No Bake Vegan Pecan Pie Bars (Gluten Free)
These no bake vegan pecan pie bars are caramelly, salty and oh so sweet! Made with a caramel, nut base these bars are gluten free, refined sugar free, dairy free and made with almost all whole foods! No bake nut based desserts are my absolute fav! They leave you feeling so full and satisfied unlike other desserts made with refined carbs and sugars! These gf pecan pie bars are the perfect easy dessert and you can even store them in the freezer so you always have a healthier dessert option on hand!
What ingredients do I need for my vegan pecan pie bars?
- Rolled Oats
- Almonds
- Maple Syrup
- Cinnamon
- Himalayan Salt
- Medjool Dates
- Vanilla
- Water
- Pecans
How to make vegan pecan pie bars
What makes these vegan pecan pie bars easy to make is the fact that they require no baking! All you need to make them is a high speed blender and a baking dish. I swear by my Vitamix (it pulverizes literally anything) and I used an 8×8 square pan, but you can use another size if you like!
The Crust: To make the crust add your oats, almonds, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt to your blender. Pulse until the nuts are broken up into small pieces, but not completely ground into powder. You want to have some texture for the crust! Then add the crust mix to a greased or lined 8×8 baking dish and pat down with your hands to form the crust.
Making the Date Caramel: Making the caramel layer is just as easy! Add your dates, water, vanilla and salt to the same blender (no need to wash the blender) and blend until smooth. It does not have to be completely smooth, just smooth enough that it is spreadable. Add your date caramel on top of the crust and spread out with the back of a spoon.
Pecan it up: The last step is to add some roughly chopped pecans on top of the caramel layer. Pat them down into the caramel with your hands so they don’t fall off.
Freeze: Let your vegan pecan bars chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up, otherwise the caramel will be too soft and mushy. Store in the freezer and take them out 10 minutes before you would like to eat them.
What makes these pecan bars healthier
This vegan gluten free pecan bars are a much healthier alternative to traditional pecan bars which are usually loaded with refined sugar and high fat dairy products such as butter. These bars are made with mostly whole foods (all except for the maple syrup), are high in fiber and loaded with healthy fats. This type of desserts will keep you full for much longer and feeling satisfied for hours!
Will my non vegan friends and family like these
Absolutely! These bars are so sweet and addictive no one will care that they are vegan, trust me! The caramel date layer is so sweet and delicious you can even eat it as a spread! The date layer is basically a thick date paste, which is a spread that you can use to sweeten oats, sauces, and more. I have a recipe for date paste here and every soul I have given it to could not get enough!! And that my friends is the filling of our bars… need I say more?
How to store your vegan pecan pie bars
One of the best thing about these bars is that you store them in the freezer! Take them out 10 minutes before you want to eat them so they have time to slightly defrost. Keeping them in the freezer helps the date caramel layer remain firm so the bars retain their shape. You can keep them in the freezer for months so you always have a healthy dessert on hand or keep them in the fridge for a softer texture for up to 2 weeks.
Some tips from Steph
Choose gooey dates: Make sure your dates are nice and ooey gooey and not dry! This will really affect the texture of the bars and make it very hard to blend. If your dates are dry soak them in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, strain, then blend without adding additional water.
Grain Free/Keto Version: To make these bars grain free omit the oats and sub for extra almonds.
Switch up the sweetener: I love using maple syrup for this recipe but you can also use any other liquid sweetener such as agave!
More dessert recipes you will love
- Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake (no bake)
- Vegan Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake (no bake)
- Easy 4 Ingredient Date Snickers
- Caramel Date Paste
- Edible Brownie Batter Cookie Dough
- High Protein Vegan Chocolate Pudding
Did you make this recipe? I would love to see! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @that.veganbabe and leave a comment or review!
No Bake Vegan Pecan Pie Bars (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cups Rolled Oats
- 1 cup Almonds
- 6 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
For the Filling
- 400 g Medjool Dates
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Make your crust by adding all the ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor. Pulse until the almonds have broken up into small pieces. Do not over blend as you want some texture in the crust.
- Add the crust mix into a greased or lined 8×8 pan and press down with your hands.
- To make the date caramel filling add all ingredients into the blender (no need to rinse) and blend until mostly smooth. Leaving some chunks are okay, as long as the date caramel is spreadable.
- Add the date caramel on top of the crust in your 8×8 pan and spread evenly with the back of a spoon.
- Roughly chop your pecans then spread them out evenly on top of the caramel date layer. Push the pecans in with your hands so they do not fall out.
- Freeze for at least 30 minutes then slice up and serve.
- Store your pecan bars in the freezer and take them out 10-15 minutes before you want to eat them!