Pecan Pie Bars

EASY pecan pie bars! Made with soft shortbread-style crust, maple syrup, and brown sugar. This easy pecan pie bar recipe is perfect for holiday snacking tables.

Course All Recipes, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Pecan Pie Bars

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Cooling Time 5

Total Time 6

Servings

Calories 370kcal

Author Tami Steggell

Equipment

Stand Mixer A hand mixer will work as well.
9x13 Baking Pan
Medium bowl
Parchment Paper
Rubber Spatula
Cutting board
Knife
8 Qt Pot
Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

For The Crust

1 ½ cups unsalted butter at room temperature, 3 sticks (340g)
½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
2 large eggs at room temperature (100g)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (4.3ml)
3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
¼ teaspoon baking powder (1.2g)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt (1.5g)

For The Filling

1 ½ cups unsalted butter (340g)
⅔ cup pure maple syrup or honey (255ml)
2 ¼ cups light brown sugar or dark brown sugar (450g)
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest about ½ medium lemon
¼ cup heavy cream 40% fat (60ml)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (4.3ml)
1 ¼ pounds pecan halves 20 ounces, coarsely chopped (570g)
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out. Set aside.
The crust: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl once in between. Once blended, add in the eggs and vanilla, blend until incorporated.
Next, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low speed, spoon the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, until incorporated.
Transfer the dough to the parchment lined pan. Press doug evenly into the pan, building it up on the sides all the way around by about 1-inch. The dough is sticky, so if it clings to your hands, simply dip your fingers into some flour. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, this is a par bake step, meaning it is partially baked. The dough will slip down from the sides, but by having built up the edged you will not end up with receded edges. If it puffs in the center, use a fork to lightly prick in the dough to allow air to escape. Set aside to cool.
The filling: in a large, heavy-bottomed 8 Qt saucepan, combine the butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and lemon zest.
Cook on low heat, stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon, until the butter is melted, about 5 minutes. Once melted, increase the heat to medium high and boil for 3 minutes. Be sure to set a timer. Promptly remove from the heat after 3 minutes.
Stir in the vanilla, heavy cream, and chopped pecans. This is extremely hot, cautiously pour the hot mixture into the crust. Do not touch or taste! Using a spatula or wooden spoon, spread pecan mixture evenly to the edges of the pan.
Bake for 30 minutes. Filling will be slightly liquid at final bake, but will set up as it cools. Remove from oven, sprinkle with a few generous pinches of flaky salt. Place on a cooling rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Once cooled, cover the bars with plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for 4-6 hours, or overnight.
With a knife, loosen the bars from the sides of the pan, then lift them onto a cutting board. Slice into bite size bars. Make 8 cuts along the long 13” side, and 4 cuts along the short 9” side to yield 32 pieces.
Allow to come to room temperature and enjoy!

Notes

Baking Tips:

How To Cut The Pecan Pie Bars Let’s make things easy on ourselves, shall we?
- First start by completely chilling the pecan bars.
- Next, loosen the edges of the pan on all four sides with a small knife to make lifting the bars out of the pan easier, and use the edges of the parchment paper to lift out.
- The bars will be heavy, so start with a gentle tug on the parchment, once successfully lifted, it’s handy to transfer them to a cutting board quickly.
- Make 8 cuts along the long 13” side, I start with a cut in the middle, then cut each half into four strips. Next, make 4 cuts along the short 9” side to yield at total of 32 pieces. Don’t be fooled, these are still pretty large!
To Store: They have a short shelf life, so be sure to store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if you are not planning to eat them within a day or two.
Freeze: Store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature overnight. If your oven has a proofer, you can warm them at 100°F for 45 minutes prior to serving.

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