This homemade pecan pie made with a healthy pie crust and simple pecan pie filling is so easy and delicious. It’s awesome to enjoy a family favorite without sacrificing your healthy eating goals!
Somehow, I made it until my early thirties until I ever tried a pecan pie. It always seemed so strange to me to fill a pie with…nuts. So, I went for years without ever even trying one. Which is kinda crazy, if you think about it. I mean — how did I not just TRY a kind of pie before?
This is ME we’re talking about.
It’s pie. P.I.E.
Then, one day a few years ago, when we were out with the family enjoying a day trip to Fredericksburg (<—- LOVE BTW), we stopped into a super cute and sweet pie shop. The lady at the front counter boasted about how their Orange Bourbon Pecan Pie was recently featured in Sunset Magazine and it was world-renowned.
Okay okay okay, it was time to finally try pecan pie. How do you say no to that?
So, we ordered a slice of the world famous pecan pie (aaaaaand a few other slices of other pies) and I went for it.
It was then that I realized I had been missing out on a whole amazing kind of pie my entire life.
Pecan pie was amazing! And that orange hint — puh-LEASE.
Note: To all other kinds of fruit pie, I still love you very, very much.
Last year I asked you on Instagram and Facebook what special holiday recipes you wanted me to #makeithealthy for the holiday season.
Healthy Pecan Pie
Not surprisingly, pecan pie was THE most requested holiday recipe from all the votes.
Pecan pie is amazing – so why not make it into something we can enjoy on a healthy diet, am I right?!?
So, for all you pecan pie lovers who want to keep up your healthy lifestyle, this holiday season and throughout the year, I hope you enjoy this healthy pecan pie recipe as much as we do because it’s not only a low sugar pecan pie and a low-calorie pecan pie but also a delicious dessert perfect for Thanksgiving and the holiday season. It’s really a shame not to make it.
IS PECAN PIE HEALTHY?
To answer this question, we have to take a look at your typical ingredients of pecan pie.
We typically will have:
- Refrigerated pie crust or homemade pie crust made with shortening and all-purpose flour --> not healthy;
- Eggs – a great source of protein --> healthy;
- Corn syrup --> not healthy;
- Brown sugar --> not healthy;
- Pecans --> healthy.
Overall, normal pecan pie is not so healthy. But, here's the good news. Pecan pie can be made healthy. It’s super easy to substitute unhealthy ingredients for healthy ones.
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY HOMEMADE PECAN PIE
If you’ve never made pecan pie, it’s so shockingly simple – you just make the easy cinnamon-egg filling and then pour it over a bunch of raw pecans in the pie crust. Pop it in the oven and it rises and bakes like a miracle.
That’s right: a miracle.
- Making this pecan pie healthy was not too hard at all, thanks to my trusty healthy pie crust, which uses whole wheat pastry flour and coconut oil instead of butter. More about it later. But nom.
- Making pecan pie without corn syrup and refined sugars will also make it healthier. A great substitute for corn syrup in pecan pie is raw honey. And let me tell you something, using raw honey sweetens the pie and works beautifully. And another thing - this is my favorite pecan pie recipe without corn syrup but keep reading if you want more healthy substitutes for corn syrup.
HOW TO MAKE PECAN PIE WITHOUT CORN SYRUP
I told you how you can make a low sugar pecan pie by replacing corn syrup with honey, but I promised I will give you other corn syrup alternative. Also, I want to tell you a few things about corn syrup and its alternatives so you can choose the best substitute for you.
Corn syrup is actually considered more unhealthy than sugar. Can you believe it?
So let’s find healthier corn syrup alternatives. To make this pecan pie recipe, no corn syrup is required. Nope. Zilch. Zero. None. You need, however, something to sweeten the pie. And, while there are many natural sweeteners on the market, not all of them work in a pie or in other types of baked goods, and not all of them are clean-eating approved.
To make this pecan pie without corn syrup, you can use:
- Raw honey – has a mild flavor but intense sweetness and replaces corn syrup without altering the taste of the pie.
- Pure Maple syrup – pure maple syrup is also good in this pecan pie but it will give the pie a strong maple flavor that not all people like.
Raw honey is my favorite corn syrup substitute.
HOW TO MAKE PIE CRUST WITHOUT BUTTER
We managed to make healthy pecan pie filling. Yay! But we can’t forget about the pie crust. We have to make pecan pie crust healthy too, right? Of course.
To make healthy pie crust, you just have to:
- Replace butter with coconut oil;
- Use coconut sugar instead of refined sugar.
Check out my healthy pie crust recipe where I explain in detail how to make pie crust without butter.
HOW LONG TO BAKE PECAN PIE
Baking pecan pie is a 2-step process. It takes 30-35 minutes for the pecan pie to bake but follow these 2 steps if you want to make sure the healthy pecan pie is baked to perfection:
- Place the pie in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the pecan pie for another 20-25 minutes.
Pecan pie is done when is no longer giggly and it has small cracks on top. Oh yea, and it will look GORGEOUS.
I mean...
HOW LONG DOES PECAN PIE LAST?
If any of the pie makes it past dessert, it lasts for…
- 2 days at room temperature;
- 4 days in the fridge;
- up to 4 months in the freezer.
MORE THANKSGIVING DESSERT RECIPES!
You learned how to make homemade pecan pie. Congratulations! Do you want to learn how to make another Thanksgiving dessert that is healthy and delicious? I bet you do! That’s why I have one more Thanksgiving dessert recipe for ya.
SOUTHERN SWEET POTATO PIE
Another great pie for your Thanksgiving table is this Southern Sweet Potato Pie.
Sweet potato pie is similar to pumpkin pie, however, there are a few noticeable differences as well. For example, sweet potato pie is made only with cinnamon and nutmeg so it has a lighter spices flavor compared to pumpkin pie.
Healthy Pecan Pie
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw honey
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 3 eggs
- ½ teaspoon *fresh orange zest (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon ground ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 cups raw pecans
- 1 healthy pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine raw honey, coconut oil, eggs, fresh orange zest, sea salt, unsweetened almond milk, ground cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, and whole wheat pastry flour. Stir to combine.
- Arrange the raw pecans into the prepared 9-inch pie pan.
- Pour the liquid filling mixture over the pecans, spreading some with a spoon if necessary.
- Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- The pie will rise in the oven. You’ll know it’s done when it has small cracks in the top and is no longer giggly.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool, preferably overnight.
Video
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Donna
I’m sorry, but you are dangerously misinformed regarding what is ‘healthy’ and you are spreading harmful misinformation. The most unhealthy component of sugar is fructose, the overconsumption of which is at the root of the epidemic of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Sugar, maple syrup, and honey are all heavy in fructose. Regular corn syrup (not to be confused with that abomination— high fructose corn syrup) has little if any fructose. So you are villainizing the one sweetener in the recipe that is least harmful and adding more harmful ingredients. Educate yourself before you try to teach others and end up doing harm…
Cindy
I made this pecan pie & my whole family loved it!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Louise
By the way, corn syrup isn't the same as "high-fructose" corn syrup, and you're right that the second is absolutely unhealthy. I grew up with Karo as a pantry staple, until I turned wary and did some research. Here's what I learned:
Corn syrup is glucose, the same kind of sugar as in blueberries, raisins, peaches, and honey(!). And unfortunately for corn syrup's reputation, it's also used to make high-fructose syrup. Roughly speaking, it's a kind of distillation process: you take sugars, add an enzyme, and out comes an intense version of what went in. In wine/beer/etc those enzymes produce alcohol, and in HFCS, they eat glucose and output fructose. Fortunately HFCS isn't available as a retail product, so we're not at risk (for the time being!) at accidentally getting it from our local grocery store.
All that said, there is a difference between Karo light, Karo dark, honey, or other fruit sugars. Karo light is corn syrup but it also has a little vanilla and a bit of salt. Karo dark is corn syrup with a bit of black strap molasses. And obviously honey's flavor depends on where the bees gather their pollen. That means if a recipe calls for one of them, you can substitute either of the other two and it'll still work, you just may find the flavor profile's shifted.
So no worries, you can put (regular) corn syrup back in your pantry.
