I made two pies for Thanksgiving: Sweet Potato + Butternut Squash Pie on the left, and Pecan Pie on the right. Pecan Pie was a first for me. It was surprisingly easy and was a smashing success. (The other pie was okay, but slightly undercooked, despite lengthening the cook time by 50%). The Pecan Pie flavor is light, fresh and not sticky sweet because it doesn’t use any corn syrup. It’s a recipe I adapted from Elaine Helms at All Recipes. You can make it dairy free!

Pecan Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or butter), melted
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Rice Milk or Almond Milk (or cow’s milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup chopped pecans, as fresh as you can find

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy (about 5 minutes). Then stir in melted Earth Balance.
   
3. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well.
   
4. Last add the milk, vanilla and nuts.
5. Pour into an unbaked 9-in pie shell. (I like to use a dairy-free whole wheat pie shell by Wholly Wholesome. You can find it at health food stores in the frozen section.)
6. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400°, then reduce temperature to 350° and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until done.