Caramel Pecan Pie

Dietary Info: Refined Sugar Free

Ingredient Hotspot: Pecans

This recipe was inspired when a local organic farm, Five Serves Produce, had a stall of fresh, organic pecans for sale on the side of the road. I bought 2 kg! As I drove home, I began to think; what on earth am i going to do with 2 kg of pecans?! A pecan pie came to mind, but I knew they were normally laden with refined sugars. So I set out to develop a recipe without all the refined sugars, but was equally delicious. Pecans are overwhelmingly good for you, because of the high levels of the heart-health promoting monounsaturated fatty acid: oleic acid. In fact, oleic acid makes up almost 70% of a pecan! (1) Pecans also contain high amounts of plant sterols, which are known for their cholesterol-lowering properties! (1) They are an excellent source of Vitamin B1, B3, B5 and Vitamin E. It gives you 71% of your daily recommended intake for manganese, and almost 40% of your daily copper requirements! (1) They provide a lot of energy, so are perfect as an afternoon pick-me-up snack.

Reference:

(1) Murray, M., Pizzorno, J. & Pizzorno, L. (2006). The encyclopaedia of healing foods. Great Britain: Time Warner Books.