Vegan Pecan Pie

Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl and sift together.
Then, add the cold & cubed vegan butter to the bowl. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a coarse & crumbly dough.
Next, add in the ice water. I recommend starting with 3 Tablespoons and adding the remaining water ½ Tablespoon at a time as needed if the dough is too dry. For my pie, 3 Tablespoons of water was the perfect amount.
Once the water is added, mix until the dough clumps together. It should not be crumbly or overly sticky but should be easy to press together when it is done.
Remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a ball. Then, press it into a flat circular disk and wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper.
Add the dough to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight. Letting the dough chill in the fridge allows the layers of butter to firm up and is crucial for a flaky vegan pie dough!

Remove the dough from the fridge and let it soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes.
Gently tap the dough disc with a rolling pin to loosen it. Then, remove the plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. You can do this with a well-floured rolling pin or between two sheets of parchment paper to remove the need for any extra flour.
Carefully transfer the pie crust to a 9 or 10-inch pie dish. Then, gently press the pie crust all around the dish, trimming off any excess and replacing any spots that need repair.
At this point, you can style the pie crust edges as you see fit (by fluting them or crimping them). You should also dock the pie with a fork along the bottom and sides of the crust. This makes it so the pie does not puff up too much in the oven while par-baking.
Crumple up a sheet of parchment paper and add it to the pie dish so it covers the crust. Then, fill with pie weights, beans, or sugar to weigh down the crust.
Add the pie crust to the fridge for 10-15 minutes to help the over-worked dough solidify and preheat the oven to 350F.
Once the oven has preheated, transfer the pie dish to the oven and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.

While the crust is par-baking, make the pecan pie filling.
Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, oat milk, melted vegan butter, tapioca starch, ground flaxseed, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until combined.
Then, add the roughly chopped pecans and chocolate chips to the bowl. Mix them with the filling until coated. Set aside until the pie has finished par-baking.

Remove the par-baked pie from the oven and remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Then, pour the pecan pie filling into the dish. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly in the pan.
Add extra pecan halves to the top of the pie for decoration if desired, though keep in mind this is totally optional!
Add the pie to the oven and bake for another 35-40 minutes until the center is bubbling and the crust has browned. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, you can tent a piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie.
Remove the finished pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for about 1 hour. The pie filling will settle as it cools. Then, transfer to the fridge for about 2 hours to set before slicing.
Slice the pie into 8 evenly-sized pieces and enjoy!