If you’re looking for a little inspiration for good-for-you Thanksgiving dessert, Ben McLauchlin of Swerve has you covered with this chocolate-y spin on traditional pecan pie. Added bonus: They’re gluten-free, low-carb, and a surprise source of antioxidants, thanks to the pecans and the unsweetened chocolate.
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Makes 30 servings
Ingredients:
Shortbread Crust:
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1¾ cup almond flour
- ½ cup butter (cold) or coconut oil (out of jar)
- ½ cup Swerve, Confectioners
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2-4 tablespoons cold water
Chocolate Ganache:
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- ¼ cup Swerve, Confectioners
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon sour cream
Pecan Pie Filling:
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¾ cup brown Swerve (1 tablespoon molasses with ¾ Swerve, Granular
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
- 1½ teaspoon tapioca flour
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup toasted pecan halves
Instructions:
Toasted Pecans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on rimmed cookie sheet, and toast for 5-7 minutes. They should be aromatic, but not burned. Remove from oven and set aside.
Shortbread Crust: Reduce oven to 325°F. Excessively grease a 9 X 13 pan (if you skimp on this step, the shortbread will stick to the pan). In a medium mixing bowl or food processor, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, Swerve, and Salt together. Cut cold butter into small pieces or squares. Pulse in a food processor, or press into dry mixture with a fork until it looks like corn meal (it is okay to have some chunks of butter in your mixture- this is shortbread). Add 2-4 tablespoons of cold water to the mixture- it should begin to loosely combine. Press dough evenly into greased 9 X 13 dish. Bake for 25- 30 minutes, until edges are brown, and parts of the shortbread surface lightly browns. Remove from oven, and let cool.
Chocolate Ganache: While shortbread is cooking, make the ganache. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the chocolate, heavy cream, Swerve and sour cream. Whisk the mixture continuously until ganache is smooth and warm. Set aside.
Pecan Pie Filling: Once shortbread is out of oven and cooling, heat oven back to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl with a whisk, mix Brown Swerve and eggs until creamy. Add the chopped pecans, melted butter, tapioca starch, and vanilla extract, and stir to combine.
To Assemble the Bars: Spread ganache across cooled shortbread crust. Evenly scatter pecan halves on the ganache and gently spread pecan pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until top of pie bars are brown. Let cool to room temperature and serve or you can cut them warm – they just won’t hold together as well, but they are still yummy!
Per serving: 160 calories, 16 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat (mostly plant-based, if use coconut oil), 45 mg sodium, 12.6 grams carbohydrate (1.2 grams net carbs), 3 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar (less than 0.5 grams added sugar, 3 grams protein.
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Swerve Giveaway: http://gvwy.io/dgm22zy
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