Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
Not only is this Vegan Pecan Pie so damn delicious, but it’s also Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, and made from only 8 healthy ingredients!
For some reason, I decided that I wanted to make a Vegan Pecan Pie this year. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t really like baking to begin with. I’ve already made my take on a Pumpkin Pie for the blog, so I guess I just wanted to switch things up?
Well, friends, let’s just say I’m pretty damn proud of my efforts. It took several rounds of testing, but I’m happy to say that this Pecan Pie is not only Vegan, but also Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, and Oil-Free. Shall we?
My first obstacle came when I looked up the typical ingredients for Pecan Pie – Butter, Refined Sugar, and Eggs? Oh cool, I use just about none of those in my recipes.
That’s okay, though. Well, it’s now okay after several (read: several) recipe tests, because I have *successfully* come up with a plant-based pie that’s as close to the real deal as it’s going to get! An added bonus? It’s made from only 8 plant-based ingredients (including the crust), and they’re all pretty dang good for you too.
Each ingredient is important and serves a purpose, so no substitutions, please! Here’s a little more about a few of them:
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk and Coconut Sugar make up the bulk of the Pie filling and give that deep and creamy caramel flavor of traditional Pecan Pie, without the Butter or Sugar
- Arrowroot Powder works as a thickener and Egg Substitute in this recipe. I would not suggest substituting it in this recipe – it blends more evenly than Cornstarch (so better for baking), and Tapioca Flour will be too gummy. You just gotta trust me on this one!
I originally tried to make this recipe using only Coconut Milk, Sugar, and a thickener, but the pie was too flat and not thick enough. Then my boyfriend (who I am begrudgingly giving credit to) suggested that I try adding some Sweet Potato to the mix for extra volume and texture. It worked like a charm, so I guess I’ll just hang up my baking apron and let him take over from here on out.
Kidding, kidding 😉 but the Sweet Potato is essential to this recipe. I’m sorry to say it, but you’ll have to be a little nitpicky here with your spud prep too:
- I recommend using a White Sweet Potato over an Orange Yam, as it has more starch and density to it. Also, the White will not affect the final Pie color like the Orange hue would!
- You NEED to roast your Sweet Potato, then mash it. Do not steam it. Do not microwave it. ROAST it! This, again, removes most of the moisture from the potato. Plus, it allows the natural sugars in it to caramelize and contribute to the sweetness of this Pie without adding an insane amount of Sugar.
One final note – while I would consider this Pie healthy-er, I still would not condone eating a slice for breakfast or replacing your green juice with it. But hey, it’s the holidays! Food is meant to be shared and enjoyed, not obsessed over. So cut yourself a slice of this better-for-you Vegan Pecan Pie, top it with a little ice cream, and enjoy 🙂
A Few Final Thoughts:
- The pie filling will “puff up” in the oven as it bakes, but don’t be alarmed! It will deflate and thicken as it cools, and you should let it set for a few hours after baking for optimal results.
- I used my 3-Ingredient Pie Crust for this recipe to keep things Gluten and Grain Free, but you can sub with a different variety if you’d like.
- If you’re looking for more cozy and healthy Dessert recipes, you’ll also love these Sweet Potato Pie Bars and this Pecan & Pumpkin Custard Pie!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintVegan Pecan Pie
Not only is this Vegan Pecan Pie so dang delicious, but it’s also Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, and made from only 8 healthy ingredients!
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 50 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8-12 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 Easy Vegan Pie Crust, pre-baked according to instructions*
- 1 ½ cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp Coconut Sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup mashed White Sweet Potato*, roasted only
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 tbsp Arrowroot Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 ½ cups Whole Pecans
Instructions
- If you haven’t pre-roasted your Sweet Potato, do so now. I like to wash mine, poke a few holes in it with a knife, and bake it at 400F for 45-60 minutes until soft and tender. Carefully remove the skin of the Potato, mash, and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Add the Coconut Milk, 1 cup of Coconut Sugar, Sweet Potato, Vanilla, Arrowroot, and Salt to a high-speed blender. Blend for 30-60 seconds on high, until smooth and thick.
- Pour the Pie filling into a 9″ pie tin (with the pre-baked pie crust) and smooth the top off evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp of Coconut Sugar evenly over the top, then sprinkle the Pecans over the pie as well. Gently press the Pecans into the Pie, so they slightly sink into the filling.
- Bake for 30 minutes, and let the Pie cool completely before slicing and serving (preferably overnight). Serve as desired! Leftovers will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days, or store in the fridge for up to 8. This pie can also be frozen and re-heated as necessary.
Notes
- The Pie Crust in this recipe may be substituted with another pre-baked pie crust of your choice
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk cannot be replaced with Light Coconut Milk; I have tested both, and you need the fat for this recipe to work. You can try to make your own super-creamy Nut Milk at home if you have a Coconut aversion/allergy and using that, but I have not tested this.
- Coconut Sugar may be substituted for Brown Sugar.
- If a substitution is not listed, I do not recommend it. I have tested this recipe way more times than I would care to admit and believe that this combination of ingredients is the best option. Experiment at your own risk!
Keywords: pecan pie, healthy pecan pie, gluten free pecan pie, grain free pecan pie, oil free pecan pie, pecan pie egg free
Want to save this Vegan Pecan Pie Recipe for later? Pin the recipe to your Pinterest boards:
How much arrowroot starch is needed? 3 tablespoons or 3 teaspoons?
Hi! It’s 3 tbsp / tablespoons.
