If you’re a fan of pecan pie, you’ll love these gooey pecan pie bars! This recipe transforms the classic pie into a convenient bar form! The sweet, salty treat features a homemade buttery shortbread crust and decadent sweet pecan filling.
The shortbread crust is pressed into the pan, so if you’re short on time or intimidated by making pie crust for a regular pie, these bars are a really great option! They make the perfect addition to your holiday dessert tray or a sweet grab-and-go treat during the fall and winter! For more dessert bar recipes, try my pumpkin bars, chocolate chip cookie bars, or peanut butter bars.
Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour — the perfect flour to create a sturdy yet tender shortbread bottom crust and thicken the pecan filling.
Granulated Sugar — makes the crust sweet and crisp.
Brown Sugar — gives the pecan filling a rich caramel-like flavor. Use light brown sugar for a lighter taste or dark brown sugar for a more robust molasses flavor.
Unsalted Butter — melted butter makes the shortbread crust tender and adds a rich, creamy flavor. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt by ¼ teaspoon.
Eggs — use room temperature large eggs for the filling. The eggs help set the filling for clean slicing and a custardy texture.
Corn Syrup — the key ingredient for getting the classic flavor and gooey filling of pecan pie in bar form! Use dark corn syrup for the most robust caramel-like flavor and color or light corn syrup for a lighter sweetness and color.
Pecans — chopped raw whole pecans or pecan halves add a hearty, nutty texture to each bite. For convenience, purchase pre-chopped pecans.
Should I Use Raw Or Toasted Pecans?
I recommend using raw pecans because they will toast while baking in the oven. However, toasted pecans will also work if you have them on hand– they will bake up a bit crisper and may darken a bit more on top of the bars. You can loosely cover the pan with foil during baking if you see the top getting too dark.
How To Make Pecan Pie Bars
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray, then line it with parchment paper or foil. Whisk to combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir together with a fork. The mixture will be crumbly; use clean hands to mix and knead the dough together.
2. Place the shortbread crust dough in the prepared baking dish. Use a rubber spatula to press it into a thin, even layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden.
3. While the shortbread crust bakes, make the pecan filling. Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.
4. Sift in the ⅓ cup flour and whisk to combine.
5. Add the chopped pecans and mix once more.
6. When the crust comes out of the oven, pour the pecan pie mixture onto it while it’s still hot. Smooth out any piles of pecans so they are distributed evenly. Return the pan to the oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown, puffed, and appears dry. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the pecan bars to cool completely. Then, chill the bars for 30-60 minutes before cutting for the cleanest cuts.
Variations
- Brown Butter: Substitute brown butter for regular butter to add a rich, nutty depth of flavor. You can use it in both the crust and filling.
- Nuts: For an alternative nutty flavor, swap all or part of the pecans for raw walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts.
- Mix-Ins: For an extra indulgent touch, add up to 1 cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks, toffee bits, or dried fruit to the pecan filling.
- Flavor Enhancers: To add depth of flavor to the filling, add a pinch of ground cinnamon or a splash of bourbon, rum, or almond extract to the mixture before pouring it onto the crust.
How To Make Ahead And Store
- Make-Ahead: Prepare the shortbread crust, wrap the pan with the crust in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours or freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, make the filling and bake the bars as directed. The baked bars also hold great covered in the fridge for up to 2 days before slicing and serving.
- Storing Leftovers: Transfer the bars to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Cut the cooled bars into individual servings, wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container. Store for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
What To Serve With Them
Enjoy this pecan pie bar recipe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Add a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce or rich butterscotch sauce for the ultimate dessert.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Prepare the baking dish. Spray the bottom with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper runs up and over at least the two long sides of the pan. Use the excess parchment paper as handles to easily remove the cooled bars for slicing.
- Properly mix the dough. Use a fork to evenly mix in the butter, then gently mix it by hand to ensure the butter is thoroughly mixed in for a coarse, sandy texture. You don’t want to overwork the dough, though, or it can turn out tough and dense. A crumbly texture is essential to making a tender and flaky crust.
- Chill before cutting. Allow the pecan bars to cool completely to room temperature, then chill them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before slicing for a firm filling and clean cuts.
- Check for doneness. The bars are done baking when the filling is puffed and appears dry on top. If the filling has a slight wobble or jiggle in the center, that’s okay; it will continue to firm up as it cools.
- Holiday cookie exchange. Cut smaller bars if making holiday cookie boxes or taking these bars to an exchange party. You should be able to cut 24 to 28 smaller bars from the recipe. You can even scatter festive sprinkles on top of the hot filling right when it comes out of the oven, if desired!
Frequently Asked Questions
Corn syrup is recommended for the best filling texture and the most classic pecan pie flavor, but you can substitute maple syrup, honey, or golden syrup if preferred. If you use maple syrup, add 1 tablespoon of flour to compensate for its runnier consistency.
It’s highly recommended! Cooking spray and parchment paper make it easy to remove the bars and serve. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use heavy-duty foil and lightly grease the foil before pressing in the crust.
Despite the name of this recipe, I don’t recommend using pie crust instead of the shortbread crust; it won’t back up properly with this recipe.
If your bars are runny, they are likely underbaked. Remove the bars from the oven when the filling is mostly firm, dry, and puffy. Also, be sure to add 1 tablespoon of flour if you use maple syrup instead of corn syrup.
If you’ve tried this Pecan Pie Bars recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ unsalted butter melted (170g)
For the Topping:
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups dark or light corn syrup (360mL)
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar (140g)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40g)
- 2 cups pecans roughly chopped (240g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray then line it with parchment paper or foil.
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, sugar and salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir together with a fork. Use clean hands to mix and knead the dough together (it will be crumbly) then place it in the prepared baking dish. Press it into a thin, even layer.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden.
- While the shortbread crust bakes, in a large bowl, whisk to combine the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Sift in the ⅓ cup flour and whisk to combine. Add the chopped pecans and mix once more.
- When the crust comes out of the oven, pour the pecan pie topping over it and smooth out any piles of pecans. Return it to the oven for about 30 minutes or until the topping is puffed and dry.
- Allow to cool completely and then chill slightly before cutting, in order to get nice clean pieces.
Notes
- Prepare the baking dish. Spray the bottom with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper runs up and over at least the two long sides of the pan. Use the excess parchment paper as handles to easily remove the cooled bars for slicing.
- Properly mix the dough. Use a fork to evenly mix in the butter, then gently mix it by hand to ensure the butter is thoroughly mixed in for a coarse, sandy texture. You don’t want to overwork the dough, though, or it can turn out tough and dense. A crumbly texture is essential to making a tender and flaky crust.
- Chill before cutting. Allow the pecan bars to cool completely to room temperature, then chill them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before slicing for a firm filling and clean cuts.
- Check for doneness. The bars are done baking when the filling is puffed and appears dry on top. If the filling has a slight wobble or jiggle in the center, that’s okay; it will continue to firm up as it cools.
- Holiday cookie exchange. Cut smaller bars if making holiday cookie boxes or taking these bars to an exchange party. You should be able to cut 24 to 28 smaller bars from the recipe. You can even scatter festive sprinkles on top of the hot filling right when it comes out of the oven, if desired!