Pecan Pie Bars

Warm, buttery, and intensely nutty, Pecan Pie Bars offer the quintessential flavors of pecan pie in a convenient, handheld format, delivering a satisfyingly sweet and crunchy treat that is perfect for any occasion, from casual gatherings to elegant dessert spreads. These are not your average cookies; they are a decadent indulgence, where the rich caramel notes of brown sugar and butter meld with the toasted goodness of pecans, all nestled in a buttery shortbread crust, creating a bar that is both comforting and sophisticated, perfectly suited for potlucks, holiday desserts, or simply enjoying a moment of sweet satisfaction, promising a delightful and versatile treat that is sure to become a new baking staple for its ease and irresistible taste. Envision the golden-brown bars, glistening with a luscious pecan filling, the enticing aroma of toasted nuts and sweet caramel filling your kitchen, and the anticipation of that first bite, delivering a symphony of textures and flavours that dance on your palate and leave you utterly delighted, promising a baking experience that is both rewarding and utterly delightful to share. This recipe is your guide to effortless pecan pie bar perfection, bringing the classic taste of Pecan Pie Bars to your home, ready to impress with their deliciousness and guaranteed to become a cherished recipe for their simple elegance and delightful taste.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe?

Classic Pecan Pie Flavor Portable and Convenient Bars

Embrace the beloved flavour of pecan pie in a convenient bar form with Pecan Pie Bars. This recipe captures all the classic flavors of pecan pie – the buttery crust, the rich caramel filling, and the crunchy pecans – in an easy-to-eat and portable bar, making them perfect for on-the-go snacking, lunchboxes, or any time you crave pecan pie without the fuss of a whole pie, offering a familiar and comforting flavour in a new and practical format, making them a perfect choice for those who love pecan pie but appreciate the ease and portability of bars, providing a delightful twist on a classic dessert. Enjoy all the flavour of pecan pie, but in an easier-to-make and more portable bar form. These bars capture the classic pecan pie taste, making them a perfect choice for pecan pie lovers who appreciate convenience and seek a handheld treat that is just as delicious as the original pie.

Perfect Texture Combination Chewy, Crunchy, and Buttery

Indulge in the delightful texture combination of Pecan Pie Bars. This recipe creates bars with a perfectly balanced texture – a buttery and crumbly shortbread crust, a chewy and gooey caramel filling, and a satisfyingly crunchy pecan topping, offering a symphony of textures in every bite, making them a truly delightful sensory experience and ensuring each bar is both satisfyingly chewy and pleasantly crunchy, providing a textural contrast that enhances the overall enjoyment and makes them utterly irresistible, making them a perfect choice for those who appreciate textural complexity in their desserts. These bars offer a delightful combination of textures: a buttery shortbread crust, a chewy caramel filling, and crunchy pecans. Enjoy the textural symphony in every bite, making them a perfect choice for those who appreciate desserts with varied and satisfying textures.

Easy to Make Simpler Than Pie Baking Made Simple

Appreciate the ease of making Pecan Pie Bars. This recipe simplifies pecan pie baking by using a press-in shortbread crust and a straightforward filling, eliminating the need for pie crust rolling and intricate pie-making techniques, making them a perfect baking project for both beginner and experienced bakers, offering a less intimidating approach to pecan pie and ensuring delicious results with minimal effort, making them a perfect choice for those who want to enjoy pecan pie without the hassle of traditional pie-making, providing a simplified baking experience that is both rewarding and stress-free. Making pecan pie bars is much easier than making a traditional pecan pie. Enjoy the simplified baking process, making them a perfect choice for those who want the flavour of pecan pie without the fuss and seek a recipe that is both easy and delivers impressive results.

Dessert Convenience Plan Ahead for Parties

Discover the make-ahead convenience of Pecan Pie Bars. These bars can be baked ahead of time and stored beautifully, making them a perfect dessert option for parties, holidays, or any event where you need to prepare in advance, allowing you to bake them days ahead and saving valuable time on the day of your gathering, offering a stress-free dessert solution and ensuring a delicious and impressive treat is ready whenever you need it, simplifying your party preparations and making them a perfect choice for hosts who value convenience and seek make-ahead dessert options. These bars are ideal for making ahead of time, perfect for parties and holiday gatherings. Enjoy the convenience of make-ahead dessert preparation, making them a perfect choice for stress-free entertaining and ensuring a delicious treat is ready when you need it.

