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Vegan pecan bars

Vegan Maple Pecan Bars

Tatyana
Gooey pecan bars made with a maple caramel filling poured over a brown sugar crust and sprinkled with flaky salt.
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Course Dessert
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 16

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 90 g neutral oil, (grapeseed, canola, vegetable...)
  • 80 g brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 200 g all-purpose flour

Pecan filling

  • 110 g refined coconut oil
  • 20 g plant based milk
  • 100 g maple syrup
  • 150 g brown sugar
  • 2 ½ tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
  • 270 g pecans, toasted

Topping

  • flaky salt or coarse sea salt

Instructions
 

Crust

  • Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F and line a 9x9 pan with parchment leaving some overhang to easily pull it out after.
  • Whisk together the oil, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
  • Add the flour and stir with something other than a silicone spatula (i broke mine making that mistake). You’ll need to go in with your hand to finish combining.
  • Press the dough into your lined pan starting with your hands then use something with a flat bottom like a glass cup to compact it. I like to go around the edges with a spoon to flatten them too.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes and set aside to cool while you make the filling.

Pecan filling

  • Start by toasting the pecans on a baking sheet for 8-10 minutes also at 180°C/350°F.
  • Once they’re out, start making the filling by combining the rest of the ingredients together in a saucepan.
  • Place it over medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly to avoid the oil separating too much.
  • Let it boil for about a minute to activate the cornstarch then remove from the heat and stir in the toasted pecans, making sure they’re all coated.
  • Pour the filling over the crust and spread it out, making sure it’s evenly distributed. Sprinkle the top with flaky salt or coarse sea salt. Place the pan in the fridge for about 1 hour for it to set.
  • Then cut the square into 16 bars and enjoy!

Notes

  • *Disclaimer: I have a tiny not-so-great oven, so your bake time may vary from mine.
  • I strongly suggest making recipes by weight, if you make them by cups I can’t guarantee that you’ll get the same results.
  • These can be kept in the fridge for at least a week (if not longer since there’s a fair bit of sugar in them) in a sealed container or 2 days at room temperature, but they’re best enjoyed the same day or the next as the filling loses its gooeyness and becomes more crumbly with time.