These no-bake Collagen Pecan Pie Bars are everything your taste buds love about pecan pie, except the ingredients are low carb and high in fiber! These bars are the perfect combination of sweet, salty, crunchy and gooey. The best part about this recipe is that they are super easy to make and use only the good stuff - collagen peptides protein powder, coconut flour, almond milk, molasses, pecan butter and pecans - no eggs, and certainly no corn syrup required.
You will love these collagen pecan pie bars because they are:
Sweet: The thick, fudgy coconut flour base is topped with an irresistible caramelized pecan topping that will make your mouth water
Healthy: These bars are high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats. They are also gluten-free.
Protein-packed: The base of these bars is made with collagen protein powder to keep you energized and to keep you fuller longer
Crunchy: The pecans are quickly toasted in the microwave before they are added, so that the bars are perfectly crunchy in every bite.
Note: Collagen Peptides Protein Powder comes from animal products, so these bars aren’t vegan-friendly, but they are free of wheat, and thus suitable for people who are following gluten-free diets.
Ingredients used to make these Collagen Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Collagen Peptides - I used Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder for this recipe. You're welcome to substitute with other brands of collagen peptides, but I would not try substituting with other protein powders (i.e. whey, casein, pea, hemp, brown rice, egg protein, etc) since collagen behaves very differently from other types of protein powders and are not interchangeable.
- Coconut Flour - coconut flour is used to make the base of these protein bars and is what keep these bars firm and fudgy. Unfortunately, I haven't found other flours that can replace this ingredient, so substitute at your own risk!
- Granulated sugar of choice - I used granulated monk fruit sweetener which is sugar-free and keto friendly.
- Almond Milk - this is what's used to hold together the collagen peptides powder and coconut flour together. You can also use any milk of choice like oat milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, etc. Water also works, but it produces a blander flavor
- Molasses - for the best pecan pie flavor. You can also use maple syrup if you prefer.
- Pecans - chopped roughly
- Pecan Butter – this stuff is creamy, dense and full of the toasted pecan flavor that reminds me of fall. I do love pecan butter for this one but use any drippy nut butter you have in hand — almond butter, cashew butter, even natural peanut butter; they’ll all work nicely
Step by Step
How to Make Collagen Pecan Pie Bars
STEP 1
In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients for the crust (collagen powder, coconut flour and monk fruit sweetener).
Mix in almond milk, using your hands to knead and get the dough to stick together.
STEP 2
The dough is supposed to be very sticky, and will harden once it's cooled in the fridge. But if the dough is too soft you can add more coconut flour ½ Tbsp at a time.
STEP 3
Press the crust dough into a parchment-lined pan. Set aside.
STEP 4
In a microwave safe bowl, place pecans and microwave for 60 seconds. Stir and microwave for additional 45 seconds. Set aside to let the pecans cool to room temperature.
STEP 5
In another bowl, mix molasses with pecan butter.
Add water.
STEP 6
Stir in collagen powder, 1 scoop at a time.
STEP 7
Stir at least for a FULL 1 minute. At first, the mixture will seem grainy like wet sand, but the more you stir, the mixture will become smooth and stringy like caramel.
STEP 8
Stir in the chopped pecans until they are evenly coated in the collagen caramel mixture.
STEP 9
Pour the caramel coated pecans over the crust
STEP 10
Sprinkle with pecans, and cool in the freezer 2 hours, or until completely solid.
STEP 11
Slice into squares and enjoy!
STEP 12
For the best texture, keep the bars in the fridge or freezer until ready to eat.
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
- Instead of pecans, you can also use other nuts of choice - roasted almonds, walnuts, etc.
- Other non-collagen protein powders (Whey, Casein, Egg, Pea, Brown Rice Protein, etc. ) DO NOT work in this recipe. But other flavored collagen peptides powders will work. Try making these with Chocolate Collagen Peptides Powder, like this one. Or with Matcha Flavored Collagen Powder, like this one.
Substitution Notes
- Coconut flour is used to make the base of these protein bars and is what keep these bars firm and fudgy. Unfortunately, I haven't found other flours that can replace this ingredient, so substitute at your own risk!
- Other non-collagen protein powders (Whey, Casein, Egg, Pea, Brown Rice Protein, etc. ) DO NOT work in this recipe.
How to Store Pecan Pie Bars
- For the best texture, keep the Collagen Pecan Pie Bars in the freezer until ready to eat. Defrost at room temperature --they'll soften up in less than 10 minutes.
- They can also be kept in the fridge for up to 7 days, but the pecan layer will be softer
More Collagen Recipes (HERE)
Collagen Peptides Pecan Pie Bars (No-Bake)
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust Layer
- ¾ cup collagen peptides powder , see notes for conversions*
- ¾ cup coconut flour
- 3 Tbsp monkfruit sweetener , or granulated sugar of choice
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk , or water
Pecan Layer
- ¼ cup molasses , or maple syrup
- ¼ cup pecan butter , or other drippy nut butters like natural almond butter
- 1 Tbsp water
- ½ cup collagen peptides powder
- 1 ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Crust Layer
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients for the crust (collagen powder, coconut flour and monk fruit sweetener).
- Mix in almond milk, using your hands to knead and get the dough to stick together.Note: The dough is supposed to be very sticky, and will harden once it's cooled in the fridge.
- Press the crust dough into a parchment lined pan. Set aside.
Pecan Layer
- In a microwave safe bowl, place pecans and microwave for 60 seconds. Stir and microwave for additional 45 seconds. Set aside to let the pecans cool to room temperature.
- In another bowl, mix molasses with pecan butter.
- Add water.
- Stir in collagen powder.
- Stir at least for a FULL 1 minute. At first, the mixture will seem grainy like wet sand, but the more you stir, the mixture will become smooth and stringy like caramel.
- Stir in the chopped pecans until they are evenly coated in the collagen caramel mixture.
- Pour the caramel coated pecans over the crust, and cool in the freezer 2 hours, or until completely solid.
- Slice into 6 squares and enjoy!
- These bars are best stored in the fridge and eaten within 7 days. For longer storage, you can freeze these bars in airtight containers or tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.
CJ says
The thing about the monk fruit sweetener....is that added ingredient erythritol does cause cancer....pure monk fruit might be best to use....otherwise saying it is organic or non gmo is very misleading....other pure sweeteners are available....
All Purpose Veggies says
Hi CJ, thank you for raising your concerns about the sweetener used in the recipe! It's important to consider different viewpoints when it comes to ingredients, and I think it would also be great for others to know there are pure sweetener options that they can try if they are not comfortable using artificial/sugarfree sweeteners like monk fruit sweetener and erythritol. If you prefer to avoid erythritol or have concerns about it, coconut sugar and date sugar make excellent substitutes in this recipe. Happy baking!