I have a love/hate relationship with pecan pie. I absolutely adore the smooth caramely filling and could eat that by itself, but pecan pie is the reason I became a chubby pre-teen. I had always been fairly thin growing up, but as a young kid, we moved from a big house in the suburbs of Dallas, TX to a tiny, two bedroom apartment in Flushing, NY. It was a temporary situation with five of us living in this limited space and each morning before we walked to school , my mom would give my brother and I a quarter each to stop at the corner store and get something to supplement our lunch that day. My mom's intention was for us to get milk for lunch and I don't think she knew it then, but I was able to get two mini pecan pies for that quarter and that is what I got everyday instead of the milk. Pretty soon, those pecan pies started showing up on my body.
I would not even DREAM of eating pecan pie with that sort of frequency now, but back then, I had zero hesitation in consuming two of the mini ones daily. To this day, I get that nostalgic feeling when I think of pecan pie.
So because of my extreme love of the stuff, I decided I would try my hand at a healthier version created by Kimberly Snyder. You can find her recipe here, and I followed it exactly. Note: If you do not have coconut nectar, you can replace it with real maple syrup. I happened to have bought some coconut nectar this past weekend.
Here are the fruits of that labor.
It really is delicious and for once, I actually prefer the crust! The filling is a tad sweet for my taste, so if I made it again, I would either not add the coconut nectar or cut back on it or the raisins in the filling.
So why is this version healthier than the original? Well, for one, it contains no gluten, dairy or refined sugars - the sweetness comes from dried fruit and sap. All the fat is from raw nuts, and here is the best part... it is so rich, you won't want more than a small slice.
Have you wondered why in these days of the fat-free, calorie-free and sugar-free craze we are fatter than ever? That stuff is not REAL food. We keep wanting more because our bodies are not satisfied with these food substitutes. This pecan pie is made from real and natural ingredients. You won't need much to feel satiated.
If you do try this, let me know what you think!
I would not even DREAM of eating pecan pie with that sort of frequency now, but back then, I had zero hesitation in consuming two of the mini ones daily. To this day, I get that nostalgic feeling when I think of pecan pie.
So because of my extreme love of the stuff, I decided I would try my hand at a healthier version created by Kimberly Snyder. You can find her recipe here, and I followed it exactly. Note: If you do not have coconut nectar, you can replace it with real maple syrup. I happened to have bought some coconut nectar this past weekend.
Here are the fruits of that labor.
It really is delicious and for once, I actually prefer the crust! The filling is a tad sweet for my taste, so if I made it again, I would either not add the coconut nectar or cut back on it or the raisins in the filling.
So why is this version healthier than the original? Well, for one, it contains no gluten, dairy or refined sugars - the sweetness comes from dried fruit and sap. All the fat is from raw nuts, and here is the best part... it is so rich, you won't want more than a small slice.
Have you wondered why in these days of the fat-free, calorie-free and sugar-free craze we are fatter than ever? That stuff is not REAL food. We keep wanting more because our bodies are not satisfied with these food substitutes. This pecan pie is made from real and natural ingredients. You won't need much to feel satiated.
If you do try this, let me know what you think!
