The BEST Pecan Pie Bars (Easy + Homemade)
Pecan Pie Bars feature a buttery shortbread crust and a gooey nut filling with a crunchy, crackly top for a portable, hand-held, pecan pie cookie treat!
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If you enjoy pecans, you'll also love Pecan Praline Honey Butter, Cinnamon Sugar Candied Pecans, and Pecan Praline Bread!
Pecan pie is my hubby's all-time favorite dessert. So over the course of a year, I've learned to make various iterations of it. We save traditional Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving, and I make Mini Pecan Pies for his birthday in early November. But for Father's Day? I always make a pan of these Pecan Pie Bars! And even though they have an intended recipient, the whole family finds them quite irresistible. 🙂
What Are Pecan Pie Bars?
The perfect Pecan Pie Bars recipe is sweet but not cloyingly so. It's buttery but not heavy. The crust resembles tender pecan shortbread. And the filling has the perfect ratio of gooey syrup to toasty nuts.
Now, when most people make pecan pie, they roughly chop the nuts. However, early on in my relationship with my pecan-pie-expert-future-husband, I learned that a proper pecan pie (or Pecan Pie Bar) has nuts chopped so finely that they practically form a veneer that cracks when you cut into it. That's the way my hubby's sweet Nanny used to make her pies, so I know it's right.
Ingredients
There are two components to these homemade Pecan Pie Bars...a buttery shortbread crust and a gooey, pecan-studded filling. So to make 'em, you'll need the following basic ingredients:
- Flour, baking powder, + salt. The dry ingredients.
- Brown sugar. For a touch of sweetness in the shortbread crust and a bit more sweetness in the filling.
- Pecans. It is my humble opinion that it's of utmost importance to toast your pecans. Toasting only takes a few minutes, but it adds such delicious crunch and depth of flavor to the nuts in this dessert. So don't skip it!
- Unsalted butter. Some of it cold and diced into small pieces for the crust, and the rest of it melted for the filling.
- Corn syrup. For that traditional pecan pie filling consistency! I prefer using an organic, non-GMO corn syrup when a recipe calls for it.
- Pure vanilla extract. This brand is my forever favorite for the most amazing vanilla flavor.
- Egg. Lightly beaten.
How to Make Pecan Pie Bars
Making this Pecan Pie Bars recipe is surprisingly easy. And it's definitely much quicker and easier than making traditional pecan pie, primarily because there's no crust to roll out. Rather, this recipe starts with a shortbread type crust.
- It's as simple as tossing the crust ingredients into a large food processor. Pulse everything together and dump the resulting crumbs into your prepared square baking pan.
- Press the crumbs into an even layer with your fingers and pop in the oven for about 20 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, whisk together the filling ingredients in a bowl.
- As soon as the hot crust comes out of the oven, pour in the filling. Pop it back in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes longer until the top is golden brown and just starting to crack.
And then do your very best to exercise the patience necessary to wait a whole hour before you can slice your Pecan Pie Bars...AKA, slab of pecan pie deliciousness! 😉
And that's it, y'all...all of the deliciousness of pecan pie in a quick and easy recipe that yields easy-to-serve, easy-to-eat, portable, packable, handheld Pecan Pie Bars!
You are going to want these at alllll of your (year-round) parties and potlucks. And they're equally fabulous when it's time for your Thanksgiving dessert tables and Christmas cookie platters.
In other words, if you're a fan of pecan pie, these Pecan Pie Bars are a must-try!
And if you're not, well...I'm pretty sure they'll change your mind. 😉
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The BEST Pecan Pie Bars (Easy + Homemade)
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the Filling:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cups pecans, toasted and finely chopped
Instructions
- Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Cut two pieces of parchment paper to the width of the pan but long enough for overhang, approximately 9- by 16-inches. Place one sheet into the bottom of the pan, pressing it into the corners (the cooking spray is to help it stick and stay in place). Lay the second sheet perpendicular to the first sheet, press down in the same manner, and then spray the sheets again with cooking spray.
For the Crust:
- In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse cornmeal. Add cold butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles sand. Evenly press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
For the Filling:
- Prepare the filling while the crust is baking. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and egg until well incorporated. Stir in the pecans.
- Pour the filling over the hot crust. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until the top is brown and starting to crack.
- Place pan on a cooling rack for one hour before using the parchment paper "handles" to remove the slab of Pecan Pie Bars to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares and serve.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- To toast pecan halves, bake at 350°F for 7 to 10 minutes or until fragrant (check frequently towards the end!). If you ever toast chopped pecans, keep in mind that they will cook faster and require less time.
- If you don't have a food processor to prepare the crust, you can cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives. Alternatively, you can grate a hunk of frozen butter on the largest holes of a box grater before working it into the flour mixture.
- If you like a boozy cookie, you may add 1 tablespoon bourbon or dark rum to the filling mixture.
- STORAGE: Pecan Pie Bars may be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. After that, transfer to the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Adapted from Baking Illustrated. Post originally published on June 21, 2013, and updated on May 1, 2019, August 27, 2022, and October 12, 2024.
Excited to try this crust out! Can it be pre made them put in the refrigerator for the next day? I’m not sure if you had any notes on the recipe. Thank you so much!
Hi Sarah! I just store these in a sealed container on the counter. I might pop them in the fridge if they lasted more than a few days, but they never do. 😉
I would like to use Lyle’s Golden Syrup. Would I still use the same amount as the Kari syrup?
Hi Cheryl! I have never tried Lyle's Golden Syrup myself, but I just googled it and read that it can be substituted one-to-one for corn syrup. So sounds like it should work! 🙂
I love these! They are a great alternative to sitting down to a slice of pecan pie. Nice pics! I am thinking about swapping out the all-purpose flour with pecan meal/flour to create a gluten-free version for our gluten intolerant daughter.
Oh, I just love this recipe! Made some yesterday with chocolate chips. The crust is a tasty base and compliments the filling, and your suggestion of chopping the nuts finely - I toasted them and put them in the food processor - made the top crunchy and almost like a toffee. Today I made more, but with walnuts - doubled the recipe, and added 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips. Thank you! 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
Yum, Kate...I'm so glad they turned out tasty with chocolate chips (though I never doubted that they would)! 😉 And I will have to try them with walnuts sometime! Living in Texas, I always have pecans on hand, so sometimes I forget how much I enjoy other types of nuts when I remember to branch out. Thanks so much for letting me know how they turned out! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well! 🙂
Hi! This recipe looks great! Have you ever put chocolate chips into the filling? Chips and a dash of bourbon would make this akin to Derby Pie, but with a yummier crust. Thanks!
Hi, Kate! I have not tried these with chocolate chips, but I see no reason why you couldn't (and the same goes for the bourbon!). I think your suggestions would make for great additions...I've never had Derby Pie, but it sounds delicious! Enjoy, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
These look delicious! Pinned! Definitely want to try them soon.
Thanks so much for pinning them, Rachel! Let me know what you think when you try them! They never last long at our house...primarily because my hubby is a pecan pie fiend. 😉