Vegan Pecan Pie
Autumn is a magical time! Among many classic dishes brought by the fall harvest is the pecan pie. And once you try this simple vegan pecan pie recipe, you won’t be able to imagine Thanksgiving without it!
There is a reason that pecan pie is considered a classic fall dish. Did you know that pecan nuts are native to the southern US? They are produced by a species of hickory tree native to the North American continent. According to archaeological evidence found in Texas, Native Americans used pecans as far back as 8,000 years ago. Currently, most of the pecan crop comes from Mexico, as well as Texas, Georgia, and New Mexico.
Pecans are typically harvested in the fall, which is why they are prominently featured in many autumn dishes. Pecan pie is no exception! Their sweet, buttery, and mildly floral flavor makes these nuts a beautiful ingredient for pie filling!
This vegan pecan pie has a rich, indulgent taste of the original, except it’s entirely plant-based and very easy to make. Once you try this pie, you’ll struggle to imagine Thanksgiving without it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s incredibly simple. This vegan pecan pie only requires five ingredients, all of which you can find in a standard grocery store.
- It doesn’t take any special skill or special equipment. All you need is a blender or food processor.
- You can easily scale this recipe up to make a larger pie or split the filling between smaller, individual pies.
- This vegan pecan pie is a perfect starter dish that you can bake with your kids. It doesn’t require any chopping, and it’s very hard to mess it up!
How to Make This Recipe
Gather your ingredients. You’ll need an 8-inch pie crust, pecan nuts, pitted dates, vanilla essence, and a banana. When buying the pie crust, double-check that it’s vegan.
Reserve some pecans for decoration. Add the rest into a powerful blender or food processor, along with banana, dates, and vanilla essence. Blend until you can a finely milled, sticky mixture. If the texture isn’t consistent, or too dry/crumbly, add a small splash of water or plant-based milk.
Next, add the filling into the pie crust and spread it out evenly. Top with pecans you reserved earlier. You can add as few or as many as you like!
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake your pie for 15-20 minutes. The filling should become a darker, deeper color.
You can let the pie cool down and serve it with coconut whip, or serve warm with vegan ice cream. Yum!
Hack It!
- If you’re gluten-free, the only substitution you need is a different pie crust. Another option is to make your own vegan gluten-free crust.
- If pecans are hard to come by, or you’re allergic to pecans, you can actually make this pie with walnuts instead.
- A powerful blender or food processor should be able to combine the ingredients without any issues. However, if you think your appliance might struggle, it’s best to soak dates in hot water for 30-60 minutes before adding them to the blender.
- Banana is a great binding ingredient that provides extra sweetness. However, if fresh produce is difficult to get, you can use applesauce or unsweetened pumpkin puree instead (about 4 tbsp to replace one banana).
Store This Recipe
This vegan pecan pie will last about a week in the fridge. Although I am willing to bet there won’t be much of the pie left after a Thanksgiving dinner!
Other Recipe You’ll Love
- Vegan Oat Pulp Cookies
- Vegan Lemon Loaf
- Homemade Vegan Nutella
- Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies
- Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
For more easy plant-based desserts, check out PlantYou meal planner! It’s a digital planner that allows you to customize your weekly menu and toggle the number of servings to accommodate your household. Additionally, the planner generates a dynamic shopping list you can take to the store with you! The best part? You can be part of the PlantYou community!
I’m also happy to say that you can now preorder the PlantYou cookbook! It took me two years to produce over 140 recipes, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and more. It’s a true labor of love, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you all!
The Recipe: Vegan Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1 vegan pie crust, 8-inch
- 2 cups pecan nuts
- ½ cup pitted dates
- ½ banana, peeled
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Decoration
- ½ cup pecan nuts
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Instructions
- Add the pecans to a food processor with pitted dates, banana, and vanilla extract. Blend until you can a finely milled, sticky mixture. If the texture isn't consistent, or too dry/crumbly, add a small splash of water or plant-based milk.
- Add the filling into the pie crust and spread it out evenly. Top with pecans you reserved earlier. Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes.
- You can let the pie cool down and serve it with coconut whip, or serve warm with vegan ice cream.
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