Oh the typical southern pie in all it’s unhealthy glory, pecan pie. Full of corn syrup for an overly sweetened dessert. But the holidays are just not complete without a pecan pie at the table. So I have created a refined sugar free version without all the corn syrup but it still maintains that delicious flavor with the perfect amount of sweetness.
Paleo Pecan Pie
To sweeten the pie I used dates. And that may sound weird but trust me, it gives the pie a wonderful sweet flavor with this caramel-like richness. Date are a fruit (obviously) so it’s the perfect refined sugar free option. It doesn’t take away from traditional pecan pie flavor. And oh my goodness, it is delicious!
Now for the crust. I use a gluten free crust for this recipe. My almond flour pie crust pairs great with this recipe and it’s really easy. Or you can purchase an already prepared crust. Whole Foods has a great gluten free pie crust if you can tolerate butter. It is very buttery!
Some key tips to make this recipe great:
1. Soak the dates in hot water
Soaking the dates makes them softer and they blend much better for a creamier consistency. You will have trouble blending the pie mixture if you don’t soak the dates for at least 10 minutes before blending.
2. Reserve the date water
The water used to soak the dates in are included in this recipe. It helps blend the dates and gives the pie a sweeter flavor.
3. Cool date water to room temperature
The date water must be cooled before adding to the blender because eggs are also included in the recipe, so you don’t want to cook your eggs before the pie enters the oven.
If you follow these tips, you are sure to have a delicious and silky pecan pie. Enjoy!
Paleo Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups pitted dates (soaked in hot water)
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons date water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Soak dates in boiling water. I pour water from my kettle onto the bowl of dates. If you don’t have a kettle, just boil approximately 3 cups of water on the stove and pour over dates to soak for 10 minutes.
- Once dates have soaked, reserve date water. Make sure water has cooled to room temperature before adding to blender or it will cook the eggs.
- Add all ingredients except for the pecans to a high powered blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. This may take several minutes.
- Once mixture is blended, fold in 1 cup of pecans.
- Pour pie filling into pie crust of your choosing and sprinkle remaining pecans on top of filling.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the middle is no longer gooey.
Notes
*Pie will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
