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If you love classic Pecan Pie or Mini Pecan Pies then you will LOVE these pecan pie bars. Easier than baking an entire pie, this delicious twist is a fall favorite dessert that the entire family is obsessed with.
Pecan-flavored treats are especially popular during the holidays on Thanksgiving, or even as a homemade neighbor gift during Christmas time, but don’t make the mistake of thinking this is strictly a seasonal recipe. You can enjoy this caramel-flavored bar recipe any time!
These bars are amazingly delicious. For more mouthwatering bars, try our Salted Peanut Chews and Almond Toffee Bars.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Addicting. They have the best ooey gooey texture.
- Makes a big batch. You can easily cut 20 smaller squares or cut 12 large squares.
- Perfect for pecan lovers. Even those who aren’t, LOVE these pecan bars.
Pecan Pie Bars Ingredients and Substitutions
Shortbread Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour – How to Measure Flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter cubed – Be sure that the butter is COLD!
Filling
- 1½ cups sugar
- 4 large eggs – room temperature eggs incorporate best with the other ingredients
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ cups chopped pecans – You can mix the pecans with chopped walnuts or cashews.
- optional toppings – Drizzle the bars with Caramel Sauce. Top each piece with a dollop of Whipped Cream or a scoop of Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.
How to Make Pecan Pie Bars
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- CRUST. Combine all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold cubed butter with a fork or pastry blender to create coarse crumbs. Press into the bottom of the prepared dish and bake for 20 minutes.
- FILLING. Whisk sugar, eggs, light corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir in chopped pecans. Spread the filling over hot crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- BAKE. Bake for 30–35 minutes more, until filling has set.
- Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares and serving.
Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
Filling
- 1½ cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- To make the shortbread crust: In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry blender to create coarse crumbs. Press into the bottom of the prepared dish and bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling: whisk sugar, eggs, corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in pecans. Spread over hot crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes more, until filling has set.
- Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares and serving.
Video
Notes
- Line the pan with parchment paper this will not only help keep them from sticking to the pan, but once the bars cool, you can lift the entire block out of the pan using the parchment paper.
- Without the side of the pan getting In the way you can then use a large kitchen knife to cut the bars, wipe the blade clean after each cut.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Use toasted pecans. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the chopped nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast for 6-8 minutes until they turn a deep color and produce a delicious nutty aroma.
Chocolate. Spread semi-sweet chocolate chips onto the hot crust before pouring in the rest of the pecan mixture.
Season. Sprinkle the bars with sea salt before or after baking.
Cover pecan bars and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freeze in gallon-sized freezer bags, with parchment paper in between each layer of bars for up to 6 months! Allow time to thaw before eating.
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This recipe was originally published August 2016.
Adapted from tasteofhome.
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and everyone loved them. Very easy to make. I highly recommend this recipe and look forward to making many more times. I recommend lining your baking dish with parchment which makes them easy to lift out when cool and cut into bars.
These are so easy to make and very delicious! They don’t not last long in my house during Thanksgiving. My family is obsessed with these bars and demand I make them every year. Definitely a keeper!
could I make these with Gluten Free flour?
I haven’t tried, but I imagine you could!! You’ll have to let us know how they turn out if you do!
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Made this last night with my aspiring 12 year old baker. This recipe was easy to follow with not too many ingredients. The bars turned out delicious and were a crowd pleaser. We will be making them again in the near future.
I don’t know where I have been, but just discover you and your delightful recipes. I love wholesome foods for my family and have three adult daughters with families of their own that I want to share all of this information with. I am also interested in your holiday cookie recipes because I bake and make Carmel’s and other candy recipes. Does your Christmas recipes come In your book, So Easy and So Yummy?
Yes, there are christmas recipes in the cookbook and we have a page in there to help with christmas meal planning too! And then of course, all of our christmas recipes can be found here on the website! So glad to have you here trying out recipes. 🙂
Very good. Liked by all.
Can I use a glass baking dish or does it need to be metal? Thanks
You can use glass!
These look amazing! I’m thinking about combining two of my favorite things for Thanksgiving. Do you think I could make these as directed and then top them with a firm no bake cheesecake?
Ooh I have never tried, but that sounds yummy! You’ll have to let us know how it turns out of it you!
Hi! Just curious – what helped you make the decision to use light corn syrup/white sugar instead of brown sugar/dark corn syrup? I’ve always seen them with the darker options so wondering what led you to that 😊
These bars are just the best! My go to recipe!
Oh I’m so happy to hear that!
I want to make these for my husbands birthday, Can I use parchment paper so crust won’t stick?
Yes you could!
The directions say to grease the pan and there’s a picture showing parchment paper lining the pan. Which is correct? Hurry please, I’m making these now lol!!!
It’s baking now!
Looks amazing!
I made these pecan bars today. The filling is delicious. My crust did not adhere to the filling. It crumbled. What didI do wrong.
