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Pecan Bars Recipe: How to Make Pecan Pie Bars

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Dec 31, 2022 • 2 min read

Pecan bars make a superb sweet, sticky, and nutty Thanksgiving dessert, but the ingredients are available year-round. Use light or dark corn syrup and brown sugar, depending on how dark you want the filling to be.

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What Are Pecan Bars?

Pecan bars, or pecan pie bars, are a gooey baked dessert with the flavors and textures of classic pecan pie but in bar form. The pecan pie filling gets its texture from corn syrup, which surrounds the chopped pecans and creates a sticky, chewy pie filling. Pecan pie bars bake in a rectangular or square baking dish with a shortbread crust on the bottom instead of a pie crust that goes up the sides.

3 Tips for Making Pecan Bars

Pecan pie bars have the flavor of traditional pecan pie but are easy to make, like brownies. Follow the tips below for sweet and crunchy pecan bars.

  1. 1. Bake the crust first. A buttery shortbread crust is tender and crumbly. Baking the crust first gives it some structure to hold up the heavy pecan pie filling. Prebaking a crust is typical for pie and pie bar recipes.
  2. 2. Swap some of the corn syrup for maple syrup. Corn syrup is a mild, sweet substance that gives pecan bars their sweetness and structure. Maple syrup is thinner but more flavorful. Try swapping a little maple syrup in place of some of the corn syrup for an earthier flavor.
  3. 3. Add chocolate chips. Pecan bars are a sweet dessert, and adding dark chocolate helps break up the sweetness with a touch of bitterness. Fold chocolate chips into the pecan pie filling, scatter them on top of the bars, or melt them to create a layer of chocolate between the crust and the pie filling. (If you choose this last option, allow the chocolate layer to cool completely before adding the pecan pie filling.)

Simple Pecan Bars Recipe

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makes

1 8-inch square pan of pecan bars

prep time

15 min

total time

1 hr 23 min

cook time

1 hr 8 min

Ingredients

For the shortbread crust:

For the pecan filling and assembly:

Make the shortbread crust:

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. 2

    Grease an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.

  3. 3

    Line the baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang.

  4. 4

    In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cold, cubed butter, sugar, and flour.

  5. 5

    Pulse the crust ingredients until the dough has the consistency of damp sand and some pea-sized pieces of butter remain.

  6. 6

    Pour the crust into the prepared pan in an even layer.

  7. 7

    Bake the crust until light golden brown, about 18 minutes.

Make the pecan filling and assemble:

  1. 1

    In a large bowl, combine the corn syrup, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, eggs, melted butter, and cinnamon.

  2. 2

    Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the baked crust and pour the pie filling over the pecans.

  3. 3

    Bake the pecan pie bars until the filling sets, about 50 minutes.

  4. 4

    Cool the bars to room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

  5. 5

    Store leftover pecan pie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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