Maida
The crust was more than needed for the recipe, but came out crispy and I'd use it again. The pie was not a crowd favorite, we decided to call it a "nut tart". The honey and orange flavor and consistency were "different", that's the word we all used, since it was far from the usual pecan pie experience. Learned that when honey melts, it doesn't end up making that rich gooey pecan pie filling that we're used to, and seemed like too many pecans since they were compacted together. I'd make it again with less pecans and less pie crust, and maybe a different flavor aside from orange. Fun experiment in the search for corn syrup-free pecan pie, thanks.
Lacey Baier
Hi Maida, I'm sorry to hear your experience with the pie wasn't what you had hoped for. I'm wondering if there was a difference in the honey and nuts used, since the recipe has made a gooey, balanced center for me several times. I get the orange zest being not a fan favorite if you're looking for a traditional pecan pie. Thanks for your feedback.
Ashleigh
What an amazing recipe! Can’t wait to try it. But I am curious. What is a comparable option to substitute for the wheat flour ingredient?
I am allergic to wheat.
And allergic to several things including sugar, so that’s how I stumbled across your recipe! So excited - I’ve discovered and saved several of your recipes. I think I’ll enjoy cooking again since being diagnosed with so many food allergies.
Jen Moderator
Hi Ashleigh, thank you for your comment! Is spelt flour off the table? It's in the same family as wheat. Have you tried almond flour? You might find this post useful when finding a substitute: The 9 Best Healthy Flour Substitutes - https://www.asweetpeachef.com/best-healthy-flour-substitutes/ - Jen
Lacey Baier
I'd recommend using gluten-free flour from Bob's Red Mill to ensure the right consistency for the pie. I hope you love it!
Carmen
Definitely not the usual flavor of Pecan Pie. We were looking forward to it after it was cooled and ready, but it's different. I love pecan pies... So if you are expecting to have the usual dessert, it is not the same. The whole wheat crust flavor and coconut oil, transform the whole pie. I am commenting here so people know what to expect when preparing the recipe.
Lacey Baier
Thanks for sharing your feedback on the pie -- I'm curious if you preferred the different flavors from the cleaner ingredients?
gmama
Great recipe! It's my first time making pecan pie. I hate store bought with disgusting smooshy stuff and little pecan. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you so much.
Lacey Baier
You're very welcome!!
Rossana Moreno
My boyfriend requested pecan pie for Christmas, and I'm not a fan of it but I saw your recipe and thought if I'm going to make it, at least lets try making a healthy version. Must say I absolutely loved this, it was so delicious, and I didn't feel horrible after eating it! My boyfriend said it was the best, so thank you. It will be a staple recipe for holidays!
Lacey Baier
Yay, I'm so happy you both loved it!!
Anna
This was so great, thank you!! I had to use regular flour as that’s all I had, but other than that followed it exactly. Nice to have healthy options. I loved the slight orange taste from the zest!
Lacey Baier
So glad to hear it turned out for you 🙂
Deniz
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit with my health-conscious but food-loving family! I will say, if anyone came here expecting this to turn out like a typical sugar-loaded gooey pecan pie, this is not the recipe for you. This pie is a lot less sweet, but has lovely flavors of pecan, orange, and cinnamon--almost giving it an apple feel! It's filling for sure, but not in an overly-sweet way, if that makes sense. It tastes like pecans, not sugar! I am keeping this one for years to come! Thank you, Lacey!
Lacey Baier
Deniz, I am so happy to read this. Thanks for the great review. I am so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Sandra
Do I need the orange zest for this recipe?
Tim
I looked for orange zest and couldn’t find it at the store. I don’t believe you really need it. Your pie will still be delicious without using the orange zest.
Jacqueline Kumar
You get orange zest but taking a gratern with very small holes and scraping the side of an orange so you get very small shavings of the peel. You use just the bright orange part, don't use shavings from the white part of the orange because it's bitter. The peel has natural oils in it that are very flavorful and wonderful for cooking.
Jacqueline Kumar
Grater*
Andie Williams
This recipe was a big hit with my Thanksgiving dinner guests/family members who don’t usually do their best to eat healthier food. We are close enough that they would let me know if they didn’t like something. But they loved it and asked to take some home. I should have made two!
Lacey Baier
Woot! What a big win! 🙂