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Pecan Pie Squares

Pecan pie is usually off-limits to me: it’s full of corn syrup, which nutritionally speaking is a recipe for disaster. These Pecan Pie Squares, served warm, have the same rich, nutty taste with a fraction of the fat and no refined sugars.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 16 (2-inch) bars

Ingredients

CRUST

1/2 cup unsalted butter or nonhydrogenated butter substitute, melted
1 cup sprouted spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of sea salt
3 tablespoons light agave nectar

TOPPING

1 1/4 cups amber agave nectar
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or non-hydrogenated butter substitute, melted
1/2 cup pecans, ground to a meal in a food processor
1/2 cup pecan halves
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons sprouted spelt flour

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with canola oil spray.

    Step 2

    To make the crust, mix all the crust ingredients together in a bowl with your fingers and press into the prepared pan. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, to make the topping, whisk all the topping ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended. Spread evenly over the prepared crust. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, until firm. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into squares.

Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.
TagsBar CookieCookieDessertAmericanPecanNutBakingThanksgivingCookbooks
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