This is the most amazing vegan pecan pie! Sugary, rich and almost caramelly, no one would ever guess it’s dairy and egg free. Gluten free option.
Developing a pecan pie recipe that is vegan is no small task, and it took me SEVERAL tries to get it right. I almost gave up after a few liquidy pies that would just not firm up, but I persisted and finally came up with the perfect vegan pecan pie!
Eggs usually go a long way at holding the filling together, so that was my biggest hurdle. A combination of flax eggs (don’t worry, you can’t detect this at all) and cornstarch, not to mention the right amount of other liquids, is the key to a filling that thickens and holds together.
The flavor and texture of this pie are out of this world incredible. It tastes almost like caramel, with a slight hint of bourbon (optional but so good). It’s a pretty sweet pie for sure, and a small slice will totally satisfy.
I have seen many recipes for vegan pecan pie but none look like the traditional one I remember. My recipe is sure to please any pecan pie lover, vegan or otherwise! I hope you love it as much as I do. Serve with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- One pie crust – Use my recipe for vegan pie crust for the best results. It’s super flaky and doesn’t burn easily in the oven, plus it’s easy to make! You may also use a gluten free crust or store bought.
- Flax eggs – Simply ground flaxseeds with water.
- Melted vegan butter – You only need a few tablespoons, I would not skip this.
- Dark corn syrup – I know some people are not comfortable using corn syrup, so if that’s you, feel free to use brown rice syrup or pure maple syrup. They both work fairly well, but not as well as corn syrup. I rarely use corn syrup, but this is a once in a year pie, so I feel comfortable doing so. You do you!
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch – You probably could use arrowroot or tapioca starch, but I’m not positive as I haven’t tested it.
- Vanilla extract
- Bourbon – We are only using 2 tablespoons for an amazing flavor, but you can skip it if needed.
- Pecans, of course!
How to make vegan pecan pie
- In a small bowl, mix the ground flaxseeds and water. In a large bowl, add the melted vegan butter, corn syrup, flax eggs, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and bourbon and whisk until well combined.
- Coarsely chop the pecans, leaving some intact for decoration, if desired.
- Spread the pecans evenly in the pie crust.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the pecans, then top with some pecan halves like I did, around the edges.
Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for about 55 minutes until thick, golden and bubbly. If the crust starts to burn, add a pie shield or foil over the pie after 15-20 minutes. When you take it out of the oven, sprinkle with coarse salt. Not required, but a nice touch.
Let it cool for 30 minutes at room temperature then place in the refrigerator. At least 4 hours in the refrigerator is best so it can settle and firm up. Serve with coconut whipped cream or vegan whipped cream.
Make ahead & freezing
You can make the pie 1-2 days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. If you want to make it more than 2 days ahead, bake the pie, let it cool completely, then wrap well and freeze.
When ready to serve, move the pie to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Make sure it is unfrozen before you slice and serve.
More vegan holiday pies you’ll love
The Most Amazing Vegan Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Vegan Pie Crust *see Notes for other options
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 4 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 3/4 cup dark corn syrup *or maple syrup/brown rice syrup
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons bourbon, optional
- 2 cups coarse chopped pecans (10 oz), + 1/2 cup pecan halves for decorating the top
Instructions
- Prepare a vegan pie crust (there is no need to pre-bake it) and line a 9 inch pie plate with it. Stick the pie plate with the crust in the refrigerator until ready to fill it. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Prepare the flax eggs: In a small bowl, stir together the ground flaxseeds and water, then set aside to let thicken. This is your egg substitute.
- In a large bowl, add the melted vegan butter, corn syrup, flax eggs, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and optional bourbon and whisk until well combined and smooth.
- Roughly chop the 10 oz pecans and have another 1/2 cup halves ready for decorating the top. I like to use my food processor to quickly chop them.
- Carefully spread the pecans evenly into the unbaked pie crust. Pour the sugar mixture into the pie crust over the pecans, evenly. Alternatively, stir the chopped pecans into the sugar mixture, then pour into the crust. If desired, place pecan halves around the edge of the pie.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake the pie for 50-55 minutes, until thick and bubbly and golden brown. It will still be quite liquidity until it cools so don’t cut into it right away. Use a pie crust shield after 15-20 minutes of baking if the crust starts to burn.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired, and let cool on a wire rack at room temperature for 30 minutes, then move to the refrigerator. At least 4 hours in the refrigerator is best to let it settle and firm up. Keep in mind the pie still might be a bit gooey, which is delicious!
- Slice and serve the pie with coconut whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten free: Use a gluten free crust to make the pie gluten free. You can also use a store-bought crust to make it easier, just check the ingredients to make sure it's vegan.
- Make ahead: You can make the pie up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Freeze it: If you want to make it more than a couple of days in advance, you can make it, wrap it very well and freeze it. The day before serving, transfer the pie to the refrigerator to thaw before serving.
