No-Guilt Pecan Pie

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This rich and delish plant-based pecan pie defies the buttery, sugary, syrupy, egg-filled standard pecan pies that we are all familiar with in the past.  Joyfully, this pie will not destroy our health if we indulge a piece for the holidays. 

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It does require enough forethought to have a sweet potato baked and ready to use, other than that, it is pretty simple and straightforward.

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No-Guilt Pecan Pie

Yield: 1 8" pie
Prep Time: 20-25 minutes
Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
Passive Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hr. 40 minutes
Ingredients:

1 white sweet potato, baked ahead until very tender and syrupy.

 

1 cup  Medjool dates, pressed down to measure – approximately 12

2 tbsp  maple syrup

1 cup  plant milk

1 tbsp + 2 1/2 level tsp tapioca flour

1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp butter flavoring, opt. but very good

 

½ cup  baked white sweet potato (orange will also work)

 

3/4 – 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

pecan halves for decorating.

 

1 tbsp additional maple syrup

Instructions:
  1. Bake potato at 400 degrees until nice and soft and getting syrupy, 50-60 minutes — this could be done a day or two in advance.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Chop dates and combine in your blender cup with the milk,  syrup, and flavorings.  Let this stand while you make your favorite pie crust, the Tender Oil-Free Pie Crust, or the Whole Wheat Oil Pie Crust. If you are making the oil-free crust, it is critical to cover the fluted edges of the pie before baking.
  4. Blend the date mixture nice and smooth, then add in the 1/2 cup sweet potato and tapioca flour and blend smooth again. Preferably the potato should not be hot or it could change the baking time of the pie.
  5. Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over the pie crust and spoon the blender ingredients over the nuts,  spreading to fill the pie.  Tap to make sure there are no air pockets around the nuts.
  6. Decoratively top the filling with the pecan halves and press them lightly into the batter.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, remove from oven and carefully baste on the remaining maple syrup with a very soft pastry brush.
  8. Return to the oven and bake an additional 7-10 minutes until it has formed a glaze and the pie is set.
  9. Let it cool completely to set up before serving. (Can be made a day ahead.)
Notes: