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These Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars taste like pecan pie, with a rich layer of dark chocolate in the middle. You can assemble them in less than 20 minutes, and then they chill to perfection for an easy holiday dessert. No need to turn on your oven!
Why You’ll Love Them
This recipe comes from my first cookbook, and it’s still one of my favorites because it’s so fast and delicious! The crust and crumble are prepared at the same time, so you don’t have to take the extra time to make 3 separate layers.
The crust and crumble layers are also 100% fruit sweetened (using dates!), and the chocolate layer is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup. The beauty of this no-bake recipe is you can taste everything as you go, too.
If the chocolate layer isn’t sweet enough for you, you can always add an extra splash of maple syrup to help sweeten it up. Or, if you want something darker, you can use less maple syrup to begin with. The crust layer will add sweetness to the overall flavor, so you don’t need too much added sweetener in this recipe.
Looking for a more traditional pie recipe? Try my Vegan Pecan Pie or Vegan Pumpkin Pie. Or for a chocolate dessert, try my Vegan French Silk Pie, which tastes like the real thing!
How to Make Them
To make these Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars, you’ll start by pulsing together 4 simple ingredients for the crust.
It may take up to 60 seconds of processing to get the dough to come together. I like to pulse the ingredients several times, to make sure everything gets processed uniformly.
When the dough sticks together between your fingers, it’s ready to go!
Reserve 1 loosely-packed cup of the mixture to save for the crumble topping. The cup does NOT need to be tightly packed, or you’ll have too much topping.
I like some of the chocolate to peek-through in the final bars, so a scant, loosely-packed cup of topping is more than enough. Press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of a lined 8- or 9-inch square dish lined with parchment paper.
How to Make the Vegan Chocolate Layer
To make the chocolate layer, we’re using my go-to formula for making a chocolate that will harden when chilled.
All you need is 3 simple ingredients to make a homemade chocolate:
- Coconut oil (this hardens when chilled)
- Cacao powder
- Maple Syrup (at room temperature)
Whisk the ingredients together, and you’ll see a magic chocolate sauce come together!
Important Note: For best results, make sure your maple syrup is NOT cold from the fridge. If it is cold, it will thicken the coconut oil when they touch, making it much harder to spread out later. Measure out the maple syrup you need, then let it sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before getting started.
Spread the chocolate layer evenly over the crust in the pan. Then sprinkle the remaining crumble from the cup you reserved over top of the chocolate.
Lightly press the crumble into the chocolate layer, so it will stay in place.
Transfer the pan to the freezer and let it set for 2 hours, until firm. Slice into 16 bars, and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. These bars are best served chilled, because they will get soft at room temperature.
Top with coconut whipped cream if you want to serve these on a plate with a fork!
Ingredients
CRUST AND CRUMBLE TOPPING
- 3 cups raw pecan halves (307 grams)
- 8 soft Medjool dates , pitted (183 grams)
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil (40 grams)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (4 grams)
CHOCOLATE FILLING
- ½ cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder (44 grams)
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil (53 grams)
- ¼ cup maple syrup , at room temperature (79 grams)
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. I like to lightly spray the pan with oil, to help the parchment paper stick in place. To prepare the topping, add the pecans, dates, coconut oil, and salt to a food processor fitted with an "S" blade, and process until sticky.
- Reserve 1 loose cup of this mixture for the crumble topping. Press the rest of the dough evenly into the lined baking dish, then set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, prepare the chocolate filling by whisking together the cacao powder, coconut oil, and syrup until smooth. Pour the chocolate filling over the crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of crumble over the top of the chocolate layer and use your hands to gently press the topping into the chocolate filling. Place in the freezer to set for at least 2 hours.
- Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut them into 16 small squares, then serve chilled. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months. For a softer texture, you can also store them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Do not let these sit out at room temperature for too long, or they'll become too soft to pick up.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try these Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like them! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite holiday dessert? If you love more traditional pie, be sure to check out
I made these for my son’s girlfriend who can’t eat gluten and dairy. They were loved by all! These bars are satisfying for non-vegans, too! Delicious!
I’ll admit I was skeptical. But they were better than I expected! My husband said it was one of the most gourmet desserts I’ve ever made. Didn’t tell him it took like 15 minutes to put together…
Amazing!
It is rich, decadent and delicious.
I made it with my nephew and we liked each layer separately and the final product.
The only thing we might do differently is that we are planning to try it with double the chocolate layer in the future.
(We didn’t have enough pecan nuts so we used a bit of Brazil nuts and walnuts to get to the full amount.)
Thanks for yet another fantastic healthy and delicious recipe!