These delicious and caramelly vegan pecan pie bars are a must-bake for this autumn and winter. It’s super easy to make without corn syrup, eggs or dairy. It’s a little healthier and more wholesome than your usual pecan pie bars and can be made gluten-free too! A perfect little snack and wonderful dessert for festive occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
*This post may contain affiliate links. For full disclosure visit our Affiliate Disclosure page.

Pecans are one of my absolute favourite nuts to eat. I love all kinds of nuts though, but pecans actually might be number 1 or 2. I love how crunchy they are and they have a unique flavour I quite like. Sadly it’s not super popular in Tokyo where I currently reside, so I always have to buy them from Amazon. And usually, nuts that are sold on Amazon are quite big, like 1kg per bag! I had so much pecans in the bag so what did I make? Easy vegan pecan pie bars! Mmmm, yummy.
The first time I had a slice of pecan pie bar was in London. London seems like the place where I had most of my favourite baked goods for the first time! Anyhow, I think it was Cafe Nero where I had my first pecan pie bar(mind you, I wasn’t vegan at that time so it probably wasn’t vegan). It was so delicious and reminded me how good pecan nuts were. And I realised pecan was so much more accessible in London than it is in Tokyo so I started baking with them a lot.
This homemade pecan pie bar recipe is one of the best things I have baked with pecans so far. It’s easy to make and the caramelly pecan spread is absolutely delicious with a buttery crust base. It’s made without corn syrup, dairy, and eggs, so it’s a little healthier and wholesome. It also can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free flour. What more can you ask for a pecan pie bar?
Recipe overview – why you’ll love this vegan pecan pie bar recipe
- Level: Easy
- Taste: Sweet and caramelly
- Texture: Rich
- Diet: Plant-based, dairy-free, and eggless
- Time: 50 mins
- Occasion: Thanksgiving, Christmas, home parties, and more


Main ingredients and substitutions
Wholemeal flour: I used wholemeal flour as the base for the crust. I love the nutty flavour of wholemeal flour together with sweet pecan spread on top, so perfect.
Vegan butter: Vegan butter in this recipe gives the crust a nice buttery flavour and lovely texture to the pecan spread. I like using Earth Balance vegan spread in baking. They have buttery sticks now and are perfect for vegan baking. You can substitute coconut oil to make this recipe even more wholesome and healthy.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar creates a slightly chewier texture in baking so I used it in the pecan spread as well as the crust. It also makes this recipe refined sugar-free too. You can use coconut sugar in place of brown sugar if you want. Regular white sugar works too.
Soy cream: Recently(well about 1-2 years ago) after I discovered one of my local supermarkets sells soy cream in my neighbourhood, I started adding it in my recipes when I want to create a rich and creamy texture. So I added it in the pecan spread and it turned out amazing. You can also use other plant-based single creams too such as oat cream, coconut cream etc.
Maple syrup: I can’t get enough of maple syrup, I love pouring it on everything and it tastes so good in baked goods too. I used about half brown sugar and half maple syrup and it was perfect.
Flaxseed: Flaxseed becomes like jelly when it’s mixed with water. And it’s often used in place of eggs in vegan baking as a binder. You can also use chia seed for the same purpose.
Arrowroot flour: Arrowroot flour is a starchy flour that is used as a thickener in fillings. It can also be used as the main flour for baked goods though I haven’t tried it yet. I used it to thicken the pecan spread in this recipe. You can replace it with cornflour or tapioca flour too.
Other ingredients: water and salt.
*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe
Square/rectangular tray: I used a newly purchased rectangle-shaped baking tray for the first time! It was a little tricky to adjust the amount of each ingredient because it’s a little bigger than my square one I usually use. The tray I used for this recipe is 30cm by 20cm, and 5cm deep(12 x 8 x 2 inches).
Parchment paper: A piece of parchment paper comes in handy when taking the bars out of the tray. It also prevents them from sticking to the bottom of the tray so I recommend using it. To line a tray, cut a piece of parchment paper the same length as the tray, grease the inside of the tray with oil or vegan butter and line.

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.
How to make vegan pecan pie bars
Step 1
Let’s make the crust first! Preheat the oven to 200℃. In a large bowl, mix the wholemeal flour and brown sugar together with a large whisk. Pour in the melted butter and mix well with a large wooden spoon until it makes a nice buttery dough. Transfer the mixture to a tray lined with parchment paper, gently spread and press it down evenly to the bottom. Pre-bake it for 10 mins.



Step 2
While the crust is in the oven, let’s make the pecan spread. Mix together the ground flaxseed, arrowroot powder and water together and set aside to thicken. This is the main binding agent mixture that works in place of eggs!

Step 3
In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar and warm melted butter together very well with a whisk. Add the soy cream, maple syrup, and flaxseed mixture and stir well. Add in the wholemeal flour and mix again with a whisk. Finally, add whole or coarsely chopped pecans to the mixture and stir well with a large wooden spoon.



Step 4
Once the crust is baked, turn down the temperature of the oven to 180℃. Pour the pecan mixture over the pre-baked crust and spread evenly with the same wooden spoon. Bake it again for another 25 mins until the top is golden amber. To test if it’s baked, an inserted toothpick should come out clean. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down to room temperature in the tray. Carefully take it out and cut it into bars. Enjoy!



