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    Home » Desserts

    Vegan Pecan Pie

    Published: Dec 9, 2020 Updated: Nov 2, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Pecan Pie

    This vegan pecan pie is literally the best pecan pie we’ve ever tasted. It’s rich and insanely delicious with a caramelized center and loads of pecans!

    Slice of vegan pecan pie topped with whipped cream on a white plate.

    I’ve been thinking about making a vegan pecan pie for years, but always backed out of it thinking it would be soo hard to do. I mean, a regular non-vegan pecan pie uses 3-4 large eggs!

    So I was daunted by the thought of how it could possibly work and what would hold it all together. The short answer? Cornstarch. And not even that much of it. Along with vegan butter, sugar and maple syrup.

    This pecan pie holds together beautifully and no one would ever guess there are no eggs involved at all.

    Love vegan pies? Check out our vegan apple pie and our vegan pumpkin pie.

    Vegan pecan pie in a glass pie dish with one slice cut and ready to serve.

    How To Make Vegan Pecan Pie

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    The Crust:

    • Add flour, sugar and salt to your mixing bowl and mix together.
    Two photo collage showing dry ingredients added to mixing bowl and mixed.
    • Now add vegan butter and mix it in with your hands until crumbly.
    Two photo collage showing vegan butter added to bowl and mixed in until crumbly.
    • Add ice water and mix into a ball of dough.
    Two photo collage showing ice water added to bowl and mixed into a dough.
    • Place the dough into the fridge for an hour for the gluten in the dough to relax (this helps to prevent the crust from shrinking during baking)
    • After an hour, bring out the dough and roll it carefully into a circle wider than the size of your 9-inch pie dish.
    Two photo collage showing rolling out the dough into a circle.
    • Spray your pie dish with non-stick spray, and place the dough over your pie dish.
    Two photo collage showing wrapping the dough around a rolling pin and then unwrapping it over a pie dish.
    • Press the crust down into the edges of the dish. Trim off the excess dough with a scissors.
    • Crimp the edges of the crust to create a pattern, or skip this step entirely and just leave the crust straight along the top.
    • Place the crust back into the fridge while you work on the filling.

    Top Tip For The Crust: If you want to save time on this recipe you can absolutely use a store-bought unbaked 9-inch pie crust.

    Two photo collage showing pie crust pressed down into pie dish and the sides crimped.

    The Filling:

    • Melt vegan butter and light brown sugar in a saucepan and add maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt. Whisk together until the sugar has melted.
    • Mix cornstarch with coconut milk until smooth and then add it into the saucepan and whisk in quickly. Add the chopped pecans and mix everything together.
    • Pour this out over the crust and smooth down.
    Two photo collage showing pecan pie filling in a saucepan and then added to the pie crust.
    • Add pecan halves to the top of the pie to decorate.
    • Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes until the center is bubbling and the crust is lightly browned.
    Two photo collage showing vegan pecan pie before and after baking.
    • Allow to cool for an hour on the countertop and then move to the fridge until set (1-2 hours) before serving.

    Top Tip For The Filling: The cornstarch/coconut milk mix just gets whisked in very quickly, then the chopped pecans are added, mixed in well (but quickly) and then it’s off the heat and the filling gets poured out over the crust. We don’t want this step to take too long because we don’t actually want the cornstarch/coconut milk mix to start thickening things up already, we just want it mixed in. The bulk of the thickening effect should take place during the baking process.

    Two photo collage showing set pecan pie and then a slice cut.

    Ingredient Notes & Tips

    Pecans: We used raw unsalted pecans. Chopped pecans for the filling and pecan halves to place on top before baking.

    Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup created the best taste and texture results in this pie. We did try a version with a maple flavored table syrup and it works and it is delicious so if you wanted to use a table syrup or a dark corn syrup it will work, but my top vote is for pure maple syrup in this recipe.

    Cornstarch: A little cornstarch goes a long way in this recipe and we only needed 1 and ½ tablespoons. It’s possible that you could use tapioca starch or arrowroot but we have not tested this.

    Coconut Milk: We used ¼ cup unsweetened full fat canned coconut milk to mix with the cornstarch and this helps the filling to thicken and bind together. You can switch this with another non-dairy milk if you prefer.

    Vegan pecan pie in a glass dish with one slice missing.

    Make It Gluten-Free

    The filling for this pie is already gluten-free, so if you want the pie to be gluten-free then either use a store-bought gluten-free pie crust or make a gluten-free pie crust from scratch.