?
I’m sorry to hear that. Shortbread dough is a bit crumbly by nature, but should come together when pressed down and baked. Perhaps the flour/butter ratio was a little off. If the dough seems too dry, you can add a bit more butter or a few tiny drops of water to get it the right texture. And again, making sure to press down the crust in the pan and baking it first before adding the filing on top. Hope that helps!
Hi I was wondering if you can freeze the recipe? These are great and want to make a couple to have on short notice thank you
Yes! They freeze beautifully!
I made this for the first time for a friend’s party just because I had all ingredients on hand. It was a hit. Everyone asked for the recipe. It is my go to now.
The best pecan pie bars! I won’t go back to making pecan pies. My family loves these. I made them for Thanksgiving and I will make them again for Christmas.
So I lost what I thought was my favorite pecan pie bar recipe and stumbled upon this one and I’m so glad that I did! These are truly amazing! They are easy to make and delicious! Do yourself a favor and make them!
Thank you so much for sharing this fantastic recipe. I made them yesterday for Thanksgiving .
They were easy to make, not too sweet ( which I was hoping for) came out looking picture perfect, and were devoured.
And….. That shortbread crust was everything ❤️.
Have you ever tried dark syrup and brown sugar in the filling? I’m kind of torn about using at least 1/2 and 1/2.
THE very best pecan bars! Each time I make them they turn out beautifully!
I made these today for a Valentine’s Day surprise because Pecan Pie is my hubby’s favorite. Fingers crossed that he loves them because I’d love to sub these for pecan pie at Thanksgiving due to how much easier they are to make! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re welcome!! I sure hope that you and your hubby enjoyed the bars!
He loved them so much he’s asking me to make them again.. Even my daughter who claimed to not like pecan pie was devouring them! So I’m currently waiting for the crust to finish so I can pour the filling and get them baking 😊
Awe, that makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for sharing!
I also use dark Karo but I would think light would be fine.
I made these for Christmas and I followed the recipe. However, it didn’t seem to be enough butter for the shortbread crust. The crust was not firm, it did not brown within 20 minutes, and I could still see flour that the butter did not absorb. Any suggestions?
I’m not sure?? I haven’t had that happen to my crust before. Every oven is slightly different so perhaps it needed just a bit more baking time to golden up a bit. It’s kind of that fine balance between baking long enough and not too much to make the crust too hard. I’d say just keep a close eye on the baking time. Also, making sure the butter is cut in as evenly as possible and that the mixture is crumbly before pressing into the pan…. that may help the butter be more evenly spread and no patches of flour.
I’ve noticed the crust can sometimes be “ floury” instead of crumbly when I put it in the dish but I use my food processor to mix it up and it turns out fine. You might try using a dab more cold butter .
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
Oh man! We couldn’t keep away from these at Thanksgiving.
My family LOVES these and looks forward to me making them every Christmas.
These are my first dessert I make every Thanksgiving!! SO good!! If you love pecan pie – you will love these bars!!!
I really love those Pecan Bars and I am going to have my wife to make some for Christmas and she really love Pecans and I have a big box of pecans coming from a friend of mine that raises Pecans
Oh that’s awesome!! Hope you enjoy the bars. I imagine they will be extra delicious with those fresh pecans!
Wondering if anyone has tried this but with a premade pie crust instead of making their own?
I haven’t tried with premade pie crust. I’d be curious to hear how they turn out/taste using that. I’m a big fan of that shortbread crust, so I haven’t deviated from the original recipe. 😉
Love your recipes. Very easy to follow and turn out great.
Thank you so much!!
I’ve made several different Pecan Bar recipes and these taste more like pecan pie than any of the others!
Oh that makes me so happy to hear!! So glad you enjoyed the bars. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
These are delicious! Going to have to hide from hubby so we have enough for the party!
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
LOL!! You can keep them in gallon sized freezer bags with parchment paper in between each layer of bars. They will keep for up to 6 months!
I usually make pecan pies for Thanksgiving but decided to try pecan pie bars this year. I may never make pies again! These are delicious and so easy to make! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
You are so welcome!! I am with you! Glad you liked them! Thank you!
Hello! These look so delicious!! I am wondering if you use light or dark corn syrup? Thank you so much!
I used light 🙂 Enjoy!
These hAve become my #1 favorite pecan recipe! With the shorTbread crust, these bars ARE BETTER than Pecan pie which used to be my favorite Fall dessert. Search no more for pecan pie bar recipes. These are to die for! Thank you!
Awe, I am so happy you think so 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing that!
I know this RECIPE is callEd peCan pie bars but can i use the same RECIPE and use walnuts inStead
You sure could 🙂
Better thaN southern pecan pie!!!! Third time ive made and it never fails to please the PALETTE.
Yay!! That’s what I love to hear! Thank you so much for saying that!
