This is another yummy, plant-based, gluten free, and healthy treat or snack! You’ll be getting notes of pecan pie with these bars, making them the perfect sneakily healthy dessert to bring to Thanksgiving. This recipe brings together the perfect balance of sweet and healthy.
I’ll be honest, when I was first making this recipe, my goal was to make pecan pie bars. However, the oats became more of a focus than I had planned! So, I decided to rename these to better fit what they are. Despite all of this, they still came out delicious and needed to be shared!
What Equipment Do I Need?
As with most of our recipes, the equipment needed for this is kept simple. You will need an 8×8 square pan, a couple of mixing bowls, and optional parchment paper. I used a nonstick pan and greased it with extra virgin olive oil, so I had no problems with these bars sticking to the pan despite not using parchment paper.
Ingredients
- Blanched Almond Flour – I love the added nutty flavor of almond flour AND the protein it adds to a recipe!
- Gluten Free Rolled Oats – Make sure they are labeled gluten free!
- Maple Syrup
- Unrefined Coconut Oil – If you keep your coconut oil at room temperature, it should already be melted enough for this recipe.
- Flax Seed Meal + Water – If you’ve tried any of my other baked goods, you’ll know this acts as an egg when mixed and left to sat so it can congeal.
- Chopped Pecans
- Vanilla Extract
- Optional – pecan halves
Substitutions
- Almond Flour – You can try to swap this out for a different gluten free flour but I wouldn’t recommend it. The grainy texture of this flour adds to the texture of the crust and you would lose this if you swapped it for a different type.
- Maple Syrup – I really prefer to use maple syrup in this recipe, but if you’re not vegan, you can swap it out for honey. Additionally, agave nectar may work too.
- Flax Seed Meal + Water – If you haven’t eliminated eggs from your diet, you can use 3 eggs in this recipe instead.
Recipe
Pecan Oat Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 4 tbsp melted unrefined coconut oil
Pecan Topping
- 3 tbsp flax seed meal
- 9 tbsp water
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 4 tbsp melted unrefined coconut oil
- 2 tbsp blanched almond flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- optional – top with pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line an 8×8 square pan with parchment paper or grease it with extra virgin olive oil.
- Stir together flax seed meal and water. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Combine all of your crust ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan. Make sure it is spread out evenly. Store in the fridge while you make the pecan topping.
- Combine the chopped pecans, maple syrup, coconut oil, almond flour, and vanilla in a small mixing bowl and stir.
- Once the flax mixture has sat for 15 minutes, add it to the pecan topping mix and stir.
- Take the crust out of the fridge and pour the pecan topping over it – making sure to spread it out evenly.
- Optional – place pecan halves on top of your pecan topping.
- Bake in the oven at 400℉ for ten minutes.
- Then, reduce the heat to 350℉ and let cook for another 30 – 35 minutes.
- Let cool, then slice into 9 bars. Enjoy! (I recommend covering these and storing them in the fridge when not consuming.)
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