Tips and tricks
Pre-bake the crust
I pre-baked the crust because the water content of the crust dough and pecan spread is very different. If you bake it together at the same time without pre-baking, the crust would absorb too much water and will become a little gooey.
Swap the pecan with your favourite nuts
You can make your own nut pie bars by simply swapping the pecan with your favourite nuts. It can be peanuts for peanut pie bars, I imagine it would taste like a healthy version of snickers bars! Almonds or walnuts would make a lovely nut to replace pecan in this recipe too.
How to store these homemade pecan pie bars
Once it’s cut into bars, you can keep them for up to 4-5 days in the fridge. Make sure to put them in an airtight container or cover them with a clean kitchen cloth or reusable cling film. Have it straight from the fridge or you can microwave it a little to make it slightly softer and chewy. For longer storage, put them in a freezer-friendly airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

Q and A
What can I use instead of maple syrup?
I have not tried making this recipe with other liquid sweeteners but I think rich and dark agave syrup or date syrup would work well in place of maple syrup.

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!
You will LOVE this pecan pie bar recipe because they are:
- super easy to make
- deliciously nutty
- wholesome
- perfect for festive seasons
- vegan
Want more recipes like this?
Try my other delicious cake recipes you might enjoy!
- Banoffee pie
- Classic brownies
- Apple crumble bars
Visit the bars and brownies page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!
Please leave a comment and rate this recipe in the comment section below if you like this recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!
Recipe Card
Print
Easy Pecan Pie Bars
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8–12 slices 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Delicious and caramelly vegan pecan pie bars are a must-bake for this autumn and winter. It’s super easy to make without corn syrup, eggs or dairy. It’s a little healthier and more wholesome than your usual pecan pie bars and can be made gluten-free too! A perfect little snack and wonderful dessert for festive occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 cups (220g) wholemeal flour
- 3/4 cup (180ml) melted vegan butter
- 1/3 cup (45g) brown sugar
For the pecan spread
- 3 cups (300g) pecans, weigh with whole then chop coarsely
- 1/2 cup (120ml) melted vegan butter
- 1/4 cup (60ml) soy cream
- 2/3 ~ 1 cup (100~140g) brown sugar
- 2/3 cup (160ml) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 4 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup (27g) wholemeal flour
- 1 tbsp arrowroot flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Let’s make the crust first. Preheat the oven to 200°C(400°F).
- In a bowl, mix the melted vegan butter and brown sugar well. Add in the flour and mix with a large wooden spoon until it becomes like cookie dough.
- Transfer the crust mixture to a baking tray, spread, and press down evenly. Pre-bake for 10 mins until the top becomes slightly golden.
- While the crust is being baked, let’s make the pecan spread. Chop the pecans coarsely if you want to use chopped pecans. I used whole pecans but chopped ones will be good too!
- In a bowl, mix the ground flaxseed, arrowroot flour, and water together very well. Set aside to thicken.
- In a large bowl, mix the sugar and melted vegan butter together until well incorporated.
- Add the flaxseed mixture, soy cream, and maple syrup and whisk well. Add the flour and mix again.
- Add the pecans and stir with a large wooden spoon until well mixed. Set aside until the crust is done.
- Take the crust out of the oven when it’s done. Preheat the oven again decreasing the temperature down to 180°C(350°F) this time.
- Pour the pecan spread over the pre-baked crust and spread evenly. Bake it for another 25 mins until the top is golden amber. When you insert a toothpick, it should come out clean.
- Take it out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Carefully take it out of the tray and cut it into 8 big slices or 12 medium-size slices. Enjoy!
Equipment
Notes
You can use the pecans as wholes or you can chop them coarsely. When measuring, measure as wholes then chop after.
Don’t skip pre-baking. If baking the crust and pecan spread together in one go, the texture may not turn out great.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Bar
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 23g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0g
Keywords: thanksgiving, autumn, christmas
Pin this recipe for later!

My brother would LOVE these on Thanksgiving!
I hope he will love them!
What can you use instead of ground flaxseed?
Hi Gogi! I haven’t tried making this recipe without ground flaxseed, it’s one of the binding agents so I recommend you use it but as long as you use arrowroot flour and wholemeal flour in the pecan spread mixture, I think you can make it without ground flaxseed with no to little difference in the final product. Or you can use chia seeds instead. Hope this helps!
Your recipe sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it out! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Thank you Nora! Let me know how it goes when you make it!
Loving these pecan pie bars! They were so easy to make and delicious!
★★★★★
So glad you liked them!
Pecan pie bars are genius! These sound perfect for holiday gatherings
★★★★★
Yes! They are so perfect for holiday gatherings!
These vegan pecan pie bars are so delicious! We all loved them here. They will be perfect to bring to our holiday gatherings too, I am sure the rest of the family will love them as much as we did.
★★★★★
Thank you Dawn! I’m happy that you liked them and hope your other family members will like them too at holiday gathereings!
This pecan pie looks delicious. I like that the crust is made with whole meal flour. Thanks for sharing the helpful recipe tips.
★★★★★
The wholemeal flour makes it lovely and nutty, perfect flavour and texture! Let me know how it went when you make them!