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 350 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.
- 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. Overnight is even better!
- 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.Â
- 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.Â
- Cornstarch alternative: Tapioca starch or arrowroot will probably work here, but I haven't tested it to know for sure.
My son has an egg allergy and always misses out when someone makes pecan pie. I’ve tried a few recipes to find one he liked. He LOVED this one and even those of us used to regular pecan pie loves it too. Thanks!
Made this for my husband who is vegan and loves pecan pie. Used 3/4 c. maple syrup, omitted bourbon, and the rest was the same as recipe. Five stars. This pie was indeed amazing. Its a keeper!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you loved the pie!
Is the recipe meant for a 9″ or 12″ pie pan? Also, I need to exclude the bourbon. Should I use a non-alcohol substitute?
9 inch. No just leave out the bourbon, it’s not necessary to replace it.
Yum! What a great recipe! This was my first time making a pecan pie. I didn’t follow the recipe exactly…I ate a little while it was warm and didn’t want to wait 3 hours 🙂 I also used a store bought deep crust, light corn syrup, and didn’t have flax seeds so I substituted Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer. It was hard to figure out exactly how much to use, but ended up using 3 Tb of that and 4 Tb of water and it turned out perfectly! Thanks, Nora!
This sounds great! One thing I can’t tell since all the pics are from above… A lot of pecan pies are mostly the gooey part, and I like mine really chock full of nuts. Which is this one? And if it’s not so nut-heavy, do you think it would be ok to use less goo and more nuts? Thank you!
I would say it’s not one that is chock full of nuts, I know what you mean by that. You could probably add more nuts though and maybe a little less of the liquid mixture.