BEST EVER LOW-CARB PECAN PIE

This low-carb version of classic pecan pie is virtually indistinguishable from a traditional pecan pie; a buttery, flaky crust filled with a luscious, gooey, fudgy, pecan filling. The trick to creating the signature gooey texture in this pie is not adding too many pecans, many traditional pies call for over 2 cups of pecans, which can cause a low sugar pie to become dry, one cup of pecans in this pie is more than enough to give exceptional pecan flavor, while still leaving the pie tasting like its full sugar counterpart. Elevate this silky pie with whipped cream and chopped pecans––no need for any additional desserts!

Makes: 10 SERVINGS

Prep Time: 25 MINUTES

Cooking Time: 50 MINUTES

ingredients

Crust

1 ½ cups (165 g) finely ground almond flour

3 tablespoons arrowroot powder

5 tablespoons (70 g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water

¼ teaspoon salt

Filling

For the syrup

1 cup (190 g) Sola sweetener

1 ½ sticks (170 g) unsalted butter

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 ml) water

1 ¼ teaspoons (3.5 g) powdered gelatin

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon maple flavoring

1 tablespoon molasses syrup (this is optional, and does add a small amount of sugar per serving but also adds exceptional flavor)

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

For the additional filling mixture

1 cup (110 g) chopped pecans

2 whole free-range eggs

2 free range egg yolks

Optional Garnish

Whipped cream and chopped pecans

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease a 9-inch, round pie pan with butter, and line with parchment paper.

2. Make the crust: place the almond flour, arrowroot, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until combined. Add the cold, cubed butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles pea-size crumbs. Add the egg white and water mixture and continue to pulse until you have a smooth batter.

3. Spoon the thick batter onto a sheet of parchment paper, and using a spoon, spread the mixture into a circle roughly the size of your pie dish. Place another sheet of parchment on top and place into the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.

4. Transfer the pastry circle from the freezer to the counter, and use a rolling pin to smooth out the dough.  Remove the top layer of parchment and flip the dough into the pie dish. Carefully peel off the second layer of parchment and press the dough into the dish. Trim the edges so the crust is even with the top of your dish. The pastry dough will soften quickly after it is removed from the freezer, so work fast for best results without cracks or tears. If the pastry has cracks, simply fill them in with excess dough.

5. Make the filling: firstly, prepare the syrup, place the water into a saucepan and sprinkle over the gelatin, leave for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to soften and bloom.  Add the remaining syrup ingredients and place the pan onto a medium heat, bring the mixture to a steady simmer, stirring constantly until the ingredients are combined. Cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes until syrupy and glossy. 

6. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl, leave the syrup to cool for 20 minutes, then add the whole eggs, egg yolks and chopped pecan, whisk well and pour into the pie crust.

7. Place the pie into the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes, when cooked the filling should have a slight wobble when the pan is shaken, but the mixture should not be runny.  If the mixture is still runny in the center, continue baking, checking every 5 minutes until the pie is cooked.

8. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool in the dish for 2 hours. After it is completely cooled, slide the entire pie out of the dish and decorate with whipped cream and chopped pecans.