vegan family is always the ultimate test, especially at the holidays so I am really happy they were a success 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!
Soooo now I can officially feel no guilt for eating pecan pie all year long, right? Right. LOVE these!
Heck to the yes! Pretending it’s the holidays all year round is the primary reason for making healthier treats 🙂
What type of Non Dairy Milk did you use for this recipe?
Almond milk! Just the basic from a carton stuff 🙂
Don’t have fresh dates locally. How can I modify the recipe to use dried instead?
I would just soak them first until soft, but make sure you drain before blending so you don’t add too much extra moisture to the recipe. Good luck 🙂
It is wonderful!!! Your kidding me right? Wait until it has cooled overnight?? Smells like pecan pie. Tasted like pecan pie and this is hot out of the oven. I can only imagine what it tastes like when cool. My husband says it’s a keeper. Thank you so much!!!
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Haha the waiting part is kind of torturous right? You can skip it, but it would be more of a spoon + bowl situation than a bar as I’m sure you now know…although yummy nonetheless 🙂 I”m so so happy you both enjoyed it, thanks Debbie!
Doyoutoastyourpecansfirst?
The ones I bought were toasted, but if yours are not then yes that would be ideal for flavor🙂
What a simple but brilliant idea!! Thank you so much for the inspo! I have pinned it…. x
Thanks for checking them out Georgie, and happy baking!
I am not vegan and I don’t follow a paleo diet. Nevertheless, I just made these for my father in law for Father’s Day. They are freaking bomb. Loooooooove!!! Thank you for the amazing (and absurdly easy) recipe!
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Woohoo I love it! I”m not vegan or strictly paleo either, but doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy all the healthier treats even still🤗 I hope your family loves them too!
These look amazing. We are sensitive to all nuts except walnuts. Do you think walnuts would work well as a substitute?
I think walnuts would be delicious here! Now I kind of want to try that 😀 Enjoy!
Can these be frozen? Looks so good!
Haven’t frozen them myself, but it’s worth a try!
Hi! I can’t wait to try this it just looks amazing 🤤 I was wondering if I can use coconut flour instead of shreds? Is it also possible to decrease the amount of dates used? Thank you 💓
That will not work here unfortunately, it will make the crust way too crumbly. Sorry! But you could use more nuts instead of the coconut. And you can use less dates for the filling, but it won’t be as sweet and thick.
Thank you will give it a try 😊
do you think this filling would work for a regular pie? how would you adapt if so?? thanks !<3
Hmm haven’t tried it but yes I do think it would work! Although I think you will need to 1.5 or 2 times the ingredients to fill a pie pan. Good luck 🙂
How much extra pecans do you think the crust needs if you leave out the coconut? Hubby is allergic. Thank you!
I’d try the same amount, so 1 cup 🙂 Hope you guys love them!
YES… finally a recipe that I was looking forward to make for tomorrow Thanksgiving
Day 🤗 can I use this recipe for a pecan pie.
I have all the ingredients and a G/F pie crust
But it will be the same amount, you don’t have a recipe for pecan pie.. 🤗 thank you for sharing this yummy pecan bars….
happy thanksgiving 🍁
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Yes this will work in pie form too as long as you have a crust all figured out already! You may need to 1.5x the amounts to fill a regular sized pie pan though. Good luck and happy Thanksgiving to you too!
So delicious!! These were a huge hit with our non-vegan crowd at Thanksgiving! Thank you!!
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Woohoo!! Non vegan approved is always a very good sign, I’m so happy everyone loved them🤗
I have this in the oven right now and I cannot wait. I literally had to force myself to stop eating the filling by the spoonful – SO delicious!!
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Hahaha!! I can relate to that problem when it comes to caramel-y date-filled treats😆 I hope the finished product is just as delish!
This recipe is easy to make and oh so yummy. I used the alternate suggested oat flour crust and added my own take on the recipe by sprinkling the crust with cinnamon before pouring the filling on top. The cinnamon helps to balance the sweetness. I took them to a potluck, and they were very popular.
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I am so happy you liked them!! And I love the cinnamon sprinkled crust idea, I gotta try that sometime soon. Thanks for the feedback Roxanne 🙂
These look amazing. Can regular dates be used in place of medjool dates?
Sure! Just measure by weight since the number of dates will be more since they are smaller 🙂
I actually had looked up how many medjool dates was equal to one cup, and found that someone said around 8. So I just used that as a reference and packed in regular dates. They turned out really well. I made them for my family’s Christmas dinner and everyone loved them. Love how simple and easy the recipe is too. I have a lot of people in my family with a wide range of allergies and sensitivities, so this recipe was perfect!
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I am so happy they were a success!! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback Jessica, and happy new years to you 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I have made it twice now, both times as a pie in a deep 9 inch glass pie plate. Because we were running low on pecans I used walnuts in the crust, which I pressed into the bottom of the pie plate only. Also I used regular old dried dates which I coarsely chopped prior to use (to check for pits!) And for ease of blending.
