Name: Vegan Pecan Pie
Yield: Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) pie
Ingredients: ¾ cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar; ¼ cup (30 g) tapioca flour; ¾ teaspoon salt; ½ cup (120 ml) coconut oil, melted over low heat, if needed; ¾ cup (180 ml) maple syrup; ½ cup (120 ml) almond milk; 2 teaspoon vanilla; 1 bottom crust of Vegan Pastry Dough, crimped (½ recipe); 1 cup (120 g) pecan halves

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

When creating vegan recipes, it’s helpful to be flexible and think outside the box. My regular pecan pie has the distinct flavor of brown butter and honey, both of which are nonvegan ingredients, so I don’t try to replicate it. Instead, this vegan pecan pie uses coconut oil and maple syrup while tapioca flour takes on the role of thickener, replacing eggs. A bit of almond milk and plenty of pecans imbue the pie with nuttiness. Does it taste like my regular pecan pie? Nope. Does it satisfy a vegan’s craving for the brown sugary crunch of pecan pie? It sure does!

Editor's Note: Using ¼ cup of tapioca flour will yield a pie with a very softly set gel. For a firmer filling, use up to ¼ cup more tapioca flour. The pie must be cool to the touch before slicing as a warm filling will still be runny.

What you’ll need

Balloon Whisk
$14 At Amazon
Vanilla Extract
$19 At Amazon

Recipe information

Yield
Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) pie

Ingredients

¾ cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar

¼ cup (30 g) tapioca flour

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup (120 ml) coconut oil, melted over low heat, if needed

¾ cup (180 ml) maple syrup

½ cup (120 ml) almond milk

2 teaspoon vanilla

1 bottom crust of Vegan Pastry Dough, crimped (½ recipe)

1 cup (120 g) pecan halves

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
Step 2
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Mix thoroughly with a whisk so that the starch is evenly dispersed, then whisk in the coconut oil. Add the maple syrup and whisk thoroughly, followed by the almond milk and vanilla.
Step 3
Place the pie dish with bottom crust on a baking sheet. Pour in the filling, making sure to scrape the entire contents from the sides of the bowl into the pie. Sprinkle the pecans over the top or arrange the nuts in concentric circles if you’d like an especially elegant presentation. Bake the pie for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 40 minutes more. The filling should be thick and bubbling at the edges.
Step 4
Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. The pie will keep for up to 1 week at room temperature.

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