    Jessica In The Kitchen has a great recipe for a gluten-free vegan pie crust made with simple ingredients.

    Slice of pecan pie with whipped cream on a white plate.

    How To Serve Vegan Pecan Pie

    Pecan pie can be served either warm or cold. It’s ideal to let it cool completely so that it sets.

    But after that, if you want to serve it warm, then just heat each slice in the microwave for 20 seconds or so before topping with vegan whipped cream or vegan ice cream.

    Slice of vegan pecan pie on a white plate with a cake fork.

    Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing

    Make Ahead: You can make this pie a day or two in advance and store it (covered) in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before serving.

    Storing: This pie stores really well in the fridge (covered) for 5 days.

    Freezing: This pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and let it come to room temperature before serving.

    Forkful of vegan pecan pie.

    More Vegan Pie Recipes

    1. Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
    2. Vegan Caramel Pie
    3. Vegan Key Lime Pie
    4. Vegan Chocolate Tart
    5. Vegan Banoffee Pie
    6. Vegan Chocolate Pie

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Slice of vegan pecan pie topped with vegan cream on a white plate.

    Vegan Pecan Pie

    This vegan pecan pie is literally the best pecan pie we’ve ever tasted. It’s rich and insanely delicious with a caramelized center and loads of pecans!
    4.97 from 26 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 45 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 621kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    Crust: 

    • 1 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour (156g)
    • 1 Tbsp White Granulated Sugar
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • ½ cup Vegan Butter (113g)
    • 1 Tbsp Ice Water may need up to 1 and ½ Tbsp

    Filling: 

    • ½ cup Vegan Butter (113g)
    • ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar (150g)
    • ½ cup Maple Syrup (120ml)
    • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
    • ¼ tsp Sea Salt
    • 1 ½ Tbsp Cornstarch
    • ¼ cup Coconut Milk (60ml)
    • 2 cups Chopped Pecans (300g)

    For Decorating:

    • 1 cup Pecan Halves (110g)

    For Serving: 

    • Vegan Whipped Cream
    • Vegan Ice Cream
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Prepare the crust. Add the flour, sugar and salt to your mixing bowl and mix together.
    • Now add the vegan butter and mix it in with your hands until crumbly.
    • Add ice water, only as much as needed to form it into a ball of dough (we used 1 Tbsp but you may need up to 1 and ½).
    • Place the dough into the fridge for an hour for the gluten in the dough to relax (this helps to prevent the crust from shrinking during baking)
    • After an hour, bring out the dough and roll it carefully into a circle wider than the size of your 9-inch pie dish.
    • Spray your pie dish with non-stick spray, and place the dough over your pie dish pressing the crust down into the edges of the dish. Trim off the excess dough with a scissors. 
    • Crimp the edges of the crust to create a pattern, or skip this step entirely and just leave the crust straight along the top.  
    • Place the crust back into the fridge while you work on the filling. 
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). 
    • Prepare the filling. Melt the vegan butter and light brown sugar in a saucepan and add the maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt. Whisk together until the sugar has melted. 
    • Mix the cornstarch with the coconut milk until smooth and then add it into the saucepan and whisk in quickly. Add chopped pecans and mix everything together (see notes*). 
    • Pour the filling out over the crust and smooth down. 
    • Add pecan halves to the top of the pie for decoration. 
    • Bake for 35-40 minutes until the center is bubbling and the crust is lightly browned. 
    • Allow to cool for an hour on the countertop and then move to the fridge until set (1-2 hours). 

