Can you make pecan pie without eggs? This was my question when I realized I needed a quick pie for a school function and had everything on hand to make an egg free pecan pie. An egg free (should be egg-free, but I typed it without the hyphen thinking it might come up better in search) pecan pie didn't sound possible, but guess what? Pecan pie can be made without eggs and it is good! Here’s an egg-should-have-put-hyphen free pecan pie slice. I moved the old photo to the bottom.
The filling is relatively pale and has a strong vanilla-maple flavor. The thickener is flour and you can kind of taste the starch, but it isn’t too bad. I’d definitely make this again if I met someone with a recently diagnosed egg allergy who was sad about having to give up pecan pie.
Hopefully I can get a few more reviews when I go pick up thedish.
Recipe is from The Pecan store via their post on Bakespace, but I made a few adjustments. One being, I baked it in a 9-inch pie plate. I'm not sure it would really fit in an 8-inch, which is what the recipe calls for. I also didn't use vanilla bean or vanilla powder, but rather my everyday Mexican vanilla.
"No-Eggs" Egg Free Pecan Pie
1 9 inch pie shell, unbaked
1 stick (114 grams) butter
½ cup (65 grams) all purpose flour
½ cup maple syrup
1 ⅓ cup (230 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup very hot water
5 oz evaporated milk or heavy cream
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
Some giant (Mammoth) pecans for decoration
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch glass pie plate with crust.
In top of a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of boiling water (or just use a double boiler), melt the butter. Reduce heat slightly and add the flour – stir until smooth; add the maple syrup and sugar. Stir gently, then stir in the water. Continue heating for about a minute to dissolve some of the sugar. Remove the bowl from over the pot and mix in evaporated milk, salt and vanilla extract. Finally, stir in the pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell and arrange pecan halves around the rim if desired
Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.
Recipe
"No-Eggs" Egg Free Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie shell (pastry for a one crust pie) unbaked
- 1 stick salted butter (114 grams)
- ½ cup all purpose flour (65 grams)
- ½ cup maple syrup (160 grams)
- 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar (230 grams)
- ½ cup very hot water
- 5 oz evaporated milk or heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
- Some giant Mammoth pecans for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch glass (metal is fine too) pie plate with crust.
- In top of a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of boiling water (or just use a double boiler), melt the butter. Reduce heat slightly and add the flour – stir until smooth, then stir the mixture for about 5 minutes. Cooking the flour and butter a little longer reduces the starchy taste of the flour.
- Add the maple syrup and sugar. Stir gently, then stir in the water. Continue heating for about a minute to dissolve some of the sugar.
- Remove the bowl from over the pot and mix in evaporated milk, salt and vanilla extract. Finally, stir in the pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell and arrange pecan halves around the rim if desired
- Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean. Let cool for several hours before serving. Better yet, let cool and chill before slicing.
Anna
I just made this again and added a new photo. The filling does not separate. You do get the two different textures from the pecan layer and the custard layer, but the custard layer itself doesn't separate into two parts. I also tested with heavy cream in place of evaporated milk and liked the results even better! Filling is a little stiffer.
This is a recipe I should make more often, but since we don't have issues with eggs it's not a pie I make often. Going by reader comments, it's pretty versatile and you can even cut the sugar if you'd like. It is a sweet pie with the full 1 1/3 cups (230 grams), but not overly so.
Anna
Jess,
I take that back. I'm going to make it again right now! I have all the ingredients and a bake sale coming up, so I'll make the pie and give you a fresh report tomorrow. But from what I remember, it doesn't separate as much as some. It's a great pie for people who can't have eggs.
Another alternative to egg-free pecan pie is a batch of these Maple Pecan Pie Bars. https://www.cookiemadness.net/2010/01/12/maple-pecan-bars/. There's also a recipe for
Anna
Hi Jess!
Thanks for asking about the pie. It's been a while since I made this one, but from what I remember it has a thick vanilla layer (as in the photo) and the pecans are on top. I'll have to make it again soon to see if it divides into two very distinct layers like the Vinegar Pecan Pie. I'll add a note next time I make it. Hopefully I can do it this week.
Jess
Does this have a gooey layer on the bottom and the pecan layer on top? Or is it same consistency throughout ?
