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.
This pie tasted delicious! I didn’t have dark corn syrup, so I used maple syrup instead. During baking the liquid part boiled over quite a bit, and when I took the pie out and it settled, it was clear the pie was missing filling. I’m wondering if using dark corn syrup would’ve prevented some of that, so next time I’ll be sure to stock some before baking.
For anyone perusing reviews, be sure to put a cookie sheet on the rack below the pie when baking, that saved me a big oven mess and clean up 😀
I used maple syrup and this pie turned out good for being vegan, egg free and gluten free.Â
Thank your sharing your review and comments! I’m glad you liked the pecan pie!
I made this pie (the crust and filling) a few days ahead of time and froze it and had an issue where the pie filling sort of soaked through the center of the crust so the pie slices were missing most of their bottoms. It also turned out stickier than I imagined, but the flavor was still great and several people told me it was better than a Costco pecan pie! So I can’t really complain.
I brought this pie to my boyfriend’s parents’ for Thanksgiving, and his mom is STILL raving about how good it was. (I couldn’t find the corn syrup on my last-minute shopping trip, so I used maple syrup instead. Still so wonderful!)
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
I’m thrilled the pie was a hit at your gathering! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful review and comments!
This vegan southern girl was craving a pecan pie for Thanksgiving this year and this recipe satisfied that craving! Â I did add one really good dark chocolate bar to the pecans on the bottom of the pie as my husband does not think it’s dessert unless chocolate is involved and he could not stop telling me how good the pie was. Â Thank you for this delicious and easy to follow recipe which I will be using for all my future Thanksgivings!
Hi Latonya! I’m thrilled that you loved the pie, and that it filled your craving! Your chocolate addition sounds quite amazing! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and comments! I’m thrilled this will be your future Thanksgivings pecan pie!
Any thoughts on adding chocolate. I tried a different recipe yesterday and not thrilled at all. I should have gone with a Nora Cooks recipe, because they are always outstanding. Will be doing this recipe next go around
I haven’t tested it, but you could probably add 1/2 cup chocolate chips to this filling. Hope you enjoy it!
I made this pie and followed it almost to a t. It came out so delicious. I think the dark corn syrup maybe might be the key to elevating it’s flavor. I used maple syrup and and white sugar, I think the molasses were missing, despite it was a huge hit! I also made the crust and used all vegan butter, no shortening.
Made this for Thanksgiving today and it was a huge hit. Followed the recipe exactly. Delicious!Â
I’m so glad it turned out great for your! Thank you for sharing!
I used Raw agave plus some maple syrup about 2 tbls for taste.Â
Bobs Mill egg  ReolacementÂ
And I used the bourbon .Â
Amazing ! Pie! Â The best most of us have had and no fake sugar !Â
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and comments! I’m so glad the pie was amazing!
Best pecan pie! Thanks for this recipe.
I’m so glad you loved the pecan pie! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful review and comments!
Oh boy. It did not work out fine!
It bubbled over, got underneath the crust, and created a sugar cement. I did not check on it until the end because … kids… The center of the pie still tastes delicious! I just can’t get the crust out.
If I could do it over, I wouldn’t use as many pecans or fill it so full. I would also check on it every 20 minutes. I used a store bought 9″ pie crust labeled deep dish.
I had a similar experience but liquid spill went on the pan I put under my pie.
Luckily it’s not in between my crust and pan.
I used Nora’s homemade crust which turned out great so I think my issue was my pan size and depth.
I’ll try it later today at my Thanksgiving dinner and rate it.
I’ll be making it again for sure, For the future should I use a deep dish 9 inch pie pan.
Warm the bottom of the pan in water and then slice and it will come out. Same Happened to me but Warm water bath helped
Hey Nora. I can only find light corn syrup and I’m thinking of mixing in a little molasses. If I did that what would be your ratio suggestions? Thank you!
I’m not really sure as I haven’t tried adding molasses. I wouldn’t add too much though. Light corn syrup might still work, but the pie will be much lighter in color and the taste will be a bit different.
I was wondering if  any vegan liquid egg could work in this recipe? (Simply eggless or Just Egg)
Hi Sharon. This pie is rather picky and I did a lot of testing, however, not with any other egg replacer. I’m not sure if another egg replacer would work or not. Sorry!
I used Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer and it’s in the oven right now. It seemed to work ok. I’ll come back if it doesn’t, but i think it will be fine.
Any idea how long to bake for small 4in pies? I would be using the pie crust recipe you linked.
I’m guessing 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!
