I’m actually really terrible at baking anything other than cookies and cake. Pies, breads, pastries…or anything that I need to knead or roll, I’m just terrible at it. I know it just takes practice, but I can never get the perfectly even and beautifully crimped pie crusts. Or that perfect, super flaky and melt-in-your-mouth pie crust? Not my forte. I’m more of a throw-it-in-a-bowl-give-it-a-stir-then-divide-between-cupcake-liners kind of girl. That’s my jam.
But you know what? I’m way more of a pie person than I am a cake person. Back when I was in high school, I played Maplestory [YEAH THAT’S RIGHT], and the GMs divided everyone into Team Cake or Team Pie. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE? CAKE OR PIE?! I got sorted into Team Pie and I was devastated.
I longed to have the little cute cake sign float over my head. I thought the pink frosting and red cherry on top were so pretty and way nicer than pie. Plus I was a firm believer that cake was way better. How could you go wrong with frosting?
But I was naive. Pie, oh pie. I apologize for any flack I gave you. You are clearly the superior choice. The perfectly flaky crust, the sweet and gooey filling… ranging from sweet, to creamy, to fluffy and light as a dream. But cake? Cake is always sponge plus frosting. Sometimes sponge plus ganache and frosting. But fresh fruit, spices, and pie crust and fillings galore. That’s the way to be.
The Maplestory Gods knew I was really Team Pie all along.
To celebrate EPIC PI DAY (3.14.15!!!), obviously I made a pie. I was determined to make a good, vegan pecan pie with no corn syrup or tofu, but was still thick and gooey with caramelized deliciousness. I based my recipe loosely on Hell Yeah, It’s Vegan! and Vegetarian Snob. I was so intrigued that HYIV’s recipe used salted crackers! I thought, oh my god, that’s such a good idea. It acts as a filler and adds body to the recipe while contributing an undertone of saltiness. My friends had no idea there were crackers in it, either. Just try it, it’ll be good. PROMISE.
Anyway, my other blogger friends made Pi Day recipes too. Go check em out! They’re not vegan, but they’re pretty nonetheless. I will love unconditionally anyone who makes me a vegan lemon meringue pie.
- Gluten Free Coconut Cream Pie – What the Fork Food Blog
- Blood Orange Mini Pies – The Crafting Foodie
- Banana Cream Pie Dip – Shaken Together
- Frozen Chocolate Pie – Nessa Makes
- Apricot Hand Pies – Rick-a-bam-boo
- Coconut Cream Pie – Delightful E Made
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup – Bubbly Nature Creations
Vegan Pecan Pie
Ingredients
For the pie crust:
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) vegan buttery sticks, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) vegan shortening), cold and cut into cubes
- 3 cups all purpose flour + flour for rolling
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 10 tbsp (150 mL) ice water
- OR
- Try my new, favourite fool-proof pie crust recipe
For the filling
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
- 1 cup pecans pieces (Or you can have all halves, toast together and then separate later to chop)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 2 tbsp flax meal + 6 tbsp warm water
- 10 salted top crackers, crushed
- 1 heaping tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the pie crust:
- In a food processor (or if you don't have one of those, a large mixing bowl and a pastry knife), blitz butter, shortening, sugar, flour, and salt until the butter and shortening is about pea sized. Pour in ice water and mix until just combined. Transfer to a clean countertop and divide into two equal pieces. Shape into discs and wrap with plastic wrap. Let chill in the fridge for at least an hour.*
- Once chilled, remove from fridge and roll out until 1/4 inch thick and it fits your pie pan. Wrap your rolling pin with the pie crust to easily roll it out over the pie pan.
- Gently shape the pie crust to meet the crevices of the pie pan. Use a knife to trim the edges of the pie crust, then crimp the sides or leave as is. Use a fork to poke holes all along the bottom to prevent bubbles. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning the edges. Bake at 325ºF for about 10 minutes. The crust will shrink a little bit, depending on your pan, so give it about 1/2 inch to an inch to shrink down to. Remove from oven and set aside.
To make the filling:
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- In a skillet, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Toss pecans into the pan and stir until lightly coated in oil. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and continue stirring until pecans are fragrant and lightly toasted (about 3-4 minutes). Watch carefully and stir constantly because they burn really quickly. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Roughly chop pecans once cooled. You can reserve about 1/2 cup of them whole to leave on top for decoration.
- In a small bowl, mix flax meal and warm water and let sit until thickened and gelled (about 5 minutes).
