Britney Lee: Gluten Free Pecan Bites {Foodie Friday}

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Brittney Lee of Razorback Britt 

A couple of years ago, my mom went gluten free.  She isn’t allergic to gluten, but she found that gluten aggravated some of her pre-existing medical conditions, so she cut it out. Gluten is typically found in most baked goods, as flour contains gluten. While there are gluten free flours, they behave differently when cooking. So for the first year or so, we had difficulty replacing some of mom’s favorite foods with gluten free alternatives. We struggled to adjust to the gluten free lifestyle, especially when it came to holiday cooking.  

Thankfully, over the years we have discovered some delicious gluten free dishes to add to our holiday table. We have found a cornbread mix that makes great cornbread stuffing.  And our local health food carries a wonderful gluten free baguette that pairs wonderfully with our cranberry cheese dip. And we’ve adjusted our chicken and wild rice casserole recipe to be gluten free. But one dish was the thorn in my holiday baking side: pie.  

My mom loves pecan pie, and we hadn’t found a gluten free pie crust either ready-made or homemade that was perfect for pecan pie.  Either the crust turned out too fluffy like a puffed pastry, or it was more of a graham cracker crust.  Nothing seemed right for the pecan pie. I wanted so badly to recreate the pecan pie flavor for mom.

I ditched the pie idea and went for something that hit the right flavor notes instead.  These gluten free pecan pie bites hit the spot!  They are sweet, have the traditional flavors of pecan pie, and are actually pretty healthy! You won’t feel guilty indulging in them all holiday season long! 

gluten free pecan pie bites

In my recipe, I used corn syrup to bump up the traditional pecan pie taste.  Every pecan pie I’ve ever made used corn syrup, so that’s what I used here.  If you want an alternative, you could try another liquid sweetener like maple syrup, molasses, or honey. The point here is for the liquid to be a sweetener and binder. The mixture needs to be sticky enough to hold together in a ball.

pecan pie mixture in processor

Even if you aren’t gluten free, these are an easy treat to make that your family and friends will love.  They make great snacks or party food! For a twist, you could drizzle them with chocolate to mimic the flavors in a chocolate pecan pie. They are beautiful stacked in a bowl or spread them out on a platter with fun party picks. Or eat them right off the pan. That’s what I do!

make pecan pie bites

 

 

Adapted from this recipe

brittney lee headshot

 

Getting to Know Your ARWB Foodies
 
 What food reminds you of childhood? 
 My mom’s porcupine meatballs. Mom didn’t home cook a lot (and these DO have rice-a-roni and jarred gravy in them, so it’s not exactly home cooking) but it always felt like a meal she put a lot of love into. And it was delish! http://www.razorbackbritt.com/favorite-meal-moms-porcupine-meatballs/
 
 What is your favorite international cuisine?
 Mexican! I could eat salsa by the jar. I like the spicy, creamy, smoky flavors together. I also like that I can lighten up the restaurant versions at home with lighter ingredients.
 
What is always in your refrigerator at home?
Liquid egg whites. Easy and healthy to whip up for any meal. I usually do mine with cheese and a little green onion. 
 
What is your go-to ingredients that you use time and time again?
The Cafe 1217 Cookbook from Cafe 1217 in Hot Springs. I cook the gingerbread muffins several times a year. 
 
Do you have a favorite food indulgence?
 Queso with chorizo. As if queso isn’t indulgent enough, let’s add some sausage and dip it with fried tortillas. 

What is your most used cookbook?
 The Cafe 1217 Cookbook from Cafe 1217 in Hot Springs. I cook the gingerbread muffins several times a year. 

What is your favorite kitchen gadget?
My slow cooker! I use it at least twice a week. I make soups, stews, roasts, and just about anything in the crock pot. 
 
What is your favorite food meal to cook at home? 
I love to cook steaks and potatoes. A nice steak with some garlic, and top it with blue cheese at the very end of the broil. A side of potatoes roasted with some garlic, herbs, and Parmesan cheese. 
What is your favorite go-to ingredients you use time and time again?
 Canned fire-roasted tomatoes. An easy way to add to the depth of flavor in my crock pot recipes.
 
What is a cooking tip that you would like to share with beginning cooks?
 Learn what you don’t know! Don’t be too scared. We all start somewhere. Watch the Food Network, watch Youtube videos, read blogs. Learn about common flavor combinations and kitchen skills. My mom wasn’t a cook, but I learned by watching the Food Network a lot as a teen. I would watch, print out the recipe, and play with it. I would add this, take out that (especially for spices or ingredients we didn’t have or I’d never heard of)…and figure it out. Don’t know how to cook an artichoke? Watch a Youtube video and buy an artichoke. Give it a try!
 
When you’re not cooking, what are your favorite pastimes?
 I enjoy Zumba, walking my dogs, and reading. I try to stay active so I can enjoy treats in moderation.

What else would you like us to know about you?
 I’m a foodie who loves to try new things. If it’s funky and on the menu, I’m ordering it. Hamburger with peanut butter? Delish. Pizza with pears. Awesome. I’m not afraid to try most anything once. Except rocky mountain oysters. I have no interest in trying those!
 
Brittney is a native Arkansan with a love for bright lights and big city. She often escapes her 20-acre home in a small town to shop, eat and catch a concert in the big city nearby. She blogs about her life, her faith, her adventures, her dogs and her country home at Razorback Britt.
 

4 comments

  1. Peggy says:

    I am going to make these! They sound yummy! I had a GF friend stop by last night unexpectedly. I felt bad the only refreshment I could offer her was some browning guacamole and some grapes. What does that tell you about OUR diet?! Thanks for sharing.

  2. Kimberly Mitchell says:

    Yes! These sound amazing! I went gluten-free 2 years ago and the holidays are definitely a struggle – finding great recipes and feeling like you’re missing out on the holiday goodies. I’m so glad to find this. I also love pecan pie, really any pie, and I definitely miss that being GF.

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