Best Vegan Mini Pecan Pies (Gluten-Free)

The best recipe for vegan mini pecan pies, that also happens to be gluten-free! Perfect for the holidays but also for any other day…

Growing up, my grandma had a friend name Josephine that my sister Suhaa and I would always hear about. I never met Josephine nor did I even speak with her on the phone. What I did know, is that Josephine made cookies.

“Josephine’s Cookies” as we would dub them (10 points for originality), were these amazing little tarts made with butter and sugar, filled with a crunchy, chewy, nutty center. Truth be told, I don’t exactly even know what was in them, and what made them so delicious but when I developed this recipe for vegan mini pecan pie, I was transported back 15 years to tasting those amazing little thumbprint cookies out of a tin. It always amazes me that food has the power to take you back to a time, place, emotion or feeling…

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Okay, back to why you’re here in the first place! These vegan mini pecan pies were an experiment that went right and I’m thrilled about it. The crust has a crunchy outside, and a chewy inside with a texture that leans more towards a cookie rather than a pastry crust. The vegan pecan pie filling comes together with some maple syrup, coconut sugar (my favorite unrefined sweeteners), and some pecans. It is made with all real, whole ingredients and happens to be gluten-free, grain-free, and vegan! This is one of the best recipes to bring to a thanksgiving or holiday gathering, partly because its so delicious, but also because it travels well and everyone can easy pick them up and eat them in one or two bites.

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Perfect for the holidays (or year-round…), these mini vegan pecan pies are the perfect thing to bring to a party or make for yourself. I’m so proud of this recipe, I can’t wait for you to try it. And everything in mini form is just automatically cuter, we all know that.

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Vegan & Gluten-Free Mini Pecan Pies

Author Samah Dada

Ingredients

Filling

• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 2 tbsp almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tbsp creamy pecan butter (can sub almond)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup pecans to be crushed with your fingers before adding to filling. See instructions!

Crust

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 2 flax eggs (2 TBSP ground flaxseed mixed with 5 TBSP warm water left to sit aside to thicken up into gel-like consistency)
• 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp almond milk

Instructions

Pecan Pie Filling

1. In a small saucepan, bring maple syrup, coconut sugar, pecan butter, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to a simmer.

2. Add in ground flaxseed and almond flour to thicken mixture. Keep stirring.

3. Turn temperature to medium-low and continue to stir for about 10 minutes until everything is well incorporated and mixture has thickened.

4. Finally, crush pecans roughly between your fingers and add to the mixture. Stir for a few more minutes.

5. While you are stirring the filling, you can make the crust.

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a mini muffin tin with coconut oil.

2. Prepare two flax eggs by combining 2 TBSP of ground flaxseed with 5 TBSP water. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together almond butter, melted & cooled coconut oil, and coconut sugar.

4. Add flax egg to wet mixture and stir to combine.

5. In a separate bowl, combine coconut flour, almond flour, and salt.

6. Combine wet and dry ingredients by adding flour mixture to almond butter mixture.

7. Add 2 TBSP of almond milk to dough to help mix everything together. Dough should be slightly sticky.

8. Press two inch size amounts of dough into the muffin tins, and use your knuckle or finger to create a crater in the center of each tin.

Assembling and Baking

1. Pour tablespoon amounts of pecan mixture into each mini pie crust. Fill to the brim but do not overfill. Top each with one pecan (for aesthetics and more crunch)!

2. After filling each crust, bake on 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, checking to see that tops have caramelized and sides are golden brown.

3. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from muffin tin and serving.