Do you love pecan pie, but don’t make it very often due to the time it would take to make the crust, prepare the filling, and bake it? Problem solved! Enter these Simple Fresh Milled Gooey Maple Pecan Squares that you can whip up in a matter of minutes!

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I love trees. The strength, stability, and security they embody just speaks to my soul! I grew up in Wisconsin. Great, glorious giant maples surrounded the place where I spent the majority of my childhood. Hours upon hours were spent playing beneath them. In the Spring, the grass beneath them grew soft and lush. Great leafy limbs provided refreshing shade in the Summer. Autumn gilded them in gold, and a few weeks later, heaps of fallen leaves made for great entertainment! In slipped Winter with blankets of snowy drifts, while the maples stood round and watched families of snow people appear and little cheeks turn rosy.

In time, my brothers grew up a bit, and a redneck operation of extracting sap began. This process included plastic drinking straws, emptied vinegar jugs or ice cream pails, and an outdoor propane cooker. The sky is the limit to young imaginations! And I will say, that was the best maple syrup we’d ever tasted.

Now I live in South Georgia… far, far away from my childhood roots. A grove of weathered, grandfatherly pecan trees stand sentry around our little mobile home. Pecan orchards are a common sight around here, and a big part of the community and culture.

Easy as pie. Except easier.

You probably know where I’m going with this! These gooey Maple Pecan Squares are the perfect culmination of my past and present. Probably similar to you, my grandma is the queen of pecan pies. Maybe it’s just my experience, but it kinda seems like pies are a grandma qualification. Because very few family gatherings are complete without a pecan pie for at least one meal!

I don’t know why, but pies usually feel a bit overwhelming to me. It’s just a whole process, and they aren’t a good last minute addition to a meal. That’s why I love this recipe, and think that your family will too! They hold the perfect amount of nostalgia… essentially the same texture, flavor, and goodness found in a pecan pie, but a much more efficient and simple way to make them.

Better yet, you can serve these to your family guilt free! I may or may not be guilty of eating a couple for breakfast along with my coffee.

What you need to make this recipe.

Fresh milled soft wheat flour- I used spelt for this recipe, as the nutty undertones pair perfectly with pecans, but any soft wheat will do. Click here if you want to learn more about why I use fresh milled flour.
Butter
Cane sugar– I use the Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar
Vanilla Extract– The Mexican vanilla is the best!
Salt
Eggs
Brown sugar- Did you know you can make your own brown sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoons of unsulfured blackstrap molasses to 1 cup white sugar? I make my own with cane sugar and it is amazing!
Pure Maple syrup
Chopped pecans

Corn syrup would be found in a traditional pecan pie recipe, but maple syrup creates the same sticky sweetness that makes pecan pie what it is. Not to mention that it’s much better for you, and, in my opinion, much superior in taste! Maple syrup is rich in antioxidants, full of essential minerals, supports immune function, and contains prebiotics! And if you need even more reasons to try this out on your family, pecans are a great source of healthy fats, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals.

How to make Maple Pecan Squares

Preheat your oven to 350º F. While the oven is preheating, mix together the crust ingredients and press into the bottom of a glass 9″x13″ pan. Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, heavy cream, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Then add in the flour and sugar, whisking until fully combined. Stir in pecans.

When the crust is finished, remove from the oven and pour filling over the hot crust.

Return to the oven and bake for another 30-35 minutes, until the center is set.

Allow to cool before cutting. The cooling process lets the crust settle on to the bottom, otherwise you’ll have a sticky, gooey (though delicious!) mess.

Last and final step, make yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy!!