    Notes

    1. The cornstarch/coconut milk mix just gets whisked in very quickly, then the chopped pecans are added, mixed in well (but quickly) and then it’s off the heat and the filling gets poured out over the crust. Don’t let this step take too long because we don’t want the cornstarch/coconut milk mix to start thickening the filling up at this stage, we just want it mixed in. The bulk of the thickening effect should take place during the baking process.  
    2. Pie Crust: If you want to save time on this recipe you can absolutely use a store-bought unbaked 9-inch pie crust. 
    3. Measure the flour correctly for the pie crust. Either use the spoon and level method (spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife – don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup) or weigh it on a food scale. 
    4. Pecans: We used raw unsalted pecans. Chopped pecans for the filling and pecan halves to place on top before baking. 
    5. Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup created the best taste and texture results in this pie. We did try a version with a maple flavored table syrup and it works and it is delicious so if you wanted to use a table syrup or a dark corn syrup it will work, but my top vote is for pure maple syrup in this recipe. 
    6. Cornstarch: A little cornstarch goes a long way in this recipe and works great for thickening up the filling. It’s possible that you could use tapioca starch or arrowroot but we have not tested this.
    7. Coconut Milk: This is mixed with the cornstarch. You can switch this with another non-dairy milk if you prefer.
    8. Serving: This pie can be served either warm or cold. It’s ideal to let it cool completely so that it sets. But after that, if you want to serve it warm, then just heat each slice in the microwave for 20 seconds or so before topping with vegan whipped cream or vegan ice cream. 
    9. Make Ahead: You can make this pie a day or two in advance and store it (covered) in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before serving. 
    10. Storing and Freezing: This pie stores really well in the fridge (covered) for 5 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and let it come to room temperature before serving. 
    11. Prep time does not include the time spent chilling (pie crust 1 hour before rolling out and 2-3 hours for the baked pie to cool and set). 
    12. Nutritional information excludes vegan whipped cream or ice cream. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.4g | Protein: 5.4g | Fat: 48.4g | Saturated Fat: 8.2g | Sodium: 358mg | Fiber: 4.4g | Sugar: 27.2g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Janelle says

      December 25, 2022 at 9:29 am

      Excellent! I made this for our Christmas dessert. I grew up eating a non-vegan version of pecan pie at Xmas and this version was equally as satisfying – my Texan mother agreed. 🙂

      The one tip I can offer is to roll out the dough on top of a sheet of baking paper. I didn’t do this at first and I was unable to pick up the dough without it breaking. So I re-rolled it on top of a sheet of baking paper and then I was able to lift it up in one piece, easy!

      This is the 4th recipe I’ve tried from this blog and they all turn out beautifully.
      Thanks again 🙂5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 29, 2022 at 9:44 am

        Thanks so much Janelle!

        Reply
    2. Lins says

      December 13, 2022 at 5:51 pm

      Hello Alison,
      Your recipes look delicious. I was wondering how they transfer to Uk measures eg teaspoons, tablespoons and cups?
      Thank you
      Lins

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 20, 2022 at 10:24 am

        UK measures for teaspoons, tablespoons etc are the same as the US, so no adjustments are needed.

        Reply
    3. Meg says

      December 05, 2022 at 5:07 pm

      This pie is absolutely wonderful! I’m not vegan, but my in-laws are, and this is my go-to recipe for vegan pecan pie.

      The only issue I’ve ever had is that it really sticks to the pie pan. I’ve used glass and ceramic pans, and I’ve greased them, but it always sticks. That’s not a huge deal though; this pie is so good, even if it’s hard to get out of the pan. Maybe next time I’ll try baking parchment in the pan, or even a spring form.

      Thank you so much for the recipe! It’s hard to find good vegan treats, and this really fits the bill.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 06, 2022 at 12:28 pm

        So glad you love the pie Meg! I find non-stick spray to work best, but if that hasn’t worked then parchment paper on the bottom will definitely help!

        Reply
        • Meg says

          December 10, 2022 at 2:19 pm

          I will try the parchment paper. Thank you!5 stars

          Reply
    4. Mixee says

      November 24, 2022 at 7:40 am

      I made this pie with my daughter and it was a very easy recipe to follow. It is chilling now in anticipation of tomorrow! I’m fairly certain it’s going to be delicious because It sure tasted great going into the shell!4 stars

      Reply
    5. Susan says

      November 21, 2022 at 3:04 am

      The vegan pecan pie recipe looked so promising. I used shortening made from palm oil. After cooking for 12 minutes, the oil had separated and was bubbling outside of the pie crust; at 30 minutes, the pie started burning. Should I have used a different kind of shortening? Why did it burn after only 30 minutes?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 21, 2022 at 2:18 pm

        Hi Susan, our recipe doesn’t use any shortening, and I don’t recommend changing ingredients. I recommend following the recipe exactly, otherwise I have no idea what the results may be.

        Reply
    6. Kristine says

      October 20, 2022 at 11:18 pm

      I can’t wait to try this. So many of your recipes are our favs. My SIL makes a non vegan pecan pie for the holidays and I would love to surprise her with this one. She adds choc chips so I may try that too. TY!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        October 21, 2022 at 8:21 am

        Awesome Kristine! I hope you love it! Let us know how it turns out with the chocolate chips! 🙂

        Reply
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