Anna
Debbie, thanks for the tip! I haven't made this one in a while, but the next time I will try your maple and cream version.
Debbie P
I’ve made this for years for hubs with egg allergy. I use 1 cup maple syrup (no other syrups, sugar or water) and 5 Oz heavy whipping cream instead of evaporated milk. It’s delicious!
Becca
Somehow I never saw that you responded to me, but it turned out really good actually.
Anna
Thanks for the tip! I'll try reducing the sugar as well. Over the years I'm finding most pecan pies too sweet.
E.R
I have made these multiple times over the years! Absolutely fantastic recipe. Only one note, I reduce the sugar to about 1 cup as it is too sweet for us.
Anna
Becca, good luck! I do hope you report back. I hope the low sugar corn syrup and brown sugar replacement work without the eggs. I'm not sure it will because I think the crystals in the brown sugar might help bind the pecans, so I'm really interested in hearing how yours turns out.
Becca
This is a lifesaver!! My grandpa is diabetic and I'm trying a low sugar version with trivia brown sugar replacement and some low sugar "corn syrup" I found at netrition, and half way through making the filling I realized my eggs have gone horribly bad!! Hopefully I can use some of your recipient to save this and I'll let you know how it turns out!!
nikkyPR
Ladies! Look up pecan pie recipe in Cooking Light.com I found a recipe using only 1/2 cup of pecans and instead using OATS!, and the mod's I do are no butter (at all) and add bourbon and use the best vanilla (Nielsen Masey). This pecan pie is fantabulous!!! Try it with a scoop of So Delicious Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (coconut milk based ice cream due to dairy allergies). THe pie has a LOT less fat, and the ice cream is the same as eating a light version of regular ice cream. I am trying the egg free tomorrow though.
Jennifer
Hi there, i have made your recipe of the pie 4 times since thanksgiving this year! its absolutely delicious. and the reason why i love your recipe is because my husband is allergic to eggs which stinks. and he LOVES pecan pie. when i saw your recipe, i was like this is perfect for him. HE LOVES IT! i have not shared anyone else your recipe because its soo good! thank you for your recipe. Merry Christmas!
Sonia
This is great, you know I've been trying to find recipes without eggs and milk (butter too) because of my allergies.
I can use margarine and soya milk, or goat butter and milk, but I've had troubles substituting the eggs.
Plus, I love pecans... so no doubt a must-try. However, what is evaporated milk? Might it be something like powder milk? I would have troubles in substituting it then...
I've been trying vegan recipes in the past few days but the only really good one was a shortcrust pastry fruit pie (I checked the name of the dictionary for this translation!) which I'll definitely make again.
snooky doodle
forgetting an order for a ckae is my nightmare. The pecan pie looks great and it s really interesting made without eggs. Great!
Katrina
I know it is still high in fat, I just like to tell myself things like that. 😉 If I ever make a pecan pie, believe me I would not be trying to see how I could cut fat and calories! ha
HeartofGlass
Anna, you are too cool--you almost forget to make one thing, so your answer is to make two!
It would be interesting to make low-calorie pecan pie--but other than radically changing the components of it (like making it crustless or using Splenda) I can't think of a way to do it!
Sue
I think that's really interesting! I hope someone gives you feedback.
I made your Easy and Good Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for my friend who hip surgery. He called today to tell me how much he enjoyed them and he doesn't remember having an oatmeal raisin cookie that good. He's not even sure that his mother's were that good! This is a big compliment and I thought I should pass it along to you since it's your recipe. Thanks!
Anna
Katrina, I think all pecan pie is high in fat. If you cut the eggs, you just replace the egg-fat calories with butter-fat calories. It all comes down to portion control.
Louise, this was yet another staff appreciation event -- specifically, a luncheon. We have staff appreciation things all year long, but at the end of the year the Staff Appreciation committee goes all out.
Yesterday the teachers went to lunch off campus and parent volunteers watched the classes. It was fun.
Louise
The pie looks really good. Didn't you just celebrate Staff Appreciation Day when you made Orange Cake? It seems to roll around really fast.
Katrina
Ooh, that looks good and without all the egg they're lower in fat (I know, pecans have tons of fat and the butter, but still.) One of my mom's favorite things is pecan pie!