SCD Butter Pecan Squares

A sweet, slightly crunchy Graham-cracker-like snack for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)! These butter pecan squares are an ideal healthier snack recipe…

A Healthy SCD Snack Recipe

These little butter pecan squares are perfect for a fun SCD snack to grab and go for busy weeks. This sweet nutty snack has the texture of a crunchy cookie (think crunchy Chips Ahoy…) which is SO perfect for dipping, eating with a mug of coffee, or honestly just on their own!

Finding good pre-packaged snacks made with minimally processed, SCD-legal ingredients is tough. The few that I’ve been able to find on the market are good, but super expensive. Even with that, they are also typically made with at least one ingredient that I would classify as a potential issue. For example, a lot of grain-free snack brands “make up” for the added costs of using almond flour, coconut flour, honey, etc. by using inflammatory seed oils or trace amounts of tapioca/potato starch. Although there are definitely a few companies out there that do it right, the expense of purchasing those products every week can add up to be a significant cost for a grad school student!

Using Pecan Flour

I first discovered pecan flour two years ago when I first started following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) to help manage my ulcerative colitis symptoms. The SCD focuses on eliminating specific carbohydrates that are known to be potential causes of inflammation in people with autoimmune diseases. Nuts, unprocessed meat, aged cheeses, eggs, fruits, and vegetables have been my go-to food groups ever since I was diagnosed.

• “One Year with UC: My Story”

• “What is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet?“

Pecan flour acts a lot like almond flour does, but it has a darker appearance and more of a pronounced pecan flavor. Almond flour is incredibly neutral while pecan flour definitely is a little more assertive in its flavor contribution in recipes. While this can sometimes be a negative characteristic of pecan flour due to its lack of potential versatility, pecan flour is incredible for recipes like this one- where you want a pecan flavor punch!

Butter pecan ice cream was always a favorite of mine growing up. Naturally, I simply HAD to create a healthier, SCD snack inspired by this favorite dessert of mine. These butter pecan squares have a hint of sweetness from honey (one of the only SCD-legal sweeteners) and the perfect buttery crunch!

I love dipping butter pecan squares in some of my cashew-based dips & SCD-friendly sauces!

• SCD Cinnamon Roll Cashew Dip (Shown Below!)
• Watermelon Seed “Everything” Sauce
• SCD Mediterranean Cashew Dip

How to Make Dairy Free:

Although butter is considered “legal” on the SCD since it doesn’t contain any significant amount of lactose, many people sensitive to dairy still choose to avoid it. Butter has also gotten a bad rap in the past during the “avoid saturated fats at all costs” phase of the health world. Although its reputation is much better now with the Keto movement being so popular, there is still a large dairy-free community out there.

If you have to avoid dairy products, replacing the butter with an equal amount of coconut oil works just as well. Although the “butter” flavor might not be there, you’ll still be able to achieve the same buttery crunch with coconut oil.

TIP: Using unrefined coconut oil will result in a slight coconut flavor in these pecan squares. If you want to avoid this, look for refined coconut oil.

How to Make Butter Pecan Squares

Step 1: Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir well until a thick dough forms.

Step 2: Press the dough evenly into a lightly greased 9×9″ glass pan. It should be about 1/4″ thick.

Step 3: Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges are golden-brown. Use a sharp knife to cut it into about 36 squares. Let cool completely before removing from the pan.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months.

What You’ll Need:

More of My Favorite SCD Snacks:

• Caramel Almond Squares (No-Bake)
• Cheesy Strawberry Biscuits (Small Batch)
• Pumpkin Seed Collagen Bars
• Air Fried Cinnamon Sugar Bread Bites
• Blueberry Marble Mug Cake

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