Pecan Torte
I love pecan pie but it’s typically made with lots of sugar and is very sweet. I’ve made a healthier version of this old favourite using dates and a bit of maple syrup for sweetness. The crust is made from almond flour so this version is also naturally gluten-free. The intense flavour and crunchy texture of this torte comes from the maple syrup, vanilla, butter and tons of chopped pecans that will satisfy the most discriminating sweet tooth. Eat it on it’s own or with ice cream.
Ingredients
Crust
Filling
Instructions
  1. Crust
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Line a round cake baking pan with parchment paper – You can also use an 8 x 8 baking pan and serve these as squares.
  4. Add all the crust ingredients in a medium bowl and mix together until all combined.
  5. Press into the bottom of the baking pan and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
  6. Remove from oven and let cool.
Filling
  1. Mix all the filling ingredients except the chopped pecans In a large bowl and whisk until all combined.
  2. Fold in the chopped pecans until all combined.
  3. Pour the filling evenly over the prepared crust and smoothen the top.
  4. Bake the torte for 30 – 35 minutes at 350 degrees until all set.
  5. Remove from oven and cool. Cut into slices and serve. Top with drizzled chocolate, fruit, whipped cream, you pick!
  6. * I made the date butter in my blender using 2 cups of medjool dates and 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon of water. Blended them until it became a smooth paste. You can also use a food processor if you prefer, just process them until very smooth. This will yield approximately 1 1/2 cups of date butter. Store the remaining date butter in a tightly sealed container in your fridge (it can be used anywhere you use sugar: on toast, in coffee/tea, in baking etc). You can use your date butter in many ways but one of the best is as a sugar substitute in baking. It can also be spread on toast, used in sauces and added it to nut milk or coffee. It’s an easy swap in virtually anything sweet.