This turned out really well. Both of my parents really liked it, neither of which are vegan, and one of them said it is the best pecan pie they’d ever had. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad the pecan pie was a hit! Thank you for sharing wonderful review and comments! I appreciate you using my recipe! Happy holiday cooking!
*I substituted the corn syrup for pure maple syrup and added Woodford bourbon
This was EASILY the best pecan pie I’ve ever had! Even better than the non-vegan ones and I especially love that almost all of the ingredients are shelf stable, so I can just have them on hand for when I need something quick. It was also incredibly easy to make. I’ll definitely be making this for Thanksgiving this year.
I also made Nora’s vegan crust and that was the first time I’ve ever made pie dough by hand. I had no clue it was so easy and makes a world of a difference. Store bought is fine, but my god if I had known homemade was so simple and so much better, I would have been doing that all along!
I’m so glad you loved the pecan pie, thank you! And I’m happy to hear it worked so well with maple syrup instead of corn syrup.
Hi Nora,
I love this recipe! I want to make mini pies for dessert this Thanksgiving. Recipes (non vegan) I have looked at all call for the filling to be baked for 10-14 minutes. I and was wondering if you or anyone reading this, has used your filling for mini pies and what the baking time was to be successful? To be clear, I am thinking of using a mini muffin pan for the mini pies.
Thank you
Thank you! For mini pies, I think that would be about right for the time. I haven’t tried it with pecan pie, but I am posting a recipe for mini pumpkin pies soon that worked out well this way.
I love your recipes! Â Thank you so much! Â You are appreciated. Â Thanks again!
Thank you for your sincere words! It means a lot to me. I appreciate you taking time to share your wonderful review! Happy cooking!
This is my favorite vegan pecan pie filling recipe so far! The taste is great and the filling wasn’t as runny as others, although I am hoping to firm it up more next time. I’ll probably bake it to the max of 65 minutes and leave it overnight before cutting. I also left out some of the nuts because it looked very full and I didn’t want it to be too dry, but next time I’ll go with the recommended amount.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you love the pie! I appreciate you taking your time to share you comments and review!
I haven’t tried this recipe as yet, however I’ve ordered all the ingredients for this and your fudge recipe! You can never go wrong with a Nora Cooks recipe!! Thank you for all your gloriously delicious recipes!! Being vegan has never been easier for my family! One question, what kind of coarse salt do you use?
Aw thank you so much! I don’t actually know what brand I use, I’ve used a couple different ones. Nothing super special. 🙂 Enjoy the recipes!
I’ve never left a recipe comment before, but I just have to because this pie is spectacular!!! The only thing I changed was using 1/2 cup sugar (instead of 3/4 cup) since I figured it’d be plenty sweet. I used corn syrup and a store-bought vegan crust. It baked perfectly with no bubbling over and the texture was amazing! My non-vegan partner’s favorite dessert is pecan pie, and he said it tasted exactly like the pies from his childhood. This recipe will definitely become a staple. Thank you Nora!!
I am thrilled that the pecan pie turned out spectacular for you, and that you love it! Pecan pie is one of my favorites! Thanks so much for sharing your review and comments!
Hi Nora,
This looks amazing but I only have light corn syrup. Should I use that or would the maple or brown rice syrup work better?
I think light corn syrup would be better than maple syrup or brown rice syrup, but it will yield slightly different results and a lighter colored pie.
The pie tasted DELICIOUS. I tried making your vegan crust but the filling totally leaked through and then it was impossible to scoop out the crust on the bottom. Turned into more of a pecan crumble. Any suggestions so this doesn’t happen again?
I’m not sure I understand quite what happened. Did you roll the pie crust super thin, or did it have big cracks when you transferred it to the pie dish? I’ve never had that happen before! You could try spraying the pan with oil first, to prevent any sticking, though I never do that. As long as you made the pie crust correctly, it shouldn’t leak through the crust. Sorry you had trouble, but I’m glad it still tasted delicious! Did you make sure to chill the pie before cutting into it?
I made this for Thanksgiving this past year and holy moly, I was impressed. Leftovers made for a wonderful breakfast with coffee and as soon as I finished the first pie, I made another within days. Will stick with this recipe for years to come.
I’m thrilled you loved the pie, Elizabeth! Thank you for sharing your wonderful comments!
This pie is INSANELY GOOD. With a big dollop of So Delicious Coco whip, it is an absolute dream. I made the pie crust for it too. Nothing spilled over for me.
Hi Tiffany! I’m really glad to hear that the pie worked out as it should for you. Love it with coco whip!