Perfect for Sharing Portable and Crowd-Pleasing Treat

Embrace the shareable nature of Pecan Pie Bars. Cut into squares or rectangles, these bars are perfect for sharing at potlucks, picnics, bake sales, or any gathering where you need a crowd-pleasing dessert, offering individual portions that are easy to serve and transport, making them a delightful treat to bring to any event and ensuring everyone can enjoy a piece of pecan pie goodness, making them a perfect choice for sharing with friends and family and spreading the sweet joy of homemade baking. Bars are perfect for sharing and transporting, making them ideal for potlucks, picnics, and bake sales. Enjoy the portability and crowd-pleasing nature of these bars, making them a perfect choice for sharing with friends and family and bringing a delicious treat to any gathering.

Ingredients

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For the Buttery Shortbread Crust

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled. All-purpose flour provides the structure for the shortbread crust, creating a tender and crumbly base. Spoon and level flour for accurate measurement and consistent results.
• ½ cup powdered sugar, powdered sugar, also known as icing sugar. Powdered sugar adds sweetness and tenderness to the shortbread crust, contributing to its delicate texture. Powdered sugar provides a fine sweetness.
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, unsalted butter, cold and cubed unsalted butter. Cold unsalted butter is crucial for creating a flaky and tender shortbread crust. Cubed butter makes it easier to cut into the flour mixture.
• ¼ teaspoon salt, kosher salt or sea salt. Salt enhances the flavours of the shortbread crust, balancing the sweetness and preventing a bland taste. Kosher salt or sea salt are preferred for their pure flavour and even seasoning.

For the Rich Pecan Pie Filling

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar, light brown sugar, packed. Light brown sugar adds caramel flavour and moisture to the pecan pie filling, contributing to its chewy and gooey texture. Packed brown sugar ensures accurate measurement.
• ½ cup corn syrup, light corn syrup. Light corn syrup adds sweetness and a glossy sheen to the pecan pie filling, also contributing to its chewy texture. Light corn syrup is a classic ingredient in pecan pie filling.
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, unsalted butter, melted unsalted butter. Melted unsalted butter adds richness and flavour to the pecan pie filling, enhancing its buttery notes. Melted butter ensures smooth incorporation into the filling.
• 3 large eggs, large eggs, lightly beaten large eggs. Large eggs bind the pecan pie filling together and add richness and structure. Lightly beaten eggs incorporate smoothly into the filling.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pure vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract enhances the overall flavour profile of the pecan pie filling, adding a warm and aromatic note. Pure vanilla extract provides the best flavour.
• ¼ teaspoon salt, kosher salt or sea salt. Salt enhances the flavours of the pecan pie filling, balancing the sweetness and preventing a bland taste. Kosher salt or sea salt are preferred for their pure flavour and even seasoning.
• 2 cups pecan halves, pecan halves, toasted pecan halves. Pecan halves are the star ingredient, providing nutty flavour and satisfying crunch to the pecan pie filling. Toasting pecans enhances their flavour and crispness. Ensure to use halal certified pecans.

How to Make Pecan Pie Bars ?

Step 1: Prepare the Shortbread Crust

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Preheat oven to the specified temperature for baking the shortbread crust.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, powdered sugar, and salt. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt until well combined. Whisking ensures even distribution of dry ingredients.

Cut in cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Cut in cold cubed unsalted butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Keeping butter cold and using a pastry blender or fingertips prevents overworking the dough and ensures a tender crust.

Press dough evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch baking pan. Press shortbread dough evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch baking pan using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup to create a smooth and even crust.

Bake crust for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Bake shortbread crust in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges and set. Baking the crust partially before adding filling prevents a soggy bottom crust.

Step 2: Prepare the Pecan Pie Filling

In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter. In a medium saucepan, combine packed light brown sugar, light corn syrup, and melted unsalted butter.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and simmering, about 2-3 minutes. Cook sugar mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until sugar is fully dissolved and mixture is smooth and simmering gently, about 2-3 minutes. Stirring prevents sugar from burning and ensures smooth caramelization.

Remove saucepan from heat and let cool slightly for a few minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let sugar mixture cool slightly for a few minutes before adding eggs to prevent them from cooking.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs. In a separate small bowl, lightly beat large eggs using a fork or whisk.

Whisk beaten eggs into the warm sugar mixture gradually, whisking constantly to prevent eggs from scrambling. Gradually whisk lightly beaten eggs into the warm sugar mixture in a slow and steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent eggs from scrambling and ensure smooth incorporation.

Stir in vanilla extract, salt, and toasted pecan halves. Stir in pure vanilla extract, salt (kosher salt or sea salt), and toasted pecan halves into the egg-sugar mixture until evenly combined. Vanilla extract and salt enhance flavour. Pecans are added last to maintain their texture.

