Description
Healthy, easy no-bake pecan pie bars! Made with just a few simple ingredients: pecans, dates, oats, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Vegan, gluten-free, paleo and come together in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup raw, unsalted pecans, plus extra for garnish if desired
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1–3 teaspoons coconut oil (see notes)
- shredded coconut, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Arrange the pecans on a rimmed baking tray. Once the oven is preheated, roast the pecans for 6-9 minutes until just browned and fragrant. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Add the toasted pecans and all remaining ingredients (except for the coconut oil and shredded coconut) to a food processor and process until the mixture begins to stick together. This should take a couple of minutes and you may need to scrape the sides with a spatula occasionally. If the dough seems too dry, add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and process again. If still too dry, add 1-2 teaspoons more coconut oil.
- Spread the mixture in a container (I used an 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish) and press the dough down evenly and firmly. Garnish with shredded coconut, if desired. Place the container in the freezer until set, about 1 hour.
- Remove from the freezer and cut into squares. Garnish with pecan halves, if desired. Store squares in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
Coconut oil. Some pecans naturally have more oil than others. If your pecans are oily, you may not need the coconut oil at all to get the mixture to stick together. If your pecans are very dry, you may need a full tablespoon of coconut oil.