I weighed all of the ingredients where weights were provided. I feel this is essential to predict a consistent outcome.
With respect to the filling, I used water instead of non dairy milk, and I processed the filling in the 64 ounce jar of my vitamix. I aldded the chopped dates, and gradually added the water to achieve the desired BLEND, running on high for approximately 1 minute once all of the water had been added. I then added the balance of the filling ingredients and ran on high again. Except for the nuts, which I pulsed in at the very end before pouring the filling into the pie plate. I reserved 50 g of nuts for the topping as suggested.
Since my dates were very dry, I am sure my result may have been much sweeter than intended. Anyway it is super delicious!
I also amped up the salt by an additional 1/8 tsp on the second try.
Thanks again. Hope this wasn’t too much detail!
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I am so happy you liked it🤗 And customized it a bit too, I’m loving the sound of this! Thanks for sharing your version Cathy, and I gotta try that extra salt myself next time😋😋
We have made this at least eight times. Ir is my new favorite dessert. I love not only how amazing it tastes but how easy it is to make.
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Hahaha omg that is amazing!! I am so happy you love it Rebecca🤗🤗
Made this today and it was divine! I like it more than actual pecan pie which always tastes way too sweet to me. I also love that the recipe is so simple and uses so few ingredients! Thank you for this recipe – it’s definitely a keeper!
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Wow what lovely feedback! I am so happy you liked them Cathy, thank you for sharing😊 Happy sunday!
thank you so much for this amazing recipe. my family absolutely loved it. i only use whole fruits as a sweetner, do you have any more such recipes?
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Hmm like dates or bananas? I have a whole archive of fruit sweetened recipes here: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/category/fruit-sweetened/
thank you. wow thats a lot of recipes for me to try 🙂 they ALL look absolutely amazing
Hi! I made these, and they were awesome—one question, what non dairy milk did you use! I used a coconut cream and while delicious they came out creamier and not so gooey (also cooked FAST)
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Hm I honestly don’t remember, but if I don’t specify coconut milk it’s usually almond! They are kinda creamy though, without regular sugar they don’t get quite as sticky 🙂
Hi! Was wondering how you’d think these would taste with your almond flour crust?
Delicious!! I love that crust, it would be great here 🙂
Hi,
I can’t eat dates or apples or raisins and fruits similar. Anything I can sub the dates for? Could I do butternut squash or pumpkin purée maybe with some starch instead of the date filling?
Hmm you could try a mix of pumpkin puree and increase the amount of arrowroot, but pumpkin on its own is no sweet at all so it won’t taste very good and you will need to add some sweetener to make up for the date sweetness. Haven’t tried it personally, so you will have to experiment!
Thank you so much for the recipe! I was wanting to make a vegan pecan dessert for Thanksgiving and couldn’t pass up on these tasty looking bars. I used unsweetened unflavored oat milk, cornstarch, and added a little cinnamon. I love the contrast of textures and how they’re not overly sweet! Thanks again for sharing. 🙂
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I am so so happy you enjoyed them Elizabeth! Hope you had a happy and delicious thanksgiving, grateful for your support and feedback 🙂
These were so good! I made them for Thanksgiving and everyone loved them. They weren’t too sweet and I liked the texture better than traditional pecan pie too. Thanks for another amazing recipe, Natalie!
YAY!! I am so happy you guys enjoyed them, and I hope you had a happy and delicious thanksgiving 🙂
Looks like your oat flour crust link is outdated…
oh no you are correct it is! Thanks for letting me know, this is the one I was referring to: https://feastingonfruit.com/sweet-potato-pumpkin-pie/
Thank you for this recipe! I have a gluten free / dairy free friend originally from Texas who LOVES Pecan Pie but can’t partake because of his allergies. So I found this recipe and WOW….they are so amazingly good, even I started eating them myself. I keep them in the fridge so they stay fresh and it’s almost like having a healthy granola / pecan / coconut / date bar whenever I want (without the guilt or refined sugars.) I’m going to make these again today and they will be a staple in my baking routine. PS….Mine didn’t get the caramel like look on the top of the bars so maybe my dates were smaller, I may need to add more. Also the crust was too crumbly so I ended up adding more dates (and cheated by adding a couple tablespoons of maple syrup just to make sure it firmed up and held in place without too much crumbling apart when picked up. They were a huge huge hit. All gone.
I am so so happy you tried and are enjoying them Ron! That is a perfect description, they are absolutely like pecan pie meets granola bar, and I hope your friend approves too. More dates or soaking the dates first should help with the crust, and a little maple syrup or even water to get it to hold never hurts. I hope the next batch is even better, and I appreciate your feedback!