Pecan pie was a staple in my grandmother’s kitchen. She kept bags of shelled pecans in her freezer, pecans that had been picked right off the trees and carefully put away for pies and cookies all year long. My grandmother could whip up a delicious pecan pie in no time, and it tasted so good! When a friend of mine made these no-bake pecan pie bars for me, it took me right back to childhood. These bars are grain free, raw, paleo and vegan but they still have that great pecan pie taste! They get their sweet flavor from healthy dates, coconut and a touch of maple syrup instead of from white sugar and corn syrup. It’s so fun to be able to enjoy a treat like this and feel good about what you’re putting in your body!
My friend found the recipe for no-bake pecan pie bars at the Detoxinista blog. They have a crust made of dates, coconut, pecans and coconut oil. Over the crust goes a whipped filling, and then the bars are topped with crushed pecans and a drizzle of dark chocolate (the chocolate is optional). Chewy and sweet, they are such a satisfying dessert! You can make these in a square pan and serve them as bars, or if you’re feeling nostalgic try making them in a glass pie dish and serve thin wedges like at grandmother’s house. Now if I just had a few pecan trees…
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 cup pitted madjool dates
- 2 tablespoons pure grade B maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1/4 cup water (you may need more)
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips (optional)
- Line an 8x8 square baking dish (or pie plate) with plastic wrap to keep the bars from sticking.
- In a food processor, combine the ingredients for the crust and blend until you have a sticky dough. Press the dough into the bottom of the dish or pie plate. If you'd like, melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips and spread the melted chocolate over the crust.
- Put the crust in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the filling by putting all the ingredients in the food processor and blending well. You may need to stop and scrape the sides down from time to time. If the mixture is too thick, add a little extra water.
- Spread the filling over the crust (and chocolate, if you're using it). Smooth it with a spatula, then gently press in the cup of pecans for the topping. If you're using chocolate, drizzle 1/2 cup of melted dark chocolate over the pecans.
- Put the pecan bars in the freezer for 6 hours to overnight, then cut and serve.