The best pecan pie recipe (no corn syrup added)

pecan pie without corn syrup | pamela salzma

I’m taking a quick break from Friday Favorites so that I can focus on sharing Thanksgiving recipes until the big day arrives!

pecans!

Want to know my favorite moment of Thanksgiving day?  When I get to relax with a cup of tea and sink my teeth into a slice or two (OMG, am I serious?) of homemade pie.  It’s my reward for the cooking marathon that leads up to that point and I enjoy every bite.  I make three different pies on Thanksgiving, including apple, pumpkin and pecan, all of which I absolutely love, and this pecan pie is absolutely perfection.

pecan pie base

Bourbon and brown rice syrup

I taught this pecan pie in my classes last year and everyone went bonkers for it.  It has been a staple on my personal Thanksgiving menu for 20 years, but I have changed the recipe a bit every  few years.  Admittedly, the first 12 years of pecan pie baking, I did use the dreaded, over-processed, GMO corn syrup.  It’s one of the two traditional sweeteners in pecan pie.  But in my defense, did I know in 1998 that brown rice syrup existed?  No, I did not.  Since I discovered brown rice syrup I have used it in my granola, granola bars and rice crispy treats.  It’s a terrific sticky, caramel-y, minimally-processed sweetener that works really well in place of corn syrup.  Itp is made by breaking down the starch in cooked rice, turning it into easily digestible sugars.  The good news is that there is no fructose in rice syrup, so it shouldn’t have the same negative effects on liver function and metabolic health as regular sugar.  The bad news is that rice syrup is still a concentrated sweetener with few nutrients, so I don’t consider it health food, just a higher quality sweetener.  The other bummer is that arsenic has been found in rice syrups and products sweetened with them. For this reason, I would use rice syrup in moderation and not start adding it to your daily tea.

ready to get poured into pie crust

From the original recipe, I have also swapped coconut sugar for brown sugar and added a little bourbon for boozy depth.  This pecan pie is still rich and sweet, but not cloyingly so, and I don’t feel ill after eating a piece on Thanksgiving.  Just don’t look at the calorie count for a piece of nut pie — you’ll just pass out.  I only eat pecan pie on Thanksgiving, so I don’t worry about the calories too much.  Eating it for breakfast the next day, that’s a different story.  And that is why I have take-out boxes for my guests.  Because I am weak and cowardly in the presence of this pecan pie.

pecan pie without corn syrup or refined sugar | pamela salzman

I know many of you can’t deal with making pie crust, and that is fine.  There are plenty of perfectly good pre-made crusts that you can find in the freezer section of the grocery store.  However, if you are interested in making the crust from scratch, yay!  Come with me over to this post where I show you the step-by-step on how to do it.  I will also be posting a pie crust video any day now.  By the way, you can actually make your Thanksgiving pie crusts today and freeze them.  Just a thought.  I make pecan pie the day before Thanksgiving and leave it in the dining room until the next day.  Leftovers should be store in the fridge.

pecan pie without corn syrup or refined sugar | pamela salzman

Since pecan pie is rich enough, I eat it plain.  But whipped cream and ice cream would not be a terrible accompaniment, believe me.  I mean, if you’re going to go for it, just go big.  I cannot wait for Thanksgiving!

pecan pie without corn syrup or refined sugar | pamela salzman

5.0 from 4 reviews
Pecan Pie
Author: 
Serves: makes 1 9-inch pie
 
Ingredients
  • 1 recipe for single pie crust (see below)
  • all purpose flour for dusting the counter
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¾ cup brown rice syrup
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon bourbon or dark rum (I prefer bourbon)
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup chopped pecans*
  • 1 cup pecan halves**
Instructions
  1. Roll disk of pie dough on a lightly floured countertop, regularly checking to make sure disk is not sticking to counter. Roll into a 12-inch round. Fit pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Tuck the overhanging pastry under itself and crimp the edges or use a fork to make a decorative border. Refrigerate pie shell until ready to fill pie.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Place the eggs, sugar, salt, brown rice syrup, vanilla, bourbon and butter in a bowl and mix to combine. Stir in the chopped pecans.
  4. Pour the filling into your pie plate (it will only look half full) and arrange pecan halves in decorative pattern on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until filling is just set. If you use a frozen pie crust, it will take an extra 10-15 minutes to bake.
  5. Allow the pie to cool completely before serving.
Notes
*For a richer flavor, toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes or until fragrant, then chop coarsely.

