Pecan Pie with Almond Chocolate Crust

I grew up in the South and pecan pie takes me back to my childhood family gatherings. The pecan pie I grew up with was loaded with sugar and corn syrup and I recall how my teeth and belly hurt pretty regularly after I consumed a slice.

Since I love good food and didn't want to give up one of my favorite holiday traditions, I decided it was time for a pecan pie make-over. I was inspired by Elana Amsterdam’s pecan pie, but it didn’t quite meet my nutritional preferences. With a few tweaks, I was able to bake a soul-satisfying and body-nourishing pecan pie. I hope you enjoy this delicious pie as much as my family and friends do.

Chocolate Pie Crust

1 ¼ cups Blanched Almond Flour

¼ t Sea Salt

¼ t Baking Soda

2 T Ghee

2 T Honey

½ cup chopped dark chocolate or powdered baking cocoa*

*½ cup makes a very rich crust, you may use ¼ cup if you prefer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt and baking soda.  In a small saucepan gently melt the ghee, honey, and dark chocolate.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and thoroughly mix.  Press dough into a 9 ½ inch pie pan, which is super simple, as there is no rolling required.  Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until the surface of the crust loses its sheen and starts to look dry—be careful not to overcook.  Remove from the oven and completely cool before adding the pie filling.  If you are using a convection oven, pay extra attention to not overcook, as convection ovens cook foods faster.

Filling

1 ½ C Water

2 Tbsp Agar Flakes

1 ¼ C Raw Honey

1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

3 C Whole Pecans, toasted 

In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil, add agar flakes and cook on high heat stirring frequently until the agar flakes dissolve.  It takes about 10-12 minutes. Decrease heat and whisk in salt, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Continue Cooking over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until all ingredients are well incorporated. Cool mixture to room temperature and then stir in pecans. Pour into piecrust and refrigerate for one hour or until the pie has set.

Serve with whipped cream.

This article appeared in the November 2014 Savor Your Health Newsletter. Sign up in the Sidebar to get more tips, tricks and delicious recipes delivered to your inbox every month.