- Alternative to corn syrup: I tried the pie several ways, and using corn syrup resulted in the best pie, but maple syrup works quite well. Brown rice syrup works pretty well, too.
- Cornstarch alternative: Tapioca starch or arrowroot will probably work here, but I haven't tested it to know for sure.
I love pecan pie and I can’t wait to try this!
You will love it! Happy cooking!
I was pleasantly surprised with this recipe. I’d never made pecan pie before and was super worried it was going to be rock hard and inedible. I did not use cornstarch because my husband is allergic, so I used tapioca flour instead and used 4.5 TBS (rather than the 3tbs of cornstarch) and I used maple syrup instead of corn syrup because it’s what I had on hand.
I did use my own pie crust that I’ve used for years and didn’t need to shield the edges.
Cooked for around 50 minutes.
Turned out beautifully.
Hi Naomi. Thank you for using my pecan pie recipe! I’m thrilled that you loved it! I enjoyed reading about your recipe experience, and appreciate your stellar review!
Is the vegan butter salted or un- salted ?
I use salted.
I hate to be one of those “I made this recipe and changed something fundamental” comments but I made this recipe’s filling with the Serious Eats/Stella Parks piecrust (by subbing Earth Balance for butter) and it was REALLY good! The interior was fantastic and it was very flaky. Don’t skip the salt on top at the end. It didn’t totally solidify but it didn’t need to. Also, it didn’t make the bottom of the pie gooey: No soggy bottoms. I recommend this recipe!
Just put this into the oven. Used a springform pan but the filling is leaking out, which is unusual for this pan. Glad I put the walled sheet pan underneath. Will see how it turns out and report back. I used a paleo crust recipe made with walnuts, dates, and vanilla, which tasted quite good before being patted into the pan. Hope this works!
Oh, if I use a springform pan for ANYTHING I always wrap the outside with foil because it always leaks on me. Especially with this pie, I would not recommend a springform pan as it’s very gooey as it cooks! I do hope you enjoy it.
Followed your recipe exactly with flax seed, dark corn syrup, no bourbon. Quite liquidy coming out of oven but set nicely after a day in fridge. Shocked to see puddles of “syrup” run out of cut slices when served. What did I do wrong?
I had the same exact thing happen! I also followed the recipe exactly, but did use the optional bourbon. My experience was the same that it set well then just became puddles. It was still tasty, but didn’t look great for Thanksgiving guests. Commenting so I can see if there’s a useful suggestion for next year!
This happened to me as well. Followed the recipe to a T (with bourbon). I’m wondering if it’s because I’m in Canada and our corn syrup is different.
If using a store bought frozen crust should it defrost?
I would let it defrost at room temperature for a half hour or so. Enjoy!
Are the chopped pecans somewhat mixed in necessary for structure? I’d like to convert my nonvegan recipe – ingredients are almost same but pecan halves are placed in piecrust then filling poured over, and the 2 separate with toasted pecans on top and gooey level underneath. Thank you, loving your new cookbook!
I like the structure they give, yes. You can try converting your nonvegan recipe though and see how it goes, it might be fine. Thanks for loving my new cookbook Paula! 🙂
I’ve used this one for a few years now and all my family members love it! (NONE of them are vegan, haha!) First one I did with maple syrup and flax seed, this year I found the dark corn syrup and am using egg replacer powder instead of flax seed, excited to see how it turns out! P.s. Nora, you make the BEST recipes!!!
This did not work at all unfortunately, I followed it to the letter. It came out hard as a rock, like a candy. I used dark karo syrup. Any ideas where I could have gone wrong?
Oh shoot, it sounds like it was baked for too long, or perhaps your oven runs a bit hot and it got overcooked. That’s why it would get hard like that. Try baking for much less time or lower the heat, or both. Ovens can vary. Sorry it didn’t turn out well for you!
Hi, I would like to make this ahead for Thanksgiving. Can it be frozen? If not, how long is it good in the fridge?
Thanks!
It freezes okay, yes. Or you can make it up to 3 days ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator. If you freeze it, make sure to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
If you were going to make this for a crowd,do you think I could make it in a 10×15” pan ? Maybe 2 or 3 recipes?
I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure how it will go honestly. You could try it. Maybe doubled? And you might have to adjust the bake time.
Is it possible to sub the flax for something else? Excited to make this!
Perhaps ground chia seeds, but I haven’t tried any other sort of egg replacement. If you really needed to, you could try just omitting the flax seeds and water. I hope you love it!
I’m looking forward to making this recipe for the first time. Has anyone used arrowroot to sub for the cornstarch?
I used arrowroot and it worked like a charm! The pie was absolutely delicious. My non-vegan family members LOVED IT!
I’m so glad to hear it worked well, thank you for sharing!