I am going to start off this post by saying that this isn’t the usual über healthy dessert that I am usually touting here on Tasty Yummies. It has a full 2 cups of maple syrup and some additional coconut sugar. So yeh. But the good news is it IS healthier than the usual pecan pie. No butter, no corn syrup, no refined sugar, etc. Could I have made this healthier? Probably, but this was the compromise I came up with since I promised hubby I wouldn’t mess with this classics too much. I actually hadn’t even planned on sharing this recipe, but after I posted a photo on Instagram, people were begging for the recipe.
I made this for the Kentucky Derby party that we hosted here at our house on Saturday. I promised Mark an afternoon of all of his favorite Southern foods that remind him of Louisville. I promised not to “healthy-up” the recipes. I made mini hot browns (the sandwich made famous at the Brown Hotel in Louisville), pimento cheese dip, southern style deviled eggs, jalapeño cornbread mini muffins, a blackeyed pea salad, apple cobbler (I made this recipe with apples instead of the berries), mint-infused raw sugar simple syrup for Mint Juleps and this Maple Bourbon Pecan Tart. The menu was ALL about Mark and though I couldn’t eat a lot of it, I wanted it to be all yummy and I wanted to bring as much of Mark’s home to him on a day he is super homesick
When I promised to make pecan pie, I did specify that I had to make it gluten-free and dairy-free so I could enjoy it and I refused to make it with the usual corn syrup or regular sugar. I wanted a grain-free crust that would compliment but not overpower the tart and I went for as much maple and bourbon flavor as I could get.
I am so excited with how this turned out. It has a really rich flavor from the maple syrup and the bourbon that is really special. It is luscious, sticky and sweet, without being overly sweet and heavy. Though it isn’t something I will be making often, it is perfect for those special occasions, like a Derby party or the holidays.
[print_this]Grain-free Maple Bourbon Pecan Tart – Gluten-free + Dairy-free
Serves 8-10
Tart Crust
- 2.5 cups almond flour aka almond meal
- 3 tablespoons flax seed meal
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Lightly grease a 9 or 10-inch tart pan. In a large bowl, add all of the crust ingredients and mix very well. I like to get my hands right in there to make certain it is all mixed up. Add the crust mixture to the tart pan and press down firmly into the pan, going up the sides just a tad bit. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Tart Filling
- 2 cups pure organic maple syrup, preferably Grade B
- 3 large local farm fresh eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspon salt
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups organic raw pecan halves or pieces
Meanwhile in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the maple syrup to a boil and boil for 8 to 10 minutes to reduce. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof measuring pitcher. The syrup should be reduced to 1 1/2 cups. If necessary, return the syrup to the saucepan and continue to boil until sufficiently reduced. Let cool to room temperature before proceeding.
In a bowl, stir together the eggs, coconut sugar, reduced maple syrup, the bourbon, salt, coconut oil and vanilla until well mixed. Add the pecans and stir well. Pour into the partially baked pie shell, making sure the pecans are evenly distributed.
Bake the pie until the center is set and firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 1 hour; remove pan sides. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.[/print_this]
23 Responses
Pecan pie is one of my all time favorite desserts, and this looks seriously awesome. I kind of love that it is a classic sweet and sticky pecan pie but with no corn syrup or refined sugar. Not every recipe can be totally healthy, but I am loving all the healthy ingredient swaps here. For holidays this would be so perfect, I am totally making this for Thanksgiving this year!!
Yummo this looks amazing. I have to make for Mom this Sunday. Thanks
Ok well this looks delish 🙂 I am going to “have to” try it! LOL Thanks for the recipe, keep them coming.
oooooohh Beth this looks so good!!!! I love the healthy ingredients you used to create such a wonderful pie!
xox Amy
I’m a Louisvillian far from home, too! It’s funny that I now celebrate Derby more than I ever did growing up there. With pecans costing a fortune over here in Hawaii, I made a chocolate almond pie, but that’s it. Your menu sounds delicious! Mark is very lucky 🙂
This is a gorgeous tart, Beth, and I can only imagine how divine it tastes! I just shared it on my gfe Facebook page and one of my readers questioned the “grain-free'” label, which I just copied and shared. I responded that she was right to question that designation as distilled bourbon would be gluten free, but not grain free. Just wanted to mention that to you for all those reading who are grain free.
Sounds like you had a spectacular Derby Day! 🙂 Thanks!
