Perfectly Sticky Pecan Pie

This ridiculously rich and delicious pecan pie is the perfect fix for anyone craving a sticky toffee treat.

Pecans are probably one of my favourite nuts to bake with, alongside almonds. They are beautifully soft, rich and buttery in flavour and they crumble like a dream. They’re also the healthiest thing about this pie which, let’s face it, isn’t the healthiest thing I’ve ever baked. Sometimes you’ve just gotta live a little!

Pecans are a great source of vitamin E, B vitamins, minerals like zinc, calcium and magnesium, and they contain properties that contribute to the body’s antioxidant activity – I told you they were good for you!

STICKY PECAN PIE

Serves 10 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes

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INGREDIENTS

For the crust

• 1 1/2 cup  plain flour (180 g)
• 1/4 cup dairy-free spread (50 g)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup almond milk (60 ml)

For the filling

• 3 tbsp egg replacer, with 5 tbsp water
• 2/3 cup dairy-free spread (150 g)
• 1 cup unrefined brown sugar (150 g)
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp almond milk (or other dairy-free milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup raw pecans, chopped (125 g)
• 10 whole pecans
• 3 tbsp maple syrup

METHOD

For the crust

1. Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
2. Cut the dairy-free spread into chunks and combine with the flour mixture. Add in the coconut oil and mix until you reach a crumbly texture.
3. Make a well in the mixture and pour in the almond milk. Using your hands, knead the mixture until everything is combined and then form a ball. It might not look like a perfect ball but that’s fine.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll the ball out into a circle that is about 5 cm wider than the base of your pie tin. I used a 23 cm tin so I rolled my dough into a 28 cm circle.
5. Neaten the edges of the dough circle with a knife and carefully transfer to a pie tin or dish, pressing gently into the creases so that it fits the sides of the dish. Place in fridge.

For the filling

1. While the pie crust is cooling in the fridge, preheat the oven to gas mark 6 (200 C, 400 F).
2. In a small container, cover the whole pecans in maple syrup and set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix the egg replacer and water and whisk until combined.
4. Melt the dairy-free spread in a sauce pan over a medium heat. Once the spread has melted, turn down the heat and stir in the egg replacer mix. Then mix in both sugars and the flour.
5. Once combined, add the pecans, almond milk and vanilla and stir until combined.
6. Pour the mixture into the pastry crust and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes then lower the heat to gas mark 4 (180 C, 350 F) and bake for a further 25 minutes.
7. Decorate the top of the pie with the maple-syrup-soaked pecans and drizzle the remaining syrup over the pie, put it back in the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes.
   

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Notes: Delicious served with vanilla ‘ice-cream‘.