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This is a must try recipe if you’re a pecan lover. Pecan Pie Bars offer you all of the goodness of a pecan pie without all the mess. They are quick to make and you can eat them with your hands!
I love this dessert for the holidays but don’t let that limit you. Pecan pie bars can be made year round. It features a shortbread crust with a delicious filling and then it is topped with pecans. Yum!
Pecan Pie Bars
The pecan squares are a delightful mix of pecan pie and cookie. The pecans are baked in a luscious caramel filling atop a crisp brown sugar crust. These pie bars are the easy, less complicated version of the pecan pie. They are a great addition to your holiday meal or a cookie plate to gift to neighbors.
The shortbread crust is the real MVP of this recipe. It is buttery and will melt in your mouth. Picture it like eating a shortbread cookie with pecan deliciousness on top.
These lovely bars are great to make ahead of time. I like to prepare them the day before and then refrigerate them until I am ready to cut and serve. Easy Peasy.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Granulated sugar
- Heavy cream
- Pecan halves
- Vanilla
Recipe Instructions
- To make the crust: Mix butter and brown sugar. Add salt, and mix to combine. Add flour 1 cup at a time.
- Press dough into baking pan. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown.
- To make the filling: Place butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla.
- Pour filling onto the cooled crust and then Bake. Cut into 1×3 inch bars. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you know when pecan pie bars are done?
Pecan pie bars are cooked when the center of the bars is set and not jiggly. You also want to watch for the edges to crisp up a bit.
Should I refrigerate pecan pie bars?
I tend to like them refrigerated because it makes them so much easier to cut into nice, uniform squares. You can either serve them chilled or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.
Can you freeze pecan pie bars?
How do you know when pecan pie bars are done? Pecan pie bars are cooked when the center of the bars is set and not jiggly. You also want to watch for the edges to crisp up a bit.
Where do the majority of pecans come from?
Pecan trees are native only to North America. 75% of the world’s pecan crop is grown in the sunbelt region of the U.S. (Southern/Southwest States).
More Recipes
- Cranberry Pecan Pie Bites
- Classic Pecan Pie
- Brown Sugar Banana Bread with Pecans and Chocolate Chips
- Homemade Samoa Bars
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie
If you’ve tried Pecan Pie Bars or any other recipe on Barbara Bakes, then don’t forget torate the recipeand leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me onInstagramso I can repost on my stories.
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5 from 2 votes
Pecan Pie Bars
Pecan Pie Bars offer you all of the goodness of a pecan pie in a cookie bar form. They are quick to make and you can eat them with your hands!
Prep Time1 hour hr
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Course: Bar Cookies, Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Dessert
Servings: 24 bars
Calories: 233kcal
Author: Melissa Griffiths
Ingredients
Crust
- 18 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup light-brown sugar firmly packed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick
- ½ cup light-brown sugar firmly packed
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups pecan halves 8 ounces
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Place rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
To make the crust: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add salt, and mix to combine. Add flour 1 cup at a time, on medium speed, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Continue mixing until the dough begins to come together in large clumps.
Press dough about ¼-inch thick into a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan.
Prick the pastry with the tines of a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
To make the filling: Place butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla.
Pour filling onto the cooled crust. Bake until filling bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Run a paring knife around edges of the pan, and invert onto cooling rack, leaving the pastry on the rack. Invert rack with pastry onto a cutting board, leaving the pastry on the board, filling side up.
Use a sharp knife to cut into 1-by-3-inch bars. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 397IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
After making these simple yet delicious Pecan Pie Bars you might not make the traditional pie version ever again. These bars taste so delicious and are way less work. Enjoy!
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About Melissa & Barbara
As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...
Reader Interactions
Comments
Joanne
I’m wondering if you can freeze these bars. I’ve made them before and I had none left But this time I will.
j
Reply
Melissa Griffiths
They’ll freeze great!
Reply
sally
Could you use milk instead of cream?
Reply
Barbara Schieving
Hi Sally – yes, I think milk would work fine.
Reply
Danelle H
I am goi go to try these. So for the crust you use 10 tablespoons of butter?
Reply
Barbara Schieving
Hi Danelle – No, 18 tablespoons which is 2 sticks of butter plus 2 tablespoons. Most cookie recipes use 2 sticks of butter, but this cookie base has 3 cups of flour so you need a little extra butter. Enjoy!
Reply
Karen
Whoever wrote this needs to divide up the ingredients into crust and topping, