Pecan pie is usually off-limits to me: it’s full of corn syrup, which nutritionally speaking is a recipe for disaster. These Pecan Pie Squares, served warm, have the same rich, nutty taste with a fraction of the fat and no refined sugars.

　　

Ingredients

makes 16 (2-inch) bars

　　

CRUST

1/2 cup unsalted butter or nonhydrogenated butter substitute, melted

　　1 cup sprouted spelt flour

　　1/2 teaspoon baking soda

　　Pinch of sea salt

　　3 tablespoons light agave nectar

　　

TOPPING

1 1/4 cups amber agave nectar

　　2 large eggs, beaten

　　1/4 teaspoon sea salt

　　3 tablespoons unsalted butter or non-hydrogenated butter substitute, melted

　　1/2 cup pecans, ground to a meal in a food processor

　　1/2 cup pecan halves

　　2 teaspoons vanilla extract

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1 1/2 tablespoons sprouted spelt flour

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with canola oil spray.

　　

Step 2

To make the crust, mix all the crust ingredients together in a bowl with your fingers and press into the prepared pan. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, to make the topping, whisk all the topping ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended. Spread evenly over the prepared crust. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, until firm. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into squares.

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.