Vegan Pecan Pie

Vegan pecan pie - this vegan version of the classic American dessert is rich, gooey, easy to make and utterly delicious! It is the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving or just for any Autumnal occasion. No corn syrup and it's eggless and dairy free.

Pecan pie is an all-American classic. It consists of a sweet, gooey caramel pecan filling encased in crisp, buttery pastry. It is very rich, sweet and indulgent!

Traditionally the filling is made with eggs, sugar and syrup (usually corn syrup), kind of like a baked sugar custard.

Happily it is actually a pretty easy recipe to veganise; simply swap out the eggs for one of my favourite egg replacers - silken tofu, along with some cornflour (cornstarch) to set the filling, and Bob's your uncle; vegan pecan pie.

I think that this vegan pecan pie is extremely close to the original, but better because no eggs or corn syrup! 

The addition of maple syrup, rum, cinnamon and vanilla give my vegan pecan pie an extra level of flavour that is bound to impress both vegans and non-vegans alike!

What Do I Need To Make Vegan Pecan Pie Filling?:

Silken tofu: Silken tofu is a great egg replacer in this kind of recipe, providing a creamy, custardy texture without imparting any flavour. I think that silken tofu really is the best thing to use here, but you could try using coconut cream instead if you can't have soy.

Cornflour (cornstarch): I use cornflour to thicken and set the tart in place of the eggs. You may be able to use arrowroot instead but I haven’t tested it.

Maple syrup: Traditionally pecan pie is made using corn syrup but A: we can't get that in the UK, and B: I think that maple syrup is a far nicer alternative which also gives the pie a lovely flavour. You could maybe use agave instead but I think that maple gives a better flavour.

Dark brown soft sugar: Brown sugar provides much more flavour than white sugar would. I use dark brown soft but muscovado would also work, and light brown would be ok if you don't have dark. You could also use coconut sugar if you want to make a refined sugar free pecan pie.

Vegan butter: A bit of vegan butter in the filling adds richness and flavour. I use Naturli vegan block but coconut oil should work if you prefer.

Rum or bourbon: I really love the flavour of this pecan pie with a little rum added to the filling. The alcohol cooks off and you can't really taste it but it adds a lovely depth of flavour so I do recommend adding it. Bourbon or whisky will also work if you don't have rum. You can omit it if you don't want to use alcohol.

Cinnamon: Just a hint as you don't want it to be the predominant flavour, but you can add a little more if you want a stronger hit of cinnamon.

Vanilla: Extract is better than essence as it is natural rather than synthetic. Vanilla bean paste would also work.

Pecans: Obviously. Can't make a pecan pie without pecans. I use 200g roughly chopped ones for the filling then decorate the top with about 120g of whole pecan halves.

How To Make Vegan Pecan Pie:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

Start by making the pastry. Place the plain flour, icing sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk to mix or place them in a food processor and pulse until combined.

Add the cold diced vegan block butter and rub it in using your fingers or blend with the food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and no lumps of fat remain.

Add a tablespoon of cold vodka (or water) and mix; drizzle in a little cold water as needed to bring the pastry together into a ball.

Cover the pastry and pop it in the fridge for half an hour until it has firmed up a bit.

Once the pastry has chilled, roll it out thinly on a floured surface until it is large enough to line a 25cm/10 inch round tart tin.

Gently transfer the pastry to the dish and press it right into the corners. Trim off the excess pastry and prick the base all over with a fork.

Place the pastry base in the freezer for twenty minutes while you preheat the oven.

When the pastry is nice and cold, line it with tin foil, making sure that you press it right into the corners, then fill it with baking beans or dried rice. Make sure you spread them right into the corners.

Bake for 20 minutes then remove the tin foil and rice/beans and return the tart shell to the oven for 10-15 minutes, until it is pale golden and crisp.

To make the filling, place maple syrup, dark brown soft sugar and vegan butter in a pan. Heat gently, stirring often, until it is melted and simmering. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Once it has cooled a little, pour it into a blender and add the silken tofu, cornflour (cornstarch), rum or bourbon, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Blend until smooth then pour it into a bowl and stir in the chopped pecans.

Pour the filling into the blind baked pastry case and decorate the top with pecan halves.

Bake the pie for about 45 minutes until it is set but still has a bit of a wobble in the middle.

Let it cool at room temperature for about four hours before placing it in the fridge. It can be served either cold or at room temperature.

Top Tips:

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

You need to use firm silken tofu, NOT regular tofu. It is most commonly the shelf-stable kind, not the fridge kind. In the UK it can usually be found either in the ‘Asian’ section of the supermarket (by the soy sauce), or next to the tinned beans. I use Mori-Nu or Clearspring. Make sure you drain off the excess liquid (no need to press it though).

For the pastry it is important to use a vegan block butter/margarine – the kind that comes in a foil wrapped block, NOT the spreadable kind in a tub which has too high a water content for baking. I use Naturli Vegan Block but Flora, Stork, Vitalite or Tormor blocks are also fine (not the tub versions).

For the best, crispy pastry, make sure that you don’t overwork it or let it get too warm. Freezing the tart shell prior to blind baking it helps to make the pastry crisp and stops it from shrinking too much.

Using a bit of vodka instead of water to bind the pastry also helps to keep it crisp, as vodka has a lower water percentage. You can use water if you don’t want to use vodka though (you can’t taste it and the alcohol burns off during baking).

To save time you can use store bought pastry if you prefer. Jus-Rol shortcrust pastry is vegan friendly, as are many other supermarket own brand versions.

Make sure you buy real, pure maple syrup. Some maple syrups are labelled as such but are actually bulked out with corn syrup so check the label!

For a twist on traditional pecan pie, you can use a mixture of different kinds of nuts for the filling rather than all pecans.

How To Store Vegan Pecan Pie:

This vegan pecan pie is best kept refrigerated, where it will keep for up to five days in an airtight container.

Can I Freeze It?:

Yes. The baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months, tightly wrapped in a couple of layers of tin foil. Allow to defrost overnight in the fridge then let it come up to room temperature before serving.

More Vegan Pies And Tarts:

Vegan Bakewell tart

Vegan pumpkin pie

Vegan lemon tart

Vegan peanut butter chocolate tart

Blueberry frangipane tarts

Vegan strawberry tart with coconut pastry cream

No-bake chocolate stem ginger tart

Blueberry pie with coconut oil crust

Starry mince pie tart

Mini vegan apple pies

If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

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