HONESTLY, THE BEST RECIPE AROUND FOR PECAN PIE/BARS. THIS IS A PERFECT RECIPE. DON’T CHANGE A THING! I HAD MY HUSBAND DO A TASTE TEST — THIS RECIPE AGAINST THE PIE HIS COMPANY GIVES OUT EACH YEAR (WHICH HE CLAIMS IS DELICIOUS). THESE WON, HANDS DOWN. NOT EVEN CLOSE! THESE ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE AND GIVE AS A GIFT.
Yay!! Glad they won!! Thank you for trying them!
Made these for a friendsgiving this weekend and got so many requests for the recIpe. Took leftovers to my parents and my mom said “your Pecan Pie squares were beyond words! SO SO GOOD! Please make them for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Martin Luther King Day, Valentine’s Day! etc!” Haha! Thanks for an easy and delicious recipe!
LOL..love that!! You are so welcome & thank you for trying them & sharing that!
So i actually don’t love pecan pie, but I had these bars a t a friends house and really liked them. I can’t wait to make them myself and just in time for thanksgiving.
Chewy & gooey..these bars were a hit & super easy to make! We will enjoy them all year long!
A-mazing! This is my new go to instead of my usual pecan pie recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Woohoo!! You are welcome! Thank you!
These were great! I actually halved the recipe and it worked fine. I also used “My Buddy’s Nuts” Hot & Spicy pecans. It gave a bit of heat but all of the sugar helped so that they were not too hot. I am looking forward to making them again. Thanks for sharing.
That sounds delish! Thank you for sharing that!
I made these tonight. They seemed to get too brown before they set. Any suggestions?
Since, they continue cooking, once out of the oven, you may need to lessen the baking time. You might have a really hot oven 🙂
Easy to make a absolutely delicious. Just the right amount of pecan pie in each slice!
Thank you so much for sharing!
I am looking forward to make these for the first time. Based on all the positive comments I am excited to try it. Can I use MAGarine instead of unsalted butter?
I MADE THESE THE NIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING AND THERE WERE HARDLY ANY LEFT BY DESSERT TIME ON THANKSGIVING DAY. SUPER EASY, AND SUPER DELICIOUS. EVERYONE KEEPS ASKING WHEN IM MAKING THEM AGAIN…… WINNER!
That is good to hear! I love when that happens 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know!
My Short bread is cooled will that be a pro?
It should be ok 🙂 I hope you liked them!
I’ve made pecan pie cookies, but this looks even easier to make with all the pecan pie goodness!! Can’t wait to give this a try for christmas!
They are so good!! I’d love to know what you think! Hope you like them!
I’m making these for thanksgiving this year. I have the taste of home recipe And compared it to yours. TAste of home RECOMMENDS a 15×10×1″ baking pan. Yours calls for a 13×9. Will the filling spill over using the smaller sized pan? I noticed the ingredients & measurements are the exact same, except for the corn syrup. Yours calls for 1/2 cup less than taste of home. Will using less corn syrup keep spillage from happening? thanks for your help!
I haven’t tried theirs, but these worked for me in the 9×13 🙂
I want to maKe these 3 days a head of time.
Will they still be good?
Yes they can be made ahead of time. YUMMY bars!
They should 🙂 Keep them stored in an air tight container 🙂
If I’m making these the night before (about 24hours), how should I store them?
I would just store them in an airtight container or cover them with plastic wrap, if you leave them in the pan.
Do you use white sugar or brown sugar in filling?
I have made these three time during the holidays for pot luck meals and they were such a hit, I have made other pecan pie bars but never even came close to your recipe. I carry the recipe on cards when I take these to functions. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Awe, thank you!! I love hearing that!! Thank you so much for sharing that recipe!
So looks like letting any pecan pie set up means baking until set, right?
No I have not made a pie from scratch before
Ever. So the words , let the pie set up and let the filling set , are very New to me.
These pecan pie bars look delicious .
Please let me know by e-mailing me to the address [email protected]
Set is just thickened up a little. Looks ready to eat 🙂 Hope that helps! Good luck!
I made these for Thanksgiving and they came out amazing and so easy to make.
Yay! Love to hear that! Thank you & Happy Thanksgiving!
My family RAVED over these. Super delicious! I added a little scoop of hagendaz vanilla ice cream. Made these for my (cheat day) yesterday, now I’m fighting the urge to get the Tupperware container and finish them off along side steaming cup of hot coffee. 😁 My new favorite! I will definitely make these again at Thanksgiving, and Christmas and on Tuesday….
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear you and your family loved them. I bet having them with Hagendaz took them to the next level. YUM!! Thanks for sharing.
OMG!! I’m going to have to make these next weekend when my daughter comes home. Her and I LOVE pecan pie!!! Can’t wait to make this!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
You’ll love these!! Let me know what you two think! Thanks so much!!
WOULDN’T you need to Bake the pie Filling longer than 30 minutes?