A holiday treat, this Vegan Bourbon Pecan Pie is dairy and egg free with a hint of molasses, maple and a taste of bourbon! Plan ahead. You’ll make the pie, then it’ll rest overnight at room temperature to set. The coconut oil crust is a dream to work with and flaky and tender! | Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Rodelle.
It’s the Holiday Season!
We’re getting down to the wire with Thanksgiving so close. December holidays will be here before we know it. I’m feeling ready…
Ready for a break that is! hehe. How about you?
After making an egg-based Bourbon Pecan Pie, I was asked by Bob, a Vanilla And Bean reader, if anyone had tried making my recipe without eggs. I hadn’t heard from anyone who did, so I got to work on this vegan pecan pie recipe.
Making a Vegan Pecan Pie
First, I started working on the crust. After some trial and error I finally came up with a Coconut Oil Pie Crust that’s flakey and tender. Then I got to work on the filling.
I tried aquafaba in direct replacement of the eggs, but I ended up with a too loose filling. Perhaps I didn’t bake it long enough? I ended up freezing the filling to be used later as an ice cream topping. At some point I’ll go back to the drawing board on aquafaba, but wanted to try something different.
I recalled reading a recipe from The Washington Post, by Joe Yonan, some time ago about vegan pecan pie. Joe uses a roux to thicken his recipe so I thought I’d give it a go! I used coconut oil, flour, and bourbon to make the roux. And this worked, but I boiled the sugar mixture too long upon initial cooking.
I had to go back to my baking books and review sugar cooking temperatures from firm ball to hard crack stage. I ended up with a candy Vegan Bourbon Pecan Pie! But at least I was on the right track.
Tweaking the Recipe
After decreasing the flour just a bit, not bringing the filling to a boil on the stovetop, and baking it for just the right amount of time, I finally got the consistency I was after.
What I love about this vegan pecan pie is the richness of the filling. It’s loaded with pecans, a hint of maple and molasses. The bourbon is noticeable but not overwhelming. I also use brown rice syrup instead of the traditionally used corn syrup to avoid GMOs and the over-the-top sweet typical of corn syrup.
Vegan Pecan Pie vs Egg Based Pecan Pie
The texture of this vegan pecan pie recipe is different from an egg-based, custardy pecan pie but still smooth and rich in its own eggless right. And it’s good for me anyway, as someone who is trying to avoid eggs unless they come from the farm down the street.
Rob nor our neighbor is complaining! They’ve devoured most of it, and I’ve had to resist after having WAY too much pecan pie over the past several weeks.
Inspired Ingredients
I use Rodelle’s Organic Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, an aromatic and rich vanilla that’s sourced from an association of over 3,000 farmers who collectively make up an employee-owned cooperative. Their vanilla beans and extracts are truly farm-to-table and produce rich, earthy notes that tie the flavors of this pie together beautifully.
Find more inspired recipes from Rodelle at their website.
Make this pie using my Coconut Oil Pie Crust and serve it warm with a big ol’ scoop of Vegan Bourbon Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and a good drizzle of melted chocolate.
Vegan Bourbon Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Par Baked Coconut Oil Pie Crust + leftover dough for leaf decorations*
- 2 C Pecans whole, 245g
- 2 Tbs Coconut Oil solid
- 3 Tbs All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 C Bourbon 50g
- 1 C Brown Rice Syrup 322g
- 2/3 C Dark Brown Sugar 132g
- 1 Tbs Unsulphured Molasses
- 2 Tbs Maple Syrup
- 2 tsp Bourbon Vanilla Extract I use Rodelle
For Finishing and Serving:
- Nut Milk
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Extra pie dough cut into leaf or festive shapes* see note
- Vegan Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Melted Chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C), setting the oven rack in the center of the oven. Toast the pecans for about 10-12 minutes or until fragrant. Rough chop and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pot, add the coconut oil and heat until shimmering. Turn the burner down to low and add the flour whisking until a paste forms. Turn the burner off and whisk in the bourbon until smooth. To the flour mixture, add the brown rice syrup, sugar, molasses, maple syrup and extract. Turn the burner back on to medium low and whisk until ingredients are throughly mixed. Continue whisking occasionally until bubbles just start to form around the edges. Remove from heat immediately and add the chopped pecans. Stir, then pour the mixture into the par baked pie crust and spread it evenly.
- Brush the edges of the crust with nut milk and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. When done, the crust will be golden-brown and the pie will bubbly, loose and not set. Allow to set over night to firm up before decorating with pie dough cut outs* and/or cutting into the pie.
- To cut into the pie, spray a sharp knife with pan spray. Using firm pressure, cut into the pie, wiping the knife off each time to clean it before cutting again. Rewarm individual slices for about 3-4 minutes in a 325F (163C) oven. It will melt if over-heated.
- Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate drizzle.
- Store the pie covered, at room temperature for up to three days. Some of the sugar will leak out a bit as it sets, but it can be scraped up with a spoon easily when slightly warmed.
This is my 4th year sharing this recipe with family and loved ones. My partners birthday is the 24th so i always make 2 in November hehe. It always turns out delicious. I just have one question; When you say heat the coconut oil until shimmering, how long is that? Because if melt the coconut oil i don’t really see any sparkle or shimmer until about 25 minutes in. Am I over doing it?
Hi Celeste! That’s amazing! Thank you for writing and letting me know. I mean, why not? Two in November – you know how to celebrate! With regards to ‘shimmering’ you just want the oil hot. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes on medium high heat. Sending my best for tasty pies!
Not sure if you’ll still see this comment Traci, but my sister-in-law made this pie for us a while bak and it was delicious! I want to make it this weekend (though will opt for a store-bought crust), but am having a terrible time finding brown rice syrup in my local stores. Do you think I could swap Coconut Nectar in its place? I’ve seen that I could swap honey or corn syrup instead, but worry it would be too sweet. Thanks!
Hi Cheryl! Thank you for your note. I’m sorry you’re having trouble finding brown rice syrup. I’ve never worked with coconut nectar so I can’t say if it will work or not. Cara (a commenter below) used in part cane syrup instead of brown rice syrup – but I don’t know what that is either – maybe karo/corn syrup? I think you’re right about corn syrup and honey, but that may be a compromise? I wish I could help more. :/
Whipped this out for Thanksgiving this year – it was fabulous, and so easy! I did make a few modifications. First, I couldn’t find brown rice syrup, so I used cane syrup instead and it worked perfectly. I used Bob’s Redmill Gluten Free 1 for 1 AP flour instead of regular AP flour. I also used a vanilla bourbon and added about half a teaspoon of salt; the mixture was so delicious I almost didn’t want to share it with the pie!
I baked it twice – during the first test bake, I was thrown off by the fact that it’s not supposed to set and over-baked it (pecan candy for sure). The second time, I realized that you can sort of watch the progress of the bake (the middle looks different from the outside until it’s done) and hit it right on the money. Thanks for this fabulous staple recipe!
Love reading your note, Cara! Thank you for coming back and sharing your tips and experience with us! Indeed, the not supposed to set goes against baking rules, right? I hope you were able to salvage the ‘pecan candy!’ lol… I found it was delicious on ice cream! So happy you enjoyed the recipe and the process! What fun!
I just made this tonight and am tasting it tomorrow. At the just-beginning-to-cool-stage it smell and looks pretty awesome.
On the brown rice syrup – Log Cabin All Natural Table Syrup, available next to Aunt Jemima pancake syrup on the shelves at Kroger where I live in SC and widely available elsewhere, is actually maple flavored brown rice syrup. We had some around for the occasional pancakes and waffles in the house. I also got some Organic Maple Syrup from Kroger in an 8oz container to pair with it in the recipe.
Anyway, brown rice syrup is not that hard to find if you’re looking at the ingredients in natural quasi-maple-syrup section of the grocery.
I hope it’s delicious tomorrow. It smells fantastic!
Hi Justin,
That’s so interesting about the pancake syrup actually consisting of brown rice syrup! I’ll remember that for next time. I’m currently in the process of making the receipe, and I decided to sub agave nectar for the syrup. I’ll let you all know how it turns out tomorrow! Definitely smells amazing! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Thank you so much for your note and tips, Justin!
This is the most amazing pecan pie ever, the ingredients are so good!!! I made this last year and we were so amazed by how great it turned out. I cant wait to make tomorrow for thanksgiving!! This is the recipe I am most excited to make!!! :)
I don’t have bourbon vanilla extract, assume it’s ok to use a good plain vanilla extract instead?
Hi Kathy! You bet!
Did Bob never come back? Great looking pie, Traci. We’ll be trying your egg version this Thanksgiving… Hopefully my family will love it as much as they love my grandmother’s recipe. She’s in the hospital recovering from surgery for a broken hip, so I’m excited to get to bring her something she’s always loved, but just a bit different. Thanks!
I didn’t hear back from Bob…. Thank you Celina! I hope your family enjoys the Bourbon Pecan Pie and that it lifts your grandmother’s spirit. Here’s to a speedy recovery. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Traci, thank you so much for posting this recipe, it looks incredible! I did want to get your opinion, do you think I could sub out half of the amount of brown sugar for either more maple syrup or brown rice syrup? My partner is on the fodmap diet and can only have brown sugar in 1 tbsp servings. If you think the substitution would make the pie too runny I’ll just make sure she gets a slightly smaller slice. Thank you again!