**Or use all chopped pecans and skip the decorative top.

Single Pie Crust

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour or white spelt flour

½ teaspoon cane sugar

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2-4 Tablespoons ice water



Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse a couple times until blended.
Add the butter to the flour and pulse until the mixture resembles small peas.
Pour 2 Tablespoons of ice water on top of the flour mixture and pulse about 10 times.  Avoiding the blade, carefully grab a small handful of dough and squeeze together.  If the dough holds together without crumbling, it’s ready to be formed into a disc.  If it’s too dry, pulse in another few teaspoons of ice water until dough holds together.
Transfer dough to a piece of parchment and bring dough together to form a ball. Wrap in parchment and refrigerate at least 30 minutes at which point it will be ready to roll out.  Or you can keep the dough refrigerated for 2-3 days, or in the freezer, well wrapped for 2-3 months.

 

Healthy Granola Bars Recipe

Healthy Granola Bar

Has school started in your neck of the woods?  We’re back at it this week.  I get a little bummed when the kids go back to school.  I’ve really enjoyed spending more time with them and summer is so much less stressful, especially for my high schooler.  That and, despite what you might think, I don’t love making lunches at 6:30 am everyday, as well as trying to keep a substantial supply of well-balanced snacks for the kids and their friends.  You know I love to cook and it’s a major priority for me to feed myself and the kids well, but it’s definitely a challenging task which I know many of you try to tackle most days, too.

The fact is I don’t actually make all of the kids’ snacks, because I really don’t have that kind of time.   But there are a few that I can make quickly, easily and that are more delicious (and healthful) than what you can buy in a store.  I hope to post my guidelines next week for choosing a healthful snack, but making sure there’s some protein in there is super important, otherwise you run the risk of a blood sugar rollercoaster.  One snack that I guessed wouldn’t be too tricky to figure out was granola bars.  Last summer I tested granola bar recipes for about two months and had the tight jeans to prove it.  I wouldn’t call it a low-calorie snack mostly due to the nuts and seeds, but I if the kids need something to tide them over until dinnertime or get them through soccer practice, goldfish and a fruit roll-up aren’t going to cut it.  I am always going to look for something like these bars, which are made from real ingredients, contain protein and fiber and a minimal amount of sugar, plus a little love from Mom.

The problem is that these granola bars are so good, I have a hard time being in the house and not sneaking one or more when I’m not really even hungry.  They have most of the same flavors as my granola, but with a little butter.  What they don’t have is tons of refined sugar like so many granola bar recipes I see.  If you are dairy-free or vegan, you can definitely use coconut oil, but I have a soft spot for the combination of butter, pecans and a pinch of sea salt.  Yum!  Like granola, you can adjust this recipe to suit you.  (And yes, you can add chocolate chips.)  I like my granola bars a little on the thick side (see bottom photo), but if you like yours thinner and crunchy (see lead photo), you can use an 8 x 10 pan.  Try these out and if your family loves them, make a double batch and freeze them.  Because in my world, September not only means school, but soccer games, scouts meetings, study groups and playdates.  Need any more reasons to make these?

Healthy Granola Bars
Author: 
Serves: makes 8-12 bars, depending how you slice 'em
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
  • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • ½ cup chopped raw nuts (pecans or almonds are good)
  • ¼ cup ground almond meal
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup unsulphured dried fruit (such as chopped apricots, cranberries, cherries, blueberries)
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (my preference) or melted coconut oil
  • ½ cup brown rice syrup (or honey)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. If you like thick granola bars, grease an 8 or 9-inch square pan with butter or coconut oil and line with unbleached parchment paper (this will help get the bars out of the pan.) If you like them thinner, say ¾-inch thick, grease an 8x 11-inch pan.
  3. Place oats, seeds, coconut and nuts on large baking sheet and toast for 12-15 minutes. Do not allow anything to burn!
  4. In a large bowl combine almond meal, cinnamon, salt and dried fruit. When oat mixture is out of the oven, add to bowl. Mix the melted butter, brown rice syrup and vanilla together and pour over the oat mixture, stirring well to coat evenly.
  5. Pour mixture into pan and press down with a spoon, spatula or damp hands.
  6. Bake for about 20-25* minutes, or until lightly colored on top. The granola bar will be soft to the touch when it comes out of the oven, but will firm up as it cools. Allow to cool completely, at least 2 hours. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the bar. Invert the pan over a cutting board to remove. Cut into individual bars and eat or store in a covered container.**
Notes
*Baking it longer will result in a crispier, firmer bar, but it may be harder for little ones to chew easily.

**If the weather or your kitchen is warm, it’s better to store the bars in the refrigerator.

 

Â