- In a small pot, combine white sugar, maple syrup, butter, flax mixture, crackers, flour, and pecan pieces and stir over medium low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is fairly thick (about 5 minutes). Turn off heat, stir in vanilla extract, and transfer to par-baked pie shell. Arrange pecan halves on top as desired. If you can, submerge them in the sugar syrup a little bit so that the pecan halves are protected from burning. I didn't do it when I shot this photo, so obviously its fine if you don't, but I prefer the taste of them when they're not darkened like this XD
- Keep edge of pie protected with aluminum foil, and bake for about 30-40 minutes. Remove aluminum foil from edges and continue to bake until edges are golden and the pie filling is mostly set but a little jiggly in the middle when you gently shake the pie—about another 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. It's best to let it sit until slightly warmed or completely cool before serving. Cut and enjoy!
Notes
*This recipe makes two pie crusts (or a top and a bottom), so you have another pie crust for later, or you can double the filling recipe and make two pecan pies.
Louise says
Hi Lisa,
It’s my first time here but I just had to thank you for sharing this gorgeous pie recipe. Just perfect for Pi Day (the mathematical one) everyone is celebrating on twitter, lol…
Thanks so much for sharing…I’ll be pinning and tweeting it:)
Lisa Le says
Haha it’s one in the same! Pi day ftw =) Being irrationally delicious is they way to be. Thanks for visiting and sharing! =)
Cadry says
I am definitely right alongside you on Team Pie. Cake is fine, but I am rarely blown away by cake. For all of the reasons you mention, pie wins, hands down. Your pecan pie sounds terrific! I could definitely go for a slice of that.
Lisa Le says
Yesssss Team PIE!!! Thanks Cadry =)
Debbie says
This is labeled as soy-free but I haven’t been able to find any”butter” sticks that aren’t made with soy. Do you have a brand or website?
Lisa Le says
I’m a lover of Earth Balance =)
Jeffrey D. says
Do I need the salted crackers? What elsee would work?
Lisa Le says
Hi Jeffrey,
The salted crackers kind of act like a binding agent and add a little salt content. You can leave them out, but I don’t know how it would work in a large pie form. I didn’t use them in my adapted version of these butter tarts.
Audrey says
The pie is amazing but how do you keep the crust from sagging down the side of the pie pan?
Lisa Le says
Hi Audrey,
So basically when I made this recipe, I was a pie crust n00b. I have since learned to make better pie crust that’s a bit more stable. Try this recipe instead =)
Laura says
Can you use premade frozen crusts? I would love to try this – I haven’t had pecan pie since becoming vegan over 30 years ago! But, I HATE MAKING CRUSTS! Please help! Looking forward to something other than pumpkin and blueberry pies this year!
Lisa Le says
I totally get you with the crust thing. This can for sure be made with a frozen crust, I think you just need to prebake it as written in the instructions on the package. But if you ever feel like making an easy, vegan crust and you have a food processor, try my new favourite pie crust recipe.
Laura says
Thank you for getting back with me. I will make it with the frozen variety this year…next year I’ll be more brave!
Lauren says
We will DEFINITELY be using this for Thanksgiving this year!! Also, I read your blurb about a vegan lemon meringue pie. You may want to try using aquafaba (the water from a can of chickpeas!!) to make your meringue. It also makes a fabulous chocolate mousse! :)
Lisa Le says
Yes! I have since discovered aquafaba and have been experimenting! I’ve had a few flops but mostly I’ve got a ton of other recipes that need to come out of the woodwork before my aquafaba ones XD
Katy says
Instead of the flax could you use ener-g egg replacer?
Lisa Le says
Probably? I’ve never done it before, and I don’t really like using it too much because it’s just leavener anyway =P
Jessica Boys says
Just put one together and I can’t say how it sets, since it’s currently in the oven, but the filling tastes amazing! I never liked pecan pie because of how eggy it was, grossed me out, but I think I might find myself a pecan pie lover after this! The hubby won’t have a clue ;)
Lisa Le says
Most people won’t even know why pecan pie isn’t vegan. You should tell him after he’s licked his plate clean of pecan pie ;)
Regina Cendejas says
Awesomeness at its finest…..I made it, came out bomb!!!! #vegans rule!
Thanks for the recipe.
Lisa Le says
Yay! Glad you liked it =)
Gina says
Hi Lisa!
I am so excited to try out this recipe today! However when I got home I realized I forgot to get flax meal ? I know it is used as an egg replacement in this, and I’m trying to find an alternative so that I dont have to go back to the store. I’ve found a couple of options but do you have any thoughts? Is the flax meal in this mostly a binder? Thank you much!
Gina
Lisa Le says
Yes I use it as a binder =)
cam says
This is the BEST vegan pecan pie a of all time…make it you won’t be sorry!!
Lisa Le says
Thank you!! <3<3
Angela says
Awesome Thanksgiving Surprise! This pie is perfect.