Hiii Rabbit! Okay… I’ve given this some thought, but because I’ve not tested it, I can’t say for sure if it will work. But…. If I were going to sub anything for 1/2 of the brown sugar, It would have to be in favor of the brown rice syrup, just because it will have a thicker set than maple syrup. I hope this helps and y’all enjoy the pie!
The pie came out wonderful! Even though I ran out of brown rice syrup and had to fudge it a little the pie still held up and came out delicious. Everyone at my thanksgiving party loved it. Thank you again for creating and posting this recipe! <3
So happy to hear Rabbit! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! Hooray!
Hi Traci,
Thanks for your reply. I wonder if I could sub agave nectar for the coconut nectar. I understand that you need something thick, thicker than maple syrup. And more molasses might be too molasses-y. I do think the roux will help thicken, so I can always make more roux and add it if the mixture is too thin. I’ll be sure to let you know how it turns out and what I use.
I made this over the weekend for my non vegan in-laws and they LOVED it! My husband and I are vegan and it’s always a pain to try to find recipes to make that everyone will eat at family gatherings, so I went with this and it was a huge success. Thank you for sharing! Your pictures are beautiful, the recipe itself was very easy to follow and your additional notes at the bottom about reheating & serving were perfect!
Hello Tabby! Thank you so much for coming back, rating the recipe and leaving a note! Hooray for success! I’m SO happy to hear it was a hit! Thank youuuu!
Looks amazing! What gorgeous photos too. Before I make this I have a question. For the weights listed next to the cup measurements, did you measure this weight yourself? Or did you find these weights from a conversion website? I only use recipes measured in weight, so I just wanted to check if it was totally accurate and not just estimated (sometimes the conversion websites are a bit off). Thanks!
Hello Claire! Thank you for your note. I weigh everything myself. I hope you enjoy the pie!
THIs looks incredible, but I want to make it for dinner tonight! My boyfriend had recently become vegan and he loves pecan pie. Would it be possible to pull off and serve in one day if I refrigerate it for maybe 2 hours?
Hi there Lauren! I’ve not tried it, but you could certainly give it a go!! I hope you two enjoy it.
I am new to veganism and looking for a delicious vegan pecan pie to bake. So far yours looks the best. My question is can the bourbon be left out as I don’t do alcohol – is there a good substitution or could I just leave it out with out ruining the integrity of the pie? Thank you so much for your time. Deborah
Hey Deborah! Thank you for your note…. since you’re making a roux, you need a liquid – bourbon in this case. But, and although I’ve not tried it, you should be able to get away, with subbing water. The flavor of the pie won’t be what I intended, since bourbon is a vanilla and caramel flavor bomb, but you could give it a go. I hope this helps!
You could probably do coffee!! That’s always good with vanilla and caramel 😍
I’m so excited to find this! My husband loves pecan pie, but our oldest kiddo has a wheat and egg allergy. Going to use a GF crust, wondering your thoughts on using a GF all purpose flour for the roux? I think I’m going to attempt it unless you think otherwise! Fingers crossed!
Hey Trish! Thank you for your note. I wish I could say absolutely it would work… but since I’ve not tried it, it’s hard to say. But, since 1 to 1 AP GF flour says it’s 1 to 1, I think I’d trust it. I hope you enjoy it and it all works out! Would love to hear back either way!
Traci, Where have you been all my life? I have just stumbled upon your lovely site. I have been looking for a realistic vegan pecan pie recipe for 5 years. I’ve attempted 2 other recipes and they sadly were both a major let down. I’m going to try this one over the weekend. I echo others when I say how much I appreciate your site and style. Lots of love to you.
Thank you for your kind words, Bridget. I hope you enjoy the recipe and it works well for you! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!
Thank you Sylvia!
Thank you Shannon! More flavor than corn syrup – agreed! I use it for many sweet things. Noted on aquafaba… but I’ve used it a few times when I’ve needed binding and it’s not worked for me. I think I need to whip it to a meringue first or reduce it down to a thicker consistency. Always learning, right? Thank you for stopping by!
Thank you for this beautiful holiday vegan recipe. Just wanted to let everyone know that I subbed coconut nectar when my local market didn’t stock brown rice syrup. The pie came out perfect.
Thank you for sharing this with us Heather. I’ll have to keep an eye out for coconut nectar!
Hi Heather,
I’m looking to sub the brown rice syrup or corn syrup. I’m not familiar with coconut nectar. Is it similar in consistency to agave nectar? I’m guessing whatever you use has to be thick and gooey.