A super easy vegan bourbon pecan pie recipe with an unusual ingredient that helps hold the filling together. Can you guess what it is?
Vegan Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you, THE most expensive bourbon pecan pie you've ever seen. And in case you're wondering, no, we didn't use any exotic or super pricey ingredients. No saffron or gold threads here. No $1,000 a pound truffles. If you take a look at the recipe, you won't see anything out of the ordinary.
What makes this pie so expensive, is the number of times we had to test the recipe, until we finally got it right. Which is something we're used to of course, since trial and error is the main component of recipe development. But when you're working with a main ingredient as pecans, unless you get it right the first couple of times, it will cost ya. And we speak from experience since we had to make this 4 times. That's 8 cups of pecans. A little over 4 pounds. You do the math.
Our first attempt, which I actually thought we had nailed, tasted great, but the filling stuck to the crust so much, that we couldn't even cut a slice. The main mistake? We didn't bake the crust beforehand.
Second try. We baked the crust. Made the filling reducing the amount of liquid slightly, let it cool, poured it over the crust, and let the fridge do the work. The consistency looked great. But when we tasted it, the filling was extremely grainy. Almost as if we were eating raw sugar. The main mistake? We probably didn't use enough acid to keep the sugar from crystallizing. And definitely reduced the amount of liquid too much.
Third attempt. A soupy mess. Still trying to figure out that one. And everyone agreed it had too much bourbon (is that even possible??)
Fourth attempt, we got a little smarter. We tweaked the recipe of course, but this time, we tested a small amount of filling before dumping 2 cups of pecans in it. Why didn't we think of that before, I'm not sure. But we got it right. So here it is!
The good things is though, we did all the testing (and spending) for you, so you don't have to 😉
Enjoy!
Steps on how to make our bourbon pecan pie without corn syrup
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Vegan Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
- Prep Time: 5 hours 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 5 hours 50 mins
- Yield: 1 pie 1x
Description
A super easy vegan bourbon pecan pie recipe with an unusual ingredient that helps hold the filling together. Can you guess what it is?
Ingredients
- 1-9 inch frozen whole wheat vegan pie shell
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp non- GMO cornstarch
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 4 vegan marshmallows cut in half
- 1 tbsp bourbon (or to taste, optional)
Instructions
- Thaw the pie shell for a few minutes, just until it's soft enough to prick with a fork. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400F
- Place the pecan halves on a large baking sheet and toast in the oven at 400F for 6-8 minutes (keep an eye so they don't burn!). Let them cool, chop them and set aside
- Gently, prick bottom and sides of pie shell with a fork to keep it from bubbling up in the oven. Bake at 400F until golden brown, 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool completely (you can bake the crust and toast the pecans at the same time, just make sure to remove the pecans on time!)
- To prepare the filling, combine the brown sugar and maple syrup in a medium-size saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until the sugar is "melted", stirring occasionally during the last minute
- In a small bowl, combine the almond milk and cornstarch. Whisk vigorously, until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Pour over the sugar/maple mixture, add the lemon juice and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently
- Whisk in vanilla extract and coconut oil. Once the coconut oil is completely melted, add the marshmallows and continue cooking until they're completely melted (this might take 3-4 minutes). Stir using a whisk so they're well combined. Remove from heat and add the bourbon and chopped pecans. Mix well and let it cool for a few minutes
- Pour filling onto the baked crust. Refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours or overnight
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American / Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 pie
- Calories: 303
- Sugar: 20.3
- Sodium: 96.5
- Fat: 19.9
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 16
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 31.1
- Fiber: 2.1
- Protein: 2.5
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: pecan, pie, bourbon, vegan, Thanksgiving, holidays
cindele says
Looks great but I would like to substitute something for the marshmallows..any suggestions?? Want to make this for Shabbos this week!
★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Cindy,
After all the testing, we realized we needed something to hold the filling together and found that vegan marshmallows were the perfect solution.
You can try the following steps:
- Increase the amount of sugar to 1 1/4 cups
- Reduce the amount of almond milk to 1/3 cup
- Increase the amount of corn starch to 2 tablespoons
The filling might be a little more gooey, but hopefully this helps.
Let us know!
Stacy says
This looks amazing!!!! Can't wait to try! And after a ridiculously hard class this morning, thank you Ruth, I think I can splurge!!!!
Vicky & Ruth says
Hahaha thank you!! Well, after testing (and TASTING!) this recipe 4 times, you can understand why a few tough classes are needed. And since I didn't hear you complain once this morning, I think you absolutely deserve a slice (or two). 😉
[email protected] the kosher spoon says
That looks soooooooo delicious, I love the pecan bourbon combo
Karyn says
Ack! I've almost finished this, and it doesn't say to bake it. Aren't you supposed to bake it? If for the first version you didn't precook the crust, you must have baked it.
I'm going to bake it for 30 minutes at 400.
--in a Thanksgiving panic
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Karyn,
You must have missed step #3 on the cooking instructions, you need to bake the pie crust before putting the filling in. Hope it's not too late.
AILUY says
Hello,
How long can I keep the pie in the fridge? Can I make it on Wednesday for Friday night's dinner? Thank you
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi. Yes, you can make it on Wednesday and have it Friday night for dinner. Enjoy!