Step 3: Assemble and Bake the Pecan Pie Bars

Pour pecan pie filling over the pre-baked shortbread crust, spreading evenly. Pour prepared pecan pie filling evenly over the pre-baked shortbread crust in the baking pan, spreading to ensure even distribution of pecans.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. Bake pecan pie bars in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until filling is set (jiggles slightly in the center but not liquidy) and crust is golden brown and edges are slightly crisp. Baking time may vary slightly depending on oven.

Let Pecan Pie Bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares or bars. Let baked Pecan Pie Bars cool completely in the baking pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares or bars. Cooling completely allows filling to set fully and bars to firm up for cleaner cutting.

Cut Pecan Pie Bars into squares or bars and serve. Cut cooled Pecan Pie Bars into squares or bars using a sharp knife and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Enjoy each buttery, nutty, and decadent Pecan Pie Bar.

Tips for Variations

Chocolate Drizzle Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate Decadent Touch

Drizzle melted dark chocolate or milk chocolate over cooled pecan pie bars for an extra layer of decadence and flavour. Melted chocolate adds richness and visual appeal. Use good quality halal certified chocolate.

Salted Caramel Swirl Salted Caramel Sauce Sweet and Salty

Swirl salted caramel sauce into the pecan pie filling before baking for a sweet and salty flavour twist. Salted caramel sauce adds a trendy flavour element. Use store-bought or homemade halal certified salted caramel sauce.

Maple Pecan Bars Maple Syrup Flavor Warm and Aromatic

Substitute maple syrup for some of the corn syrup in the filling for a warm maple flavour variation. Maple syrup adds a distinct and aromatic sweetness. Adjust corn syrup amount accordingly.

Bourbon Pecan Bars Bourbon Infusion Sophisticated Flavor (Alcohol-Free Bourbon Flavoring)

Add 1-2 tablespoons of alcohol-free bourbon flavoring to the pecan pie filling for a sophisticated bourbon-infused flavour (ensure alcohol-free). Alcohol-free bourbon flavoring adds a complex and warm note. Use sparingly as it is potent.

Spiced Pecan Bars Cinnamon, Nutmeg, or Ginger Warm Spices

Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger to the pecan pie filling for a warm spice flavour profile that complements pecans. Cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger add warmth and spice complexity. Use spices sparingly to avoid overpowering other flavours.

Serving Suggestions

Vanilla Ice Cream Classic Pairing Cool and Creamy

Serve Pecan Pie Bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a classic and delightful pairing, offering a cool and creamy contrast to the warm and nutty bars. Vanilla ice cream is a traditional accompaniment to pecan pie. Ensure to use halal certified vanilla ice cream.

Whipped Cream Light and Airy Topping Simple Elegance

Top Pecan Pie Bars with a dollop of whipped cream for a light and airy topping, adding a touch of elegance and creaminess. Whipped cream adds a simple and classic topping. Ensure to use halal certified whipped cream.

Coffee or Tea Warm Beverage Complement Cozy Pairing

Serve Pecan Pie Bars with a warm beverage like coffee or tea for a cozy and comforting pairing, enhancing the enjoyment of both the dessert and the drink. Coffee or tea are classic pairings for pecan pie.

Caramel Sauce Drizzle Extra Caramel Indulgence

Drizzle caramel sauce over Pecan Pie Bars before serving for an extra dose of caramel flavour and indulgence, enhancing the sweetness and gooeyness. Caramel sauce intensifies caramel flavour. Use store-bought or homemade halal certified caramel sauce.

Fruit Salad Fresh and Light Contrast Balanced Dessert

Serve Pecan Pie Bars alongside a fresh fruit salad for a lighter and refreshing contrast, balancing the richness of the bars with the freshness of fruit. Fruit salad provides a refreshing counterpoint to the rich bars.

FAQ

Can I use pre-made pie crust for Pecan Pie Bars?

While this recipe is designed for a shortbread crust, you can use a pre-made pie crust in a pinch, but the texture will be different. Shortbread crust provides a unique crumbly texture.

How do I store Pecan Pie Bars?

Store Pecan Pie Bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Refrigeration is recommended for longer storage and warmer climates.

Can I freeze Pecan Pie Bars?

Yes, Pecan Pie Bars freeze well. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Freezing is a good option for make-ahead dessert preparation.

Why is my pecan pie filling runny?

Runny pecan pie filling can be caused by underbaking or not cooking the sugar mixture long enough. Ensure to bake bars until filling is set and jiggles only slightly. Cook sugar mixture until simmering and sugar is fully dissolved.

Can I use chopped pecans instead of pecan halves?

Yes, you can use chopped pecans instead of pecan halves, but pecan halves provide a more visually appealing and texturally satisfying topping. Chopped pecans will still provide nutty flavour.

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