Pecan Pie Bars
Pecan pie bars are a classic Southern recipe in bar form. A deliciously flavored, crowd-pleasing dessert, make the best pecan pie bars with this easy recipe.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Pecan Pie Filling
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup Karo syrup
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In an 8x8 square pan place a piece of parchment paper that covers the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- in the bowl of a food processor, or a medium bowl using a hand mixer, add the softened butter, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Pulse together until the dough begins to come together. You should be able to squeeze the dough together and it will stay and not crumble.
- Press the dough into an even layer in the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
- Make your pecan filling by adding ¼ cup butter, granulated sugar, Karo syrup, and maple syrup to a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and it is a light golden color. Turn off the heat and whisk in the salt and flour until no lumps remain.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla, then very slowly pour the warm sugar mixture into the eggs while continuing to whisk constantly. Whisk until your filling is completely combined.
- Add your chopped pecans to the filling mixture and stir. Gently pour the pecan mixture on top of the hot crust once it comes out of the oven.
- Return the pan to the oven and continue to bake your pecan pie bars for an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden and the center has set.
- Cool your pecan pie bars on the counter until they are room temperature. If you try to cut your bars before they are completely cool then the filling may run and not be set up.
Notes
The overhanging parchment paper allows you to easily pull the pecan pie bars out of the pan once they are cooled and transfer them to a cutting board when they are ready to slice.
If you do not have a food processor, you can mix your pie crust ingredients in a large bowl using a handheld mixer at low speed. You will just mix all the ingredients until they are combined, and you can squeeze the dough together with your fingers, and it stays compact.
You want to really make sure you go slow with pouring the warm sugar into the eggs so that the heat does not scramble your eggs.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your pecan bars at the lower end of the recommended baking time.