Pecan Pie Bars are a perfect handheld dessert that are easy to make and delicious enough to bring to your next holiday get together. These bars have the same chewy, syrupy taste of pecan pie you know and love, just in bar form!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
Pecan Pie Lovers – Pecan pie lovers don’t kill me, but these bars may taste better than a regular pecan pie!
Handheld – If only all desserts could be picked up and taken on-the-go.
Simple Ingredients – All the ingredients in this recipe are things you most likely have in your pantry already!
Fall Flavors – If you’re not a pumpkin person, but still want to enjoy the fall desserts, this is a great recipe for you!
Come Together Quickly – You only need about 10 minutes of hands on time to make these bars, then into the oven they go.
If you love the taste of pecan pie, but despise the process of making pies, try making these Pecan Pie Bars instead! The prep is simple, the texture is amazing and the looks on faces after trying these is priceless.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Recipe Discussion
Let’s discuss how to make this recipe, as well as the ingredients that are needed. Please take note that below you will find discussion, expert tips, and answers to frequently asked questions about this recipe to help you recreate it in your kitchen. If you *just* want the recipe itself, scroll down. The full printable recipe itself, with exact measurements and instructions, is found at the bottom of this page.
- Confectioner’s Sugar – Also known as powdered sugar. I typically don’t sift mine, unless it has a lot of clumps.
- Salted Butter – Make sure the butter is cold and cut into ½ inch pieces. I even put mine in the freezer for about 15 minutes prior to using. You want the butter to melt in the oven, to give that tender crust, so keeping it cold is vital. Unfortunately you cannot substitute margarine for real butter in this recipe, it makes a huge difference in the crust.
- Brown sugar – For the caramel-like taste and texture, you’ll want to use brown sugar for this recipe. You can use light or dark.
- Corn Syrup – You’ll want to use dark corn syrup. This is the ingredient in Pecan Pie Bars that really give them the chewy, sweet consistency. If you absolutely want to substitute, my first choice would be to use agave syrup.
- Pecans – You can’t have Pecan Pie Bars without the Pecans! You’ll want to roughly chop these before incorporating them in the batter.
How To Make Pecan Pie Bars
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°. Next, grab a 9 inch square pan and line it with 2 pieces of parchment paper, one going horizontal and one going vertical. Make sure the edges of the paper hand over the pan.
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, confectioner’s sugar, and butter until it is a crumbly crust like texture. Do not over mix as this will melt the butter.
- Take the crust from the food processor and press it evenly and gently into the bottom of the parchment lined pan. Put the crust in the oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes until it turns a golden brown color.
- While the crust bakes, start on the filling. In a large bowl combine eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, vanilla and salt until a smooth batter forms.
- Once combined, fold in the roughly chopped pecans with a spatula.
- When the crust is done baking, take it out of the oven and pour the pecan filling on top of the crust. Put the pan back in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is fully set. Allow the bars to cool completely in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting them up and serving.
Recipe Tips and Advice
Storage – Pecan Pie Bars will last at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They will also last in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend wrapping them tightly then storing in a ziplock freezer bag.
Keep It Cool – It’s important to start with well chilled butter, and keep it as cold as possible. The goal is for the butter to melt in the oven, not before it gets there. I recommend freezing it for a few minutes prior to use, which also makes it easier to cut. Then don’t over process in the food processor, as that will cause it to melt. Also take care when pressing the crust into the pan not to overwork it. The heat from your hands can quickly warm it up.
Baking Tips!
- Baking the crust before adding the filling is important because the bottom of the bars will be soggy if you don’t.
- You’ll know the bars are perfectly baked when the center is almost fully set. This means the center isn’t runny, but ‘jiggles’ a bit when you touch it.
Recipe FAQs
No, these bars will be fine, and also taste better if they sit out at room temperature. The reason you need to refrigerate them right as they come out of the oven is so you can cut them into squares more easily.
This could have happened for a number of reasons, you may need to bake it for a little longer, or you used a smaller pan than a 9×9 baking pan, and the center didn’t set like it was supposed to.
After they cool in the fridge for an hour, put the pecan pie bars on a cutting board and use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the bar into 16 even square pieces.
More Recipes To Try
If you loved this pecan dessert, you have to try some of these other baking recipes with pecans!
- Pecan Pie Brownies
- Coconut Pecan Frosting
- Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars
- Caramel Pecan Rolls
- Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
- Pecan Pie
Favorite Fall Recipes To Try
Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup salted butter cold, cut into 1/2" pieces
Filling
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar measured packed
- 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups roughly chopped pecans salted or unsalted, based on preference
Instructions
CRUST
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a square 9-inch pan baking pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the crust by combining the flour, confectioner’s sugar, and butter with a food processor (or pastry cutter) until it is crumbly. Press the crust gently and evenly into the baking pan.
- Bake the crust for 15-18 minutes or until just turning golden.
FILLING
- While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, vanilla, and salt. When this is fully combined, stir in the chopped pecans.
- When you remove the crust from the oven, pour the filling evenly on top of the crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set.
- It is best to allow the pecan bars to cool completely, and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting them.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
carolyn melcher says
We need more recipes for Diabetic & one with kidney failure.
Christi Johnstone says
Hi Carolyn, as I’m not a medical expert or dietician, nor do I have any personal experience with those particular diets, they are not something I feel comfortable or confident advising on. For keto and low carb recipes I do recommend trying All Day I Dream About Food. A quick google search shows there are a lot of great websites specializing in recipes for diabetics, so I’m sure you’ll find some great options out there, good luck!