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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.
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!