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Think you can’t have pecan pie without corn syrup? Think again! This healthy pecan pie is made with maple syrup for a thick and delicious filling over a flaky, delicious crust!
Hello from Cancun! Yes, I’m back in Mexico and I am NOT hating it. It is so nice being here with the kids – a very different trip than when we went just ourselves, but since we had that lovely break we’re just able to have fun with the kiddos without longing for alone time on the beach.
Speaking of the beach, Miss Harriet LOVES the beach. It is adorable! She plops down on the sand the second her toes hit the beach and she just plays. The boys are more more into the pool so we’ve been dividing and conquering. Anyway, it’s been lovely.
SO – here I am overlooking palm trees and posting about pecan pie and holiday treats. It feels a bit weird, but I do love me some pecan pie, and I’m pretty excited about this healthier version. Along with my vegan magic bars that I posted last week, this pie is a dessert that is a slightly better for you version than the original. I had both of these creations in mind last year during the holidays but I didn’t get around to testing them, so they were on my docket for this year!
If you’re a fan of the original pecan pie, you’ll love this version!
What makes this pecan pie healthier?
Typically, when I create a “healthier” version of a pie, I use an almond flour crust, or a different grain-free crust. While you could certainly use one of these crusts with this pie, I opted to stick with my classic 3-ingredient pie crust, made with all butter. I’ll leave some tips at the end of the post for substitutions for this.
Other than the crust, the filling of the pie is made with healthier goodies! We’ve got:
- eggs
- maple syrup
- coconut sugar
- cinnamon
- vanilla
- pecans
- butter (can be subbed for coconut oil)
As you can see there is zero refined sugars in this pie! I’d call that a win. The maple syrup gives it that rich flavor that we’ve come to love – and expect – from a pecan pie.
How do you make healthy pecan pie?
This recipe is started with the crust. You can use a premade crust, an almond flour crust, a grain-free pie crust, or use your favorite pie crust. Once you’ve placed your crust in the pie plate, arrange the pecans in the crust.
You can try to arrange them in a cascading circle, going around and around, OR you can save time and just dump them into the crust. As long as there is a fairly even layer, you’re good!
After placing the pecans in the crust, start preparing the filling.
Whisk together the room temperature eggs along with the melted butter and maple syrup. Once smooth and combined, add the coconut sugar and whisk again. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk again!
Pour the filling all over the prepared pecans.
Bake the pie in an oven preheated to 350 F for 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust and if its browning too quickly loosely tent the pie with aluminum foil, or use a pie crust protector. Remove the pie once the center is no longer jiggly.
The filling of the pie will puff up in the center but as it cools it will come back down. Cool the pie for 1 hour on a cooling rack before placing it in the fridge for an additional hour to firm up.
You can serve this pie just the way it is, or slice it up and add some whipped cream on top (our fave) or even coconut whipped cream!
Is this healthy pecan pie vegan?
No – unfortunately I’ve still used 3 whole eggs in this recipe, and they’re very necessary for the texture of the filling and the way the pie responds to the oven when baked. If you’re looking for a vegan version of pecan pie, I did try out this recipe from the Banana Diaries and it was delicious!
Can you serve this pecan pie warm?
This pie is delicious right from the fridge but if you want to serve it warm, you can heat it up in the oven after its already been solidified in the fridge. Cover the pie with foil and heat it for 30 minutes in an oven set at 275 F. It will lose a bit of structure but overall it holds up very well!
What if I want to use a grain-free crust for this recipe?
If you’ve got a favorite gluten-free, paleo, grain-free crust, you can certainly use it in this recipe! Or try using the crust from these other pie recipes of mine:
- healthy blueberry pie
- grain-free chocolate chia pudding pie
- chocolate nice cream pie (the chocolate crust is so good with pecan pie)
If you’re looking for a simple holiday dessert that everyone will love and won’t leave you feeling too gross after, this pecan pie is a great option! Enjoy!
Some of my other favorite pie recipes:
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Healthy Pecan Pie
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 pie 1x
Description
Think you can’t have pecan pie without corn syrup? Think again! This healthy pecan pie is made with maple syrup for a thick and delicious filling over a flaky, delicious crust!
Ingredients
- all-butter pie crust* (see notes for options)
- 2 cups whole, raw pecans
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp melted butter**
- 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- optional: whipped cream, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 9″ pie plate. Place a premade pie crust, or all-butter crust into the pie plate, crimping the edges. See notes above for other pie crust options.
- Arrange the pecans on top of the crust, one by one in a circle to create a pattern, or simply place them in an even layer in the bottom of the pie. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup and melted butter until smooth. Add in the coconut palm sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt and whisk again until smooth. Pour the mixture all over the top of the pecans.
- Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the center of the pie is no longer jiggly. Keep an eye on the crust while the pie bakes and if its becoming too brown, cover the crust with a pie shield or loosely place a large piece of aluminum foil over the pie. Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack for 1 hour, before placing the pie in the fridge for at least an hour to completely solidify.
- Serve the pie with whipped cream or coconut whipped cream. If you want to serve the pie warm, heat it up (after solidifying in the fridge) in the oven for 30 minutes at 275 F, covered with foil.
Leftover pie can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.
Notes
*If you’re looking for a gluten-free or grain-free pie crust to use, see my blog post above for some other ideas. Or, simply use your favorite pie crust recipe for this!
**If you prefer to keep this recipe dairy-free, you can substitute the butter for melted coconut oil.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: pie
- Method: oven bake
- Cuisine: american
Love the healthy kick ! Enjoy Cancun and have a happy holidays !
Love this healthier riff on pecan pie, Katherine! It looks totally irresistible and just look at the layers in that pie crust!
What a great healthier spin on pecan pie Katherine! Looks delcious! p.s. over here listening to the rain and trying not to be jealous of you {and Hattie} on the beaches of Cancun!
This pie looks wonderful Katherine! I’m not a huge fan of corn syrup, so this version is right up my street. Loving the addition of maple syrup and coconut sugar for some extra added caramel notes!
I’m also not a fan of corn syrup, so it’s great to know that you can still make a delicious pecan pie with maple syrup instead! 🙂 Happy Holidays Katherine!