Chocolate pecan pie bars (paleo, refined sugar free, gluten free, dairy free)

If you are looking for a decadent dessert to serve, these chocolate pecan pie bars are what’s up. They taste just like the chocolate pecan pie I grew up eating every Thanksgiving.

The back story of these pecan pie bars

• One of my mom’s signature Thanksgiving desserts is her chocolate pecan pie. It even makes an appearance at other family parties throughout the year. The original recipe is simple, delicious, and so rich. The kind of rich where after a few bites you know you’ll be in for a tummy ache if you keep going, but each bite just gets better and better, so you don’t stop until you’re scrapping the last bites off the plate. I wanted to make a version for Thanksgiving this year without the dark corn syrup or refined sugar. Or the gluten. Or the dairy. Not knocking the original, Mom! I just want to have my pie and eat it too this year.

• The recipe below is dairy-free, refined sugar free and paleo. It’s insanely flavorful and rich and I tried to get the same texture as my mom’s pie, with the soft crust, crunchy top, and oozy gooey middle.

• Every year my mother-in-law sends us pecans from Cuero, Texas, paying homage to her Texas roots and family. So these pecan pie bars, based off my mom’s recipe, using pecans from my mother-in-law, just feel like family, holidays, and love.

Ingredients (makes 12 bars)

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour

• 1/4 cup coconut flour

• 1/3 cup coconut oil, liquid / melted

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1 pasture-raised egg

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, liquid / melted

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 heaping cups of chopped pecans

• 3/4 cup 70% chocolate chips (I always use Hu Gems)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8x8 (or similar) pan with parchment paper. Grease with coconut oil.

2. In a medium bowl combine the almond flour and coconut flour. Add remaining crust ingredients and mix until batter is formed. Spread and press batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes while preparing the topping.

4. In a large bowl lightly whisk egg. Mix in coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sea salt. Add pecans.

5. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on crust. Pour topping over chocolate chips and spread evenly.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, until topping is golden brown and set (will still wiggle a bit). Allow to set in the refrigerator for a couple hours before cutting with a sharp knife.

Eat + enjoy! ❤︎ Emily

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The crust base of these was found on Rachel Mansfield’s AMAZING blog. Seriously, check it out and get your baking on.