When the weather turns cooler and the fall decorations start coming out, all the cinnamon and caramel cravings begin in our household. I try to stick to a Paleo diet as much as possible, so the dessert options can get pretty limited. Imagine my delight when I found the most delicious pecan pie bar recipe! If you struggle to find dairy, flour, or refined sugar-free desserts, this one's for you!
From Ambitious Kitchen : Vegan & Paleo Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients for the shortbread crust
1 1/2 cups packed fine blanched almond flour
3 TBSP melted and cooled coconut oil (if you are not dairy-free, you can use melted butter here)
3 TBSP pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Ingredients for the filling
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350*F. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt with a fork until a thick crumb texture forms (see pictures for an example of how it should look). Add the dough to the pans and evenly spread and press down with your fingers. Bake for 6-7 minutes and set aside to cool while you make the filling.
Add in coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Constantly stir the mixture; it will begin to simmer and bubble along the edges. Add in the pecans and let cook for 30 more seconds, then immediately pour the mixture on top of the cooled shortbread. Quickly, but gently spread the pecan mixture with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 17 more minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool completely. If you can stand it at this point (it'll be tough), refrigerate the bars for 1 hour to allow to solidify more.
These are especially good with dairy-free vanilla ice cream!
Enjoy!