Shirley
I can’t have the eggs but this gets me a little closer to making my old annual chocolate pecan pie, so I’m saving it for experimentation. 🙂
Hi I made this tart for dessert tonight. I am over the moon with result. My husband said it is the best tart pastry ever! Words cannot describe how delicious this is. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us.
This recipe sounds delicious but you don’t state how to incorporate the bourbon! Where is it used in the recipe? Does it get reduced with the maple syrup or simply added into the filling mix???
Ooops!! The most important part, too! Thanks for bringing this to my attention Deborah. I just added it in to the instructions, it shouldn’t be reduced down, just aded with the mix. Thanks again so much for catching that.
Phew, thanks! I’m making it tonight. One more question…it seems like sooooo much sweetener–the maple syrup plus the coconut sugar. Is the coconut sugar really necessary in addition to the maple syrup? We aren’t accustomed to really sweet desserts anymore. Have you by chance tried it without the coconut sugar? I appreciate your posts and your responses!
You could likely skip the coconut sugar. I was just going for a more traditional pecan pie which my southern hubby loves, so this was the compromise. I am like you, I don’t love ultra sweet. I will say this was sweeter than what I normally make around her, but it wasn’t grossly over sweet. Let me know how it goes if you leave it out.
We tried it without the coconut sugar and it is delicious! I don’t know if the coconut sugar would enhance the texture but it was lovely without it. Delicious!
This looks so yummy! Where can you find coconut sugar at? I’ve never even heard of it but I have just recently gone gluten-free 3 months ago. And can you buy just a small bottle of bourbon?
[…] I made this for Thanksiving and it was pretty good–I skipped the bourbon. Not exactly healthy but not all bad. Maple Pecan Tart […]
Oh no, the maple syrup caramelized! I was so excited to make this pecan pie for tomorrow, and the syrup reduced nicely but I noticed it got very thick and gooey. When it cooled down it actually got hardened like a chewy caramel lump and, out of desperation, I just mixed it in as best I could with the pecans and all the other ingredients that were already mixed and waiting in the bowl…let’s see if it blends together in the oven. I am afraid it will not…Advice, if I shold dare to try it again?
Nina, is it possible that the heat was too high and the maple syrup scorched? I have never had it caramelize unless it burnt because it was on too high of a hear or on too long. It sounds like either way, it reduced down far more than it should have. In the future I would recommend heating it over a lower temperature and watching it very close. Sorry that happened to you.
Well, wouldn’t you believe it, but when the pie cooked in the oven as directed, the caramelized (just very gooey and thick) maple syrup blended nicely with the other ingredients and the pie came out perfectly fine. Everyone loved it, and we’re having the left overs for dessert tonight! (The bourbon really made it so special!) I did use only medium-low heat so that it simmered, and it had reduced down perfectly from 2 to 1.5 cup. But in the future I will just reduce it less, and over even lower heat. Yum.
phew! I am so glad it still worked out for you. Thanks for following up 😉
Do you think this would work as pecan pie bars? I’d like to bring it to a potluck after my son’s soccer game tomorrow. I thought bars might work better than a tart.
Beth,
My mom and I look forward to treating ourselves with this every Christmas. It is seriously the best gift we could give ourselves, a taste of Heaven. I couldn’t find this recipe on my Pinterest board like I usually do, and searching ‘tasty yummies pecan tart’ in Google didn’t pull it up either. I literally felt my heart palpitate and speed up in fear this sweet treat was pulled from your site. Pathetic! hahah. But really, is it pathetic though? Cause this tart is DAMN GOOD.
We are not going to be home for the holidays and I couldn’t bring my tart pan (I tried!). Can I make this in a pie pan? Looks don’t matter 😉
Thank you 🙂
Awww haha sorry for the scare!! This makes me SOO happy that this dish is a part of your tradition, nothing could make me prouder. A pie pan should work, it may be a bit harder to serve than the tart pan, since the side comes off making it really easy to slide a server under there, but it should be OK. Good luck, let me know how it comes out. Thanks Happy Holidays. xo
You should be the most proud ever! No joke, I am always impressed by your recipes, as I know I’ve told you before, but I am VERY particular when it comes to treats. I’m usually not for something so indulgent and sweet at this point in my life, but that’s where your life changing bourbon pecan tart comes in. Same goes for my mom. We’re beyond impressed!
Well this is interesting. My tart pan that I always use for this is old school ceramic and the sides don’t come off, so I’m confident in this pie pan trial! I will let you know how it comes out.
Happy Holidays to you and your family! And Seri of course 🙂
Thank you!