Pecan Pear Squares

MAKES: 20

PREP: 5 Min

COOK TIME: 25 Min

Would you believe that a handful of pecans (one ounce) contains only 4 grams of carbohydrates? Yup, pecans are so good for us that we can eat them as a snack or use them to top our salads, crust our fish, chicken, and pork, and even add 'em to our desserts, like these Pecan Pear Squares...guilt-free!

What You'll Need

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour*
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) light butter, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pears in light syrup, chopped, juice reserved
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

What to Do

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.*
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the flour, brown sugar, butter, reserved pear juice, egg substitute, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Stir in the chopped pears then pour the mixture into the baking dish; top with the chopped pecans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely then cut into squares and serve, or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Notes

*To make this a gluten-free recipe, substitute 1 cup gluten-free flour blend plus 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum; use extract with no added starch from a gluten-containing source; and nonstick cooking spray with no flour added.