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With a buttery shortbread crust and caramelized pecan filling, it’s impossible not to love these sweet and nutty pecan pie bars!!
Even Easier Than Pie!
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!
WHY WE 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.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
BAKE TIME: 50 minutes
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 2 cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt. Cut in ¾ cup 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 1½ cups sugar, 4 large eggs, 1 cup light corn syrup, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir in 2½ cups 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.
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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.
Adapted from tasteofhome.
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?