The Best Pecan Pie Bars. So easy to make!
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The Best Pecan Pie Bars. This easy recipe includes a simple shortbread bottom and a one bowl mix & pour topping. Tips for baking and cutting them are included.
Thanksgiving update 2022!
This recipe has been the runway hit of the last several Thanksgiving seasons with thousands of hits a day in Thanksgiving week and thousands of re-pins on Pinterest too.
Many folks now make these instead of traditional pecan pie because they are so easy to make. There are lots of great reviews for this super easy recipe too.
They are particularly popular with families whose celebrations include several desserts. These fit that bill very well.
Since they freeze very well too, make sure you have more on hand in the freezer for Christmas as well.
My recipe for Pecan Pie Bars
There are many recipes out there for pecan pie bars and I had to play with a few of them before I got one I quite liked. For me there seemed to be a lot of recipes that didn't have the right ratio of egg in the filling or didn't bake for a sufficient time, so the middle was too runny.
There are other recipes that didn't pre-bake the shortbread layer for long enough and it was too wet in the end. Other recipes called for pecans to be added to the simple shortbread crust which I thought was overkill.
With so many crunchy pecans on top, why not leave the buttery shortbread to be a distinctly different layer?
I hesitated to post this recipe at all because there are so many versions of it already on line.
But, after tweaking my own recipe and adding a couple of tips I think work well, I decided to share the recipe that works best for me. I hope it does the same for you.
Need more ideas for Christmas cookies?
You should check out this great collection of No Bake Cookies that was incredibly popular during our last Holiday season.
Like this Pecan Pie Bars recipe?
Find over 300 other great cookie recipes in our Cookies Category. For other sweet ideas try our Cakes & Pies Category and our Desserts Category.
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Originally published October 2015. Updated November, 2019.
Pecan Pie Bars
The Best Pecan Pie Bars - this easy recipe includes a simple shortbread bottom and a one bowl mix and pour topping.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup cold butter
For the top layer
- ⅔ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup +1 tablespoon flour
- 4 large or extra large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups corn syrup, dark is best
- 2 cups roughly chopped pecans, no need to toast the pecans
Instructions
- This recipe uses a 9x13 baking pan. In this recipe I think it is best to line to lightly grease the pan and line it with parchment paper so that you can lift the entire batch out of the pan after they have cooled and cut them on a cutting board. With cookie bars like this, which have different textures in the different layers, this enables you to have a more precise feeling for how to cut them well. More about that a little later in the recipe.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F for aluminum bake ware and 325 degrees F for glass bake ware.
- Mix together the 1/34 cups flour and ½ cup sugar. Rub the butter through the flour mixture until it is well incorporated and resembles a dry coarse meal. (You can pulse the butter into the flour mixture using a food processor if you prefer.)
- Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and bake for 20 minutes. The edges should just be starting to brown. Remove from oven and pour on the topping while still hot.
To prepare the top layer of the cookie bars
- Mix together the flour and brown sugar well. This will ensure there will be no lumps of either flour or brown sugar in you cookie bars when baked. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, salt and corn syrup.
- Let the mixture stand for about 15 minutes while the bottom layer pre-bakes, stirring it occasionally. This gives the flour time to soften and help thicken the top layer.
- Mix in the chopped pecans and pour the topping over the partially baked bottom crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes until the filling is set. Times vary a few minutes depending on the baking pan material. Shake the pan a little. The center can wobble a little like set jelly but it should not be runny.
- Cool the pan to room temperature before chilling the cookie bars in the fridge for several hours or overnight before attempting to cut them
- I lift the cookies from the pan after they have fully cooled in the fridge and lay them out on a cutting board. I've found the best thing to use is a sharp serrated knife held horizontally to saw through the nut layer before pushing on through to the softer layers below. I cut one entire row of cookies off at a time and then cut each row separately into individual cookie bars.
- As these are quite rich I tend to cut them a little smaller than other cookie bars.
Notes
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Recommended Products
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
36Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 174Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 31mgSodium 84mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 1gSugar 17gProtein 2g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Can you freeze the pecan pie bars
Yes indeed.
Such glowing reviews and a dessert that will go a lot further than a pecan pie when baking for company. The only dessert that my son likes is pecan pie, so he is going to adore these bars. Now I must skedaddle to the grocery store to buy the ingredients!. Thank-you, Barry.
Hi Barry, can't believe some of the questions people ask you!!!!! You have everything posted in this recipe. Can't wait to make these, I;ve been looking for a recipe like yours, thanks for posting this Susie
I cannot find dark corn syrup has anyone made them with Golden syrup. How did it turn out
No idea, but golden syrup is quite a bit thicker in consistency.
The shortbread crust was cracked when I took it out of the oven the first time- does this mean that the crust is going to crumble?
Also, I’m brining these bars to thanksgiving (should they turn out ok) and it is a 5 hour drive. Should I cut them prior to my trip and put them in a container or should I just leave the in the pan? Also, the pan I’m using doesn’t have a Tupperware lid, can I just use tin foil or something else?
Thanks.
Perhaps your oven is running high. My crust does not crack. I don't think it matters much how you transport them.
I must be missing something because I can't find the recipe on this page. Is it elsewhere? The only recipe I can find is for Strawberry bars further down. All the comments sound fantastic and I'm sad I can't make these.
You scrolled past the recipe to get to the comments. It is there!
Hello,
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
And for the pecans, are the salted, roasted, unsalted?
Thanks!
Unsalted Butter. Plain unroasted pecans
Just made . Delicious! Easy to make. Came out perfect. Thank you.
I used this recipe last Christmas and EVERYONE loved them and I couldn't stop eating them. I'm definitely making them again this year!
Never made pecan bars before. These promise to be the one to start and keep 🙂
Hi Barry, These sound amazing!
I’m going to make them for Thanksgiving
My question is can a silicone mat be
Used in place of the parchment
Paper? I have both so I can use
either one. I was just wondering.
Thank you enjoy your holidays.
Catherine
That must be a thin mat.
Can I substitute raisins with this recipe so I get butter tart bars?
yes.
I made these pecan bars exactly as instructed, and they turned out fantastic! Well, I did put it in an 8 x8 inch pan, and had to bake it about an extra 10 minutes, After eating our family Thanksgiving Day dinner and stuffing ourselves, when it comes round to serving desserts, we wait about one hour, which we did, and everyone took a peacn bar. They all raved about the scrumptious pecan bars. I particularly liked the shortbread crust. The different textures added to its deliciousness. Thank you. This will now be a staple recipe in my dessert category..
These tasted great but parchement paper stuck to them horribly. Any tips??
Change your brand of parchment paper. I've never had a single thing stick to it.
I made these for the first time the other night just as a quick little treat as I was in the mood of a homemade sweet. They were SO easy and SO delicious. I’ve never made pecan pie or pecan pie bars before so I was a little nervous, but they came out to perfection. I followed the recipe exactly as you had it, however mine were done in about 37 minutes so I did take them out a few minutes earlier than you stated. I kept them in the fridge and set them out to bring the temperature down before serving to friends and coworkers. Rave reviews from everyone! Will make again, thank you!