Easy Paleo Pecan Pie
Thanksgiving isn't complete without a delicious pecan pie. There's nothing like it and I'd choose it over pumpkin pie every single time. Unfortunately there aren't any ready-made crust options out there that fit the paleo lifestyle but I have a recipe below that will blow your little tastebuds away... along with a hack that will save you time throughout the holidays and the whole year!
If you've tried my Easy Paleo Quiche then you already know and love my crust and it just so happens to work beautifully for this pecan pie recipe, too. It's gluten free, grain free, paleo and can be made dairy free by using vegan butter.
The biggest tip I can give you is to prep a few dry mixes ahead of time so that when you want to make a pie (or quiche) you can skip a bunch of steps. Here how: When measuring out the dry ingredients, measure out a few more batches of dry ingredients into separate mason jars so that when you're ready to make a new crust all you will need to do is grab the mason jar of dry ingredients and mix it with the wet ingredients. I like to prepare at least 3 at a time to have a few mason jars labeled "QUICHE CRUST" on hand in my pantry.
Important notes: this recipe works best in a quiche dish with straight edges vs a wavy edged pie dish. This is also a super sweet recipe but I like to cut some of that sugar by using THIS sugar which is 50% less sugar than regular coconut sugar. Remember though, this is not a low carb or low calorie dessert because it does use real (and yummy) maple syrup.
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INGREDIENTS
Crust:
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon coconut flour
1/3 cup + 4 Tablespoons arrowroot flour
1 Tablespoon coconut sugar
1/2 cup cold grass-fed butter or vegan butter
1 egg
Large pinch of sea salt
Filling:
1 cups whole pecans
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup maple syrup
a pinch of cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 Tablespoons grass-fed butter (or vegan butter)
pinch of sea salt
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the crust. In a large bowl add all dry ingredients. Lightly whisk. Add in cold butter. It’s best to cut cold butter into smaller pieces which makes it easier to mix. Use your hands or a stand mixer and combine until butter is mixed into flour well. Add 1 egg and mix. A dough will form. If you feel that it’s too sticky (sticking to your hands) add 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot flour at a time. Press dough into a quiche dish.
Using a fork, poke lots of holes all around the crust. This will make sure the crust doesn’t puff up too much.
Place crust in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Filling:
While crust is baking, prepare the filling. Once crust has baked for 10 minutes, take it out of the oven.
Lightly toast pecans on medium heat for a few minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and pinch of sea salt. In a small sauce pan, heat butter and maple syrup just until it begins to boil and turn off the heat. Pour the maple syrup into the egg mixture very slowly while whisking. Add pecans and coconut sugar.
Pour mixture into the pie crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until center doesn't jiggle and making sure the crust doesn't burn. Allow it to cool before cutting and serving.
