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Vegan Pecan Pie tastes remarkably like the traditional version, only it’s made without corn syrup. No eggs or refined sugar are required!
Featuring a simple 5-ingredient filling, this vegan pecan pie recipe is just about as easy as it gets. All you need is a blender or food processor to blend it together, and it’s the perfect dairy-free dessert for Thanksgiving.
Adding dates to the filling gives this vegan pie structure and natural sweetness, and the maple syrup helps to boost the flavor. The additional liquid also helps to “loosen up” the filling so that it doesn’t have the texture of a date ball.
Ingredients You’ll Need
When shopping for Medjool dates, look for ones that are soft and squishy for the best results. They should be easy to break apart with your fingers to remove the pits inside.
Ground flax seed acts as a binder in this recipe instead of eggs, and the dates add structure with their high fiber content.
While many vegan pie recipes rely on cornstarch, vegan butter, or coconut milk for thickening, the combination of pecans, dates, and ground flax seeds will give you the same results– with extra nutrients in each bite.
Use a store-bought pie crust to save time, or try my Oat Flour Pie Crust or Almond Flour Pie Crust for a gluten-free and vegan pie crust recipe.
How to Make Vegan Pecan Pie
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare a pie crust in a 9-inch pie dish.
In a food processor fitted with an S-blade, combine the pitted dates, maple syrup, a 1/2 cup of pecan halves, ground flax seeds, and salt.
Secure the lid and process until the mixture looks relatively smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the machine as needed.
Add 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans to the unbaked pie crust and spread them out evenly. Pour the blended pecan pie filling over the pecans and use a spatula to spread it out to the edges of the crust.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped pecans over the top of the pie, and use your hands to gently press them into the top of the pie filling.
Bake the pie at 350ºF for 45 minutes or until the top looks dry and the edges of the pie feel firm to a light touch. Let the pie cool for at least 1 hour at room temperature, then transfer it to the fridge to chill before serving.
This is the perfect dessert to make ahead of time for a big holiday meal because it can chill overnight when tightly covered. Slice and serve chilled for a firm texture, or let it come to room temperature for a slightly softer texture.
Top with coconut whipped cream or any other toppings you love for extra deliciousness. Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions & Substitutions
For another variation, try my Chocolate Pecan Pie which is made with coconut milk, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. (This recipe is not vegan, but you can use my Vegan Chocolate Pie as guidance and add pecans to that for another variation.)
Brown rice syrup may work as a swap for maple syrup in this case. Let me know if you try it!
The flax seed can most likely be replaced by an equal amount of cornstarch or tapioca starch for similar results.
Looking for more holiday desserts? Be sure to try my other vegan classics like Vegan Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, or Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked vegan pie crust
- ¾ cup Medjool dates , pitted (about 6 ounces)
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 1 ½ cups pecan halves , chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and press your unbaked pie crust in a 9-inch pan. (Use a store-bought crust, if you like.)
- In a food processor fitted with an "S" blade combine the dates, maple syrup, flax seeds, 1/2 cup of the pecans, and the salt. Process until the dates are broken down and the mixture looks relatively smooth.
- Pour 3/4 cup of the pecans into the pie crust and spread them out evenly. Pour the batter over the pecans and use a spatula to smooth it evenly. Top the pecan pie filling with the remaining 1/4 cup of pecans– I like to crush them between my fingers and sprinkle them over the top so that the little pieces are evenly distributed.
- Place the pie in the oven to bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes. When it’s done baking the top should look drier and the edges of the filling will be firm to a light touch.
- Allow the pie to cool completely, for at least 2 hours. You can put it in the fridge to speed the process, if you’d like to. Slice the pie and serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Leftovers should be tightly covered and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Vegan Pecan Pie recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
This was so good. Rich and decadent! The oat flour crust was a win as well.
I wanted a healthier version of pecan pie without high fructose corn syrup and was interested to try. We had another couple over so 4 opinions. Everybody loved it! Everybody loved that the ingredients were so much healthier! I did notice it was not as sweet as the original version but still loved it and loved this better option. Thanks Detoxinista!
My mom is a pecan pie addict. She couldn’t believe me when I told her the ingredients of this amazing recipe. We’ve made it five times already!
Hi Megan, could I lessen the maple syrup to any amount..maybe to 1/4 cup? Do i need to make any adjustment?
Thank you!
I loved this one! I just made it for a mid-day snack & to practice for Christmas, haha! It is delicious and EASY to make. I love easy! I added vanilla and cinnamon to taste. Hopefully I can trick our older family members into eating something healthier!
This exceeded my expectations! I followed the recipe to a T, and also made the oat flour crust. SO good!! Even my kids like it.
I’ll never go back to “regular” pecan pie again.
This was really great! I just used pitted Deglet Noor dates that I had on hand, and they were fine—didn’t need to upgrade to the better-quality Medjools. I was afraid there wasn’t enough filling for the crust, but it rose during baking. Hadn’t made pecan pie in many years due to the corn syrup and an egg sensitivity, so thank you. This one is a keeper!
I didn’t have any dates so I soaked dried apricots in maple syrup. It was incredible.
Wow! I just made this tonight, and it knocked our socks off. It is SO good, tastes so much like pecan pie, and a breeze to make. I made her crust recipe and I think I’ll just be using vegan pie crust forever. THANK YOU!