Made this for the 2nd year in a row for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. My family who isn’t vegan loved it. I agree. So much better than traditional pecan pie. Also super easy to make which is a plus. Highly recommend making this pie.
★★★★★
So happy to hear it’s been your go to!
In the recipe, you all for coconut sugar. Later, in the tips, you write: Coconut Sugar may be substituted for Brown Sugar.
So, which is better, coconut or brown sugar?
We recommend coconut sugar as called for in the recipe. The substitution option in the notes would be if you needed to swap it out or if you don’t commonly buy coconut sugar, brown sugar works just as well!
Came out great !!! I was so impressed with how tasty and healthy this pie is . I would highly recommend it and I would definitely do it again . Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
★★★★★
Thanks so much for making it!
100% recommend. This pie is easy and delicious! Honestly better than any pecan pie I have ever had!
★★★★★
That’s so kind of you – thank you so much!
This is my second year making this vegan pecan pie. My non-vegan family loved it last year and requested I make it again this year! So so so so tasty. I use Japanese sweet potatoes (found at Whole Foods it Earth Fare in N.C.), and they work beautifully. Thank you so much, Caitlin! Happy Thanksgiving!
★★★★★
Glad to hear your family liked it!
Amazing pie and it was a easy to follow recipe! My whole family loved it 🙂
★★★★★
Awesome, Kennedy!
I was blown away by how this turned out. It was the first pie gone at a gluten-full, omnivorous Thanksgiving. I followed the recipe to a “T” except for two minor deviations:
1) I used the pie crust recipe developed by the manufacturer of the flour I had on hand (Namaste all purpose), figuring they’d probably know best how to make a decent crust with their product
2) instead of sprinkling 2T coconut sugar on the filling prior to placing the pecans, I swirled 1T maple syrup on the pecans before placing them on the filling, drizzled the remnant maple syrup from the pecan bowl over the pecans, and sprinkle the completely assembled pie with 1 TBSP coconut sugar before sliding it into the oven. The result: that beautiful crackly sugary crust over the pecans that I remember from traditional pecan pies.
Thanks for developing this recipe, and I highly recommend it to anyone considering it!
★★★★★
Great idea with the Maple Syrup, Valentine! I’m glad everyone enjoyed the pie 😉
I made the pecan pie and it was really good thank you so much!!!
★★★★★
Awesome!!! Enjoy 🙂
This is the most delicious thing ever OMG!!!!! I even used a normal sweet potato cause I couldn’t find a white one! Thanks for this amazing recipe!!!
★★★★★
Yay! Glad you liked it 🙂
Hey Caitlin,
This recipe is so delicious!! I actually made the filling and baked them in ramekins without crust and it turned out amazing…thank you so much for this recipe:)
★★★★★
You’re very welcome, MJ!
Are we supposed to make the pecan pie a night before and store in the refrigerator?
That would be ideal, yes! But you can also store it at room temperature
I finished all of my grocery shopping for the holidays. I thought I had arrowroot powder, but I realized that I have everything but that. Would tapioca, corn, rice, or potato starch be okay to subsistute? I am thinking tapioca would be best, but what were your results like if you experimented with it?
I think Tapioca would be best, but cannot guarantee that it will act the same
Hi! How dit it result with the tapioca starch? I am out of arrowroot and cant find any around here on a saturday afternoon 😥
I made this last night and OH MY GOODNESS! This is absolutely delicious, I cannot wait to make this for every holiday. Thank you so much for sharing, xoxo.
★★★★★
Glad to hear it, Peighton!
Hi Caitlin, the pie looks amazing! I tried making one myself last year that was oil free and it came out pretty bad so I am happy you shared this recipe. I am planning to use your recipe for some thanksgiving pecan pies. However, I wanted to do them as pecan pie squares like your sweet potato pie squares. Do you think this pecan pie would hold its shape once individually cut as squares? Should I add a little bit more arrowroot powder?
Hi Melanie! Unfortunately I don’t think the pie would work as bars, even if it’s thickened
Okay. Thank you for the response!
Are white sweet potatoes the same as Japanese sweet potatoes? I am going to make this for Friendsgiving this weekend–but I want to get the right potato!
A Japanese Sweet Potato will work 🙂 I used a different variety of white sweet potato though (typically called a “Hannah” potato). It has a tan skin and white flesh
Ok WOW. This looks amazing, Caitlin. For some reason I feel like pies are tricky to “health-ify” but I think you nailed this one! I personally LOVE that most of your recipes are oil free, too because that’s not always an easy task especially with baking!! A+????????
Thank you, Emily!
Thank you for this, Caitlin! I went vegan last year and pecan pie has always been my favorite around the holidays, so I was a little bummed thinking I wouldn’t eat one this year. Of all the vegan pecan pie recipes I’ve come across, yours looks both tasty and very simple to follow! I can’t wait to try this. 🙂
Thanks Tori! Can’t wait for you to try it out!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Came on time for Thanksgiving!
p.s. tell us more about your bf 😉
Can’t wait for you to try it, Elle!
Funny that I came across this recipe today because my friends and I were talking about pecan pie earlier today! They mentioned that corn syrup is the best sweetener for it though, but I personally beg to differ. Coconut sugar and white sweet potato can do a much better job AND provide more health benefits too! This pecan pie recipe looks marvelous. I’ve been trying to compile some dessert ideas for my Thanksgiving feast and we never make pecan pie. Might have to change that sometime!