These gluten free maple pecan bars are just what you need for the holidays! They have an almond flour shortbread crust and a nutty maple and pecan filling. These healthy pecan bars are not only gluten free, but dairy free, paleo and vegan as well!

I'm not much of a pie person, but I do love a good cookie bar, which is why I adore these gluten free maple pecan bars.

They have an almond flour shortbread crust and a tender maple and pecan filling. The crust is made in a mixing bowl and then pressed into a square pan. While the filling is cooked on the stovetop and then poured over the crust and baked.

These pecan bars are completely gluten free, dairy free, paleo AND vegan friendly - so great for most diets. They're the perfect alternative to a pecan pie!

Why You'll Love these Maple Pecan Bars

paleo and vegan friendly - made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about
gluten free and grain free - these bars have an almond flour crust and use tapioca starch to thicken the filling. So no cornstarch or wheat flour!
dairy free - made without butter or cream
lower in sugar than most pecan bar recipes - perfect if you're looking for a recipe that is lower in sugar but still tastes great.
refined sugar free - sweetened with maple syrup instead of corn syrup

Ingredients

The full recipe for these paleo pecan bars can be found in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need:

blanched almond flour - to make the shortbread crust.
tapioca starch - for both the crust and the filling. It helps with the texture of the crust and acts as a thickener for the filling. You can swap tapioca starch for arrowroot starch.
coconut oil - for making the crust. You can swap coconut oil for palm shortening, or butter if you aren't dairy free.
maple syrup - to sweeten the crust and the filling.
salt - enhances the flavors.
pecan pieces - you can either buy pecan pieces, or chop up whole pecans.
coconut cream - you'll need just the thick, white cream from a can of full fat coconut milk or coconut cream.
cinnamon - for flavor
vanilla extract - for flavor

Ingredients needed to make gluten free maple pecan bars.

How to Make Gluten Free Maple Pecan Bars

These pecan bars are super easy to make - you don't need any fancy equipment or obscure ingredients. Here are the steps:

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. (Double the recipe if you're using a larger pan.)

Make the Crust

Next, make the crust by combining all dry crust ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Then mix in the wet ingredients. The dough should be crumbly, but moist and easy to press together.
Firmly press the crust dough into the lined baking pan.

Make the Filling

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the pecans, tapioca starch, cinnamon and salt. Mix until well coated. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the coconut cream, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Cook the mixture on medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture should start to simmer after a few minutes and continue simmering. Don't bring it to a boil.
Next, pour the coated pecans into the saucepan and continue cooking on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. It's important to constantly stir the filling so that it doesn't burn. While cooking, the filling should thicken.
Pour the filling onto the crust. With a spatula, smooth out the filling so that it reaches the edges of the pan in a smooth, even layer.

How to make the pecan filling and assemble bars.

Bake

Place the bars in your preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cool

Lastly, remove the pecan bars from the oven and cool them to room temperature in the baking dish. I recommend chilling them overnight prior to cutting so that they can fully set. After chilling, the bars are easier to cut.

Storage

These gluten free maple pecan bars are best stored in the fridge or freezer. I actually REALLY like them frozen. They don't turn out rock solid, but completely edible.

Place the bars in an airtight container or baggie. They will last well up to two weeks in the fridge or three months in the freezer.

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