Anyone that loves pecan pie will love this recipe for Pecan Pie Bars. They are easy to enjoy for a snack but decadent enough for dessert. This is the perfect treat.
Pecan Pie is a tradition at my house, but I wanted to try something different. I thought why not turn everyone’s favorite pie into cute little squares? The results were fabulous and incredibly tasty. We also like to make Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars.
What's in this post: Easy Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
Why we love this recipe
Whether you need dessert for the next family gathering or just an afternoon treat, this is the recipe to try. They are easy to make with simple ingredients. Pecan Pie has all the flavors perfect for Thanksgiving dessert.
They are delicious with a hot cup of coffee and balance the sweetness of the pecan bars perfectly. If you love pecans also try our Candied Pecans Stovetop Recipe.
Ingredients
Crust
- Butter, room temperature
- Granulated Sugar
- All Purpose Flour
Pecan Topping
- Light Brown Sugar
- Corn Syrup (light or dark)
- Butter, melted
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Chopped Pecan Halves
Variations
- Use Different Nuts – You can easily add in sliced almonds for added flavor.
- Cheesecake Bars – You can make cheesecake pecan pie bars by mixing a cream cheese layer.
- Change the pie crust – Make a brownie crust or a graham crust to change up the flavoring. We love the shortbread crust but it is fun to change up the flavoring.
- Chocolate Chip – If you love chocolate as much as I do, mix in some chocolate chips.
- Cool Whip – Serve with some cool whip or homemade whipped cream.
How to Make Pecan Pie Bars
- Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Step 2. Prepare the baking dish by lining with foil or parchment paper.
Step 3. Cream the butter and Sugar with a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Combine the melted butter and sugar until these ingredients are thoroughly combined. Next, add the flour.
Step 4. Press the mixture in the pan and bake the crust until golden brown.
Step 5. Combine the ingredients in a separate large bowl. Whisk together the topping ingredients except for the pecans until these ingredients are combined.
Step 6. Stir in the pecans.
Step 7. Pour this mixture over the crust once it’s finished baking. Bake until the filling is set.
Step 8. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting making sure the center is set. You can use a cutting board to cut the bars if you want to lift the bars out of the pan.
FAQs
Slice and keep in an airtight container in the fridge. They will stay fresh for up to 4 days but ours are eaten much faster than that.
Yes, store any leftover pecan pie bars in the fridge in an airtight container. They will keep for about 4 days.
You most certainly can and we do this a lot. You can freeze the bars up to 6 months. This is perfect if you have an event coming up and need to get as much done as possible before hand.
Yes! We love to double the recipe so that we can have some to freeze. This is perfect for holiday baking and when you want to bake ahead of time.
Just put in a freezer bag and they will keep up to 5-6 months. I do recommend putting parchment paper in between the bars to prevent sticking.
Pro Tips
- Line Baking Dish – We love using parchment paper or foil because it makes clean up so easy and helps to get the bars out of the baking dish.
- Crushing Pecans – If you don’t have a food processor, you can also crush the pecans if you buy whole ones in a sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin.
- Corn Syrup – Before pouring the corn syrup in a measuring cup, spray with non stick cooking spray. This allows all the corn syrup to pour out of the measuring cup.
- Stock up on Nuts – Nuts can get expensive that is why we try and stock up when they go on sale. You can stick them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.
More Pecan Dessert Recipes
- Caramel Pecan Praline Ice Cream Recipe
- Easy Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake Recipe
- Pecan Pie Cookies
Once you try this recipe, please let me know if you liked it by leaving a comment or star rating.
Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
- Crust Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup butter room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- Pecan Topping:
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup corn syrup light or dark
- 2 Tablespoon Butter melted
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups pecan halves chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 9X13 baking pan with foil or parchment paper
- Using a stand up mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar until these ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Then mix in the flour until just combined.
- Press this flour mixture into the bottom of the 9X13 pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together to the topping ingredients except for the pecans until these ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Stir in the pecans.
- Pour this mixture over the crust once it’s finished baking. It’s ok to pour it on the hot crust.
- Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the center of the bars are set.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting.
You indicated that you can use a hand mixer? How can that be done without a paddle attachment? Thanks!
These can be made with a dough attachment for a hand-held mixer. Thank you!