These Pecan Pie Bites are the perfect sweet treat: dates lend a sweet caramel note, pecans provide that nutty crunch and sustaining energy, and the molasses and sea salt round out the bites for flavor. You can’t beat 4 ingredients!
Thanksgiving has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean I can’t share another Thanksgiving inspired recipe. The flavors of pecan pie are good any time of year, and this bite-sized version is healthified for a quick snack any time of day!
While I have eaten them on the go to the gym or after work, I also love having one with a cup of coffee for snack, and they made an appearance at our Thanksgiving dessert spread.
- 2 cups pitted dates
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Remove the pits from the dates (if dates are extremely dried out and not squishy, soak them in warm water for 20 minutes and drain before continuing with the recipe). I use Deglet dates which have a honey-like taste.
- Chop pecans if not already chopped.
- Measure the dates and blend them in a food processor until a paste has formed (about 1 minute).
- Add pecans, molasses, and salt, and process until the mixture is well combined (about 30 seconds).
- Wet your hands and form small balls (~1.5" in diameter) with the mixture, setting them on a baking sheet or in a plastic container as you go. I was able to make about 20 bites from the recipe but this will depend on the size.
- Store the bites in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat.
Having snacks like this on hand this past week have kept me sane during long days of working on this new house: painting, running around, and eating out. I didn’t mean to fall off the blogging bandwagon last week, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t get around to sharing all the recipes I planned to this month.
I secretly loved a lot of aspects of this weekend and last weekend: forgetting about catching the light to photograph recipes, not skipping out on things because of self-imposed deadlines, and not having to run to the grocery store for specific ingredients. Blogging is harder in the winter because of the dark evenings, but it has forced me once again to refocus on balance and not trying to do it all.
I love that I can still share this recipe with you, even though it’s after the traditional pecan pie holiday and I shot these photos weeks ago.
I know some of you will be happy to have these bites during the holidays as a healthy option to bring to cookie swaps, holiday parties, and snacks for busy weekends!
Let’s make this week tasty. Happy Monday!
Marisa
Alanna says
Yum!! I would much rather have these than the actual pecan pie 😉
Marisa says
Ditto! No corn syrup needed to enjoy the taste of pecans!
Selena @ The Nutritious Kitchen says
Love how easy the ingredients are! This is so my kind of recipe and would be perfect this week to get me through finals!
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
THAT CONTAINER–I want. That container+these bites=perfection. I love pecan pie and sadly my family doesn’t make any for Thanksgiving. ughhhh…craving it now.
Marisa says
I love all my Le Creuset items 🙂 These little baking dishes are pretty reasonably priced! RE: Pecan Pie Bites – make some to snack on!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
These look insanely good! My only problem with them is that I wouldn’t be able to control myself from eating the whole batch!
Marisa says
I pop one in my mouth and walk away 😉
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
I LOVE snack balls! These pecan pie bites wouldn’t last long over here!
Jennifer @Nourished Simply says
These look awesome. Love pecan pie!
Marisa says
Thanks Jennifer!