Pecan Pie Bars Recipe

Enjoy a tasty twist on traditional pecan pie with these gooey Pecan Pie Bars! Made with a tender shortbread crust and rich, caramel-flavored pecan filling, they make the perfect addition to holiday cookie trays and dessert tables.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings bars

Calories 310kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

9x13 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.

Video

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!

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