Lisa Le says
Thanks Angela =)
Erika says
This was a really fabulous recipe – I made another vegan pecan pie a couple of weeks ago but it turned out slightly too soupy. This came out much nicer – thanks for the great recipes!
Lisa Le says
Glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback =)
Christina says
This pie came out delicious! I added in some raw cocao and dark chocolate chips..was divine!
Almiel says
Thanks for the recipe. Just wanted you and your readers to know that white sugar is not always vegan. http://www.ordinaryvegan.net/vegansugar/
Lisa Le says
Thanks Almiel! I always use vegan sugar (luckily most manufacturers in Canada are vegan), but not everyone who reads my blog may know.
FrancineT says
I enjoyed making this, I made it for my boyfriend who is into trying vegan foods and he loved it. I think this is an awesome recipe though I bought a pre made crust though not vegan. I hope to try the crust when I make it for Thanksgiving. Thanks again for having a delicious vegan alternative to make for special events. I can’t thank you enough!!!
Barbara says
What are salted top crackers? Like saltines?
Lisa Le says
Yup. Crackers with salted tops :) (That’s what my box of crackers say)
Michelle says
Your directions don’t state specifically when to put the pecan halves on top. Do you do that before you put it in the oven or part way through baking? I’ve been slowing making the switch to cleaner eating so I am needing a healthier version of my extremely unheathy pecan pie that everyone expects at Thanksgiving and this one sounds delish!
Lisa Le says
I put them in just before putting them in the oven, but in retrospect, I would have poured the filling on top of them because they got a little toasty since they were unprotected on top. I hope you like this recipe!
Tara says
For this step: Remove aluminum foil from edges and continue to bake until edges are golden and the pie filling is mostly set but a little jiggly in the middle when you gently shake the pie—about another 10-15 minutes.
what does “pie—about another 10-15 minute” mean?
Thanks
Lisa Le says
Hi Tara! Sorry my site sometimes doesn’t like when I use degree signs or hyphens—I’ve fixed them in the recipe :)
Lakshmi says
I made this pecan pie and ir tastes wonderful! Thanks for sharing the recipe especially I needed a no egg recipe.
Lisa Le says
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave feedback :)
Callie says
This recipe turned out great! I didn’t have quite enough pecans, so I added about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. My boyfriend is vegan and gives it a thumbs up too! Definitely going to make this again.
Lisa Le says
Great substitution :) Glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed it!! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment <3
C says
I made this pie this weekend for a friend’s request for their birthday dessert, and it was amazing! My very first attempt at making pie, which has made me hesitant for years, but was relieved at how easy this was. I did use the crust recipe with the pie, and it wasn’t soggy at all, it was nice and flaky, and browned up nicely – all parties loved it.
Thank you so much! :)
Noelani Gorman says
Is it possible to cook the filling ahead of time to bake a few hours later? Or does everything have to be done all at once? I had a huge spill in my oven from dinner, and a plume of smoke came out when I preheated it. So now, my oven is unusable, and was hoping ti use my mom’s in the morning.
Lisa Le says
I think if you freeze it, and then bake it the next day (add like aluminum foil around the edges to keep it from burning) it should be good :) Sorry about your oven!!
Kat says
Looks like a nice recipe but, you don’t say vegan sugar, white sugar is not vegan
Lisa Le says
Most white sugar manufacturers in Canada are vegan, which is why I don’t mention it.
Millican Pecan says
So happy to find a vegan pecan pie recipe! I am not completely vegan (yet) but am trying in every way to make the switch. Thank you for sharing your recipe and I will definitely make this one!
N.c says
Hi,
Does this have to be refrigerated?if not, I have a home based baked goods business and under cottage laws I can’t sell stuff that has to be refrigerated and this seems genius I would not be listing or giving out the recipie thank you!
Lisa Le says
I don’t usually refrigerate it, no, but it usually doesn’t last long enough to require refrigeration haha.
Eirene says
Wow, I can’t tell you how incredibly impressed I am with the recipe! Coming from queen of bad at baking vegan deserts, this came out sooooo good! I made it today for thanksgiving as a last minute request of my boyfriends daughter. I had little to no faith in myself but this recipe was virtually effortless. I did use pre-made pie crust (accidentally vegan). So it was super duper easy. AND my bf’s non vegan daughter absolutely loved it and ate two slices! She ate two bites of the rest of the vegan feast I made, so eating two whole slices of my pie was literally a huge win.
Also, p.s. I’m mega obsessed with your content!
Lisa Le says
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that. Now that I’ve figured out that I’m allergic to nuts, I live vicariously through everyone who remakes this recipe XD