(Gluten-Free) Almond Pecan Bars

 If you’re anything like me, then you don’t eat purely for sustenance.
Delicious food makes me happy and sometimes even changes my perspective on life.
Then there’s the social aspect of food: a rally point for being together, either in preparing and cooking, or in enjoying the meal.
Nothing brings family and friends together like great food, especially during the holidays.
It’s hard to remember a holiday that didn’t involve gathering around a table.
Holidays are about spending time with family, embracing a new year, exchanging thanks and gifts, but more importantly, it’s the time for yummy food.
That’s right you guys, if there’s any time to indulge, this is it.
Everyone’s baking and holiday sweets are practically thrown in your face.
So why fight it, when you can enjoy it.

When I was a child, Christmas meant — first: school break, second: presents, and third: Mom’s Pecan Shortbread Squares (also known as the calorie bomb.)
White flour, butter, sugar, pecans, more sugar, more butter, more pecans, more everything.
So delicious but you could easily run a marathon on a couple of those squares.

So I did what I do best: I "paleofied" it!
I present to you [drumroll please] my very own Almond Pecan Squares.
Just like mom’s, but better.
Almond flour, tons of pecans, and just the right amount of butter and sugar.
A delicious almond-pecan crust layered with a gooey maple syrup/honey/sugar caramel and loads of pecans.
Sweet, crunchy, messy, and oh-so-delicious. These bars are yummy and the perfect treat for pecan lovers.
What’s there not to love?

(Gluten-Free) Almond Pecan Bars                                                                                                    Print this recipe!
Adapted from mom’s recipe and DeliciousMeetsHealthy

Ingredients
Makes 24 bars

Crust

2 ½ cups almond flour
1 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1 cup finely ground pecans
½ teaspoon fine grain salt
½ cup butter, softened

Topping

¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup honey (pick one with a mild taste)
½ cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)
4 tablespoons milk (I used almond milk)
6 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon fine grain salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, allowing 2 inches to extend over the sides. Lightly grease it with melted butter. Set aside.
In a bowl mix almond flour, sugar, chopped pecans, and salt.
Add softened butter and using your hands mix until a mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Press mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
When the crust has cooled make the topping.
Combine in a saucepan (preferably with a thick bottom) maple syrup, honey, sugar, butter, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook for 1 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract and chopped pecans.
Pour pecan topping over cooled crust.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the topping bubbles.
Cool bars completely in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour.
Chill in the refrigerator for 1 further hour before cutting.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition facts

One bar yields 336 calories, 26 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of protein.