My Faux Pecan Pie is a taste twin to the classic but safe for families who have someone with a nut allergy. Since I posted this recipe in 2011, I’ve received countless emails thanking me for helping families bring back this treasured holiday pie to the table for folks who have nut allergies. I’m so grateful that this recipe has proved to be helpful to families like that – nut allergies are nothing to play around with! The funny thing is, I didn’t develop this recipe because of that, though. I actually developed it because I felt pecans were just too expensive. I much prefer the unexpected outcome of helping families, though!

This is a fun recipe to feed people. At first glance, it looks like a pecan pie and folks usually don’t take a second glance before digging in for a bite and telling you how good it is. My husband’s exact words were “That is the BEST pecan pie I’ve ever tasted!”. Then I got to tell him it didn’t have any pecans in it.

A similar situation happened at my kid’s school when I took a few of these up there. One of the teachers came into the office talking about how good the pecan pie was and the secretary said “You mean the pecan less pecan pie?” she replied “Oh no, I got the one that had pecans in it…” ~snickers~ Of course, I hadn’t taken anything with pecans in it to the school.

This is a fabulous pie for those with nut allergies but that isn’t why I developed it, I actually didn’t even think about that until someone asked for the recipe, stating that they had a friend with allergies who would be excited to get pecan pie again! I developed it as a way of saving money. Have you seen the cost of pecans lately?

Right about now, making this pie with my recipe instead of pecans will save anywhere from five to seven dollars, depending on where you shop. Most folks I know can cook an entire supper for that amount of money!

So I guess there is a double bonus involved, but in hindsight having a faux pecan pie for those with nut allergies is a much greater purpose.

I have seen some varying recipes for faux pecan pie around the web. The most common one utilizing pinto beans in place of pecans. I have that on my list to try someday and I’ll probably do it, but I couldn’t bring myself to suggest you put pintos in your pie so I set about developing my own faux pecan pie.

I started with my Mother’s No Fail Pecan Pie recipe and then blended it a bit with that crust of my Strawberry Pretzel Salad (which is in my cookbook, but not on SouthernPlate.com). Everyone is always surprised that the crust isn’t made of pecans, so what a great inspiration to add to my pie! It took about seven pies to get the proportions and cooking time just right, because this pie really needs to be made as a deep dish but I’m finally ready to bring it to you today in it’s final form.

I’m gonna start this post out with a disclaimer that I’m sure is obvious to just about everyone reading this: Pecan pie is not a health food. It’s not supposed to be. A good pecan pie is gonna contain butter, sometimes lots of it. It will also have sugar in various forms, usually granulated and corn syrup. A good pecan pie is not for the faint of heart but it is the golden nugget of pies. Rich, buttery, delicious. Unlike any other. This Faux Pecan Pie lives up to all of those expectations.

If you’re on a diet, just have one or two bites and make sure you savor them, then be sure and make it again when you’re not on a diet anymore. If you have a family member or friend with a nut allergy, this would be a welcome treat for them at your holiday dinner! But I suggest not telling anyone it doesn’t have pecans until they eat it, mainly because it is fun seeing the look on their face :).

You’ll need: A Deep Dish Pie Crust, Light Corn Syrup, Butter, Pretzels, Sugar, Eggs, and Vanilla.

I recommend unsalted, real butter in this recipe. I also recommend not spelling “recommend” unless you have to because it is one of those annoying words to spell. I really think it needs two “c” ‘s but Websters never listens to me. ~sigh~

Note: If all you have is margarine or you just can’t afford butter, go for it. Trust me, I’ve been there! The pie will taste slightly different but t’ain’t nobody here gonna judge because we were raised better than that. ~Grin~

Following my recipe below, place the butter for the pie filling in a large bowl and microwave it until melted. Allow to cool.

Once slightly cooled butter and all other filling ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix together with a wire whisk. 

Here is our pie filling all mixed up. Ready for an action shot now?

Isn’t that pretty? Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. 

Like this. 

I know it looks yellow now but it will be that beautiful golden color once baked.

Now we need to crush our pretzels.

Place your pretzels in a gallon zipper bag and crush those puppies. They don’t have to be pulverized, just broke up kinda good.

Melt your butter for the topping (see recipe) and add in your tiny amount of sugar.

Add in pretzels and stir until coated well.

Sprinkle evenly over the top of your pie.

I know it will seem like a lot of pretzels but they sink down a bit as we cook, which is why I made this a deep dish pie. The first pie I tried wasn’t deep dish and it seemed like there was hardly any filling when the pretzels sunk down a little bit. This will come out in perfect proportions to the top crust and the filling.

Place pie plate on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for one hour, covering with foil after the first thirty minutes to prevent over browning.

Allow to cool completely before serving. 

Here is our finished pie.

This is a closer shot that shows the filling a little better (because I couldn’t pick which one I liked the most)

This post is dedicated to my sweet friend, Alyssa, and everyone else who has a nut allergy or love someone who does.

Don’t forget to add this pie to your holiday menu!

Ingredients

Filling

• 4 Eggs
• 1+ 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Deep Dish Pie Shell unbaked

Topping

• 1-1/2 cups crushed pretzels
• 3 Tablespoons butter melted
• 2 Tablespoons sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350.

• For Filling: Place first five ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix with wire whisk until well combined.

• Pour into pie shell.

• Combine all topping ingredients in medium bowl and stir well with a spoon to coat pretzels.

• Sprinkle topping evenly over pie.

• Bake in 350 oven for 1 hour, covering with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over browning.

• Allow to cool completely before serving. Can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in refrigerator.

Sara submitted a great quote on our Give A Penny Page that I think really puts you in the right frame of mind for dealing with life sometimes. We can’t just go out meekly with a weak smile and hope for a good day, we have to do it with Gusto!

“Tackle the world with a smile, and the world will tackle you back with more than one.”

Thank you Sara! Submit your quote by clicking here. 

Yum