Pecan Pie
FOR THE CRUST:
1 3/4 cups super fine blanched almond flour , plus more as needed
3 tablespoons coconut flour
2 teaspoons powdered monk fruit sweetener
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup cold grass-fed butter (can sub with ghee for strict Paleo)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large egg
FOR THE FILLING:
1 cup unsalted grass-fed butter
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 cup full fat canned coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs , at room temperature
2 cups roughly chopped pecans
1/2 cup half pecans for the topping
Instructions
For the crust
Combine the almond flour, coconut flour, powdered monk fruit, salt, butter and coconut oil in a food processor and pulse / process until large pea sized crumbs appear. Add the egg, then pulse again, until dough forms and comes together. Add more almond flour (1-2 tablespoons at a time) as needed, if dough seems too wet.
Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill dough ball in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or up to 2 days.
Once the dough is ready, roll between two sheets of parchment paper into a large circle big enough to cover a regular 9-inch pie dish.
Lay over the pie dish and press into the bottom and the sides of the pan. Trim & flute edges and use any leftovers for cutting out festive shapes, if desired. Carefully pierce holes in the surface using a fork to prevent bubbling and place the pan in the freezer while you preheat the oven and you're ready to prepare the filling.
Make the Filling:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator and par-bake the crust for 15 minutes or until very light golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Brown Butter - have all the ingredients ready to go as the butter can burn very quickly
Heat butter in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Once the butter starts boiling, continue whisking until you see brown bits starting to form at the bottom of pan as you are whisking. Remove the pan immediately from the heat and turn heat off. Whisk in the golden monk fruit sweetener until combined. Add almond butter, coconut milk, sea salt and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
Allow the sauce to cool slightly. Once cool, slowly whisk in the eggs until combined.
Stir in the chopped pecans and pour into the par-baked crust.
Arrange pecan halves on top to design of your liking.
Cover the crust edges with a pie shield or aluminum foil to prevent burning. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until center is nearly set (still a bit jiggly) and crust is deep golden brown.
Allow to cool completely at room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing. If making ahead, wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
The edges of the pie crust will be slightly darker than a traditional pie crust from the almond and coconut flour
Keep your eyes closely watching while browning butter and have all your ingredients for the filling ready to go since the browned butter can burn quickly
Filling:
1 recipe Almond Flour Pie Crust
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Swerve Brown
1/2 cup Bocha Sweet
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or maple extract
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
Instructions
Prepare the pie crust according to the directions and bake at 325F for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool while preparing the filling.
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the two sweeteners, stirring until the sweeteners have dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and salt.
Make sure the syrup isn't too hot and then whisk in the eggs.
Place the pecans in the cooled crust and pour the filling overtop. Return to the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is mostly set but the middle still jiggles slightly when shaken.
Note: If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the pie with aluminum foil, shiny side up, about halfway through the baking time. Let cool completely before serving.
Recipe Notes
If you can't find or don't have access to Swerve Brown and Bocha Sweet, you can use 1 cup Swerve Granular plus 2 teaspoons molasses or Yacon syrup. Each serving will have an extra gram of carbs and the filling may recrystallize a bit upon refrigeration.
You can also try replacing the Bocha Sweet with regular xylitol. It should give the same gooeyness to the filling. Please be careful if you have dogs because it is highly toxic to canines.
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup Swerve Sweetener either granular or powdered is fine*
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter melted
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in melted butter until dough comes together and resembles coarse crumbs.
Turn out into a glass or ceramic pie plate. Press firmly with fingers into bottom and up sides. Use a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup to even out the bottom. Prick all over with a fork before baking.
To bake unfilled, preheat oven to 325F. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
To bake a filled pie, pre bake 10-12 minutes before adding fillings. You may need to cover the edges in foil to avoid over-browning. Let the pie crust cool before adding fillings and baking again.
*For a savoury pie crust, leave out the sweetener, use 1/2 tsp salt, and add 1/2 tsp garlic powder.
