This is one fabulously rich pecan pie. While this recipe replaces the traditional corn syrup with applesauce (a genius secret ingredient!), it is sure to please everyone’s taste buds.

30 min prep

12 servings 

8 ingredients 

Ingredients

  • 1 storebought whole wheat pie crust or 1 recipe whole wheat tart dough
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup applesauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups of chopped pecans, toasted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
  2. Roll out the tart dough to a ¼-inch thickness, and transfer to a 9-inch tart pan or pie dish. Poke tiny holes in the dough with a fork and cover with wax paper. Place dried beans on top of the wax paper to weigh down the dough. (This is known as “baking blind”, and prevents the dough from rising too much.)
  3. Bake the pie crust for about 20 minutes, or until the edges have turned brown and have started to shrink away from the sides of the pan. Remove the beans and wax paper.
  4. While crust is baking, combine the butter, brown sugar, applesauce and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Stir in the pecans and vanilla. Let it cool.
  5. Once the sugar mixture has cooled, slowly add in the eggs, whisking constantly. Then pour the mixture into the hot pie shell. Bake the pie for 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges of the filling are firm, but the center is still slightly loose.
Chef Tips: 

To prevent the edges of your pie crust from getting too dark in the oven, take it out halfway through the cooking time and put foil over the edges.

If you like to bake, keep a set of dried beans just to use for blind baking.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 

Calories: 313; Fat: 20g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: Carbohydrates: 32g; Sugar: 20g; Fiber: 2g; Protein: 5g; Sodium: 205mg

Registered Dietitian Approved
All our recipes are created by chefs and reviewed by our Registered Dietitian Kate Ueland, MS, RD, CSO, a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the  Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed.,  published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
This recipe was originally published on Cook for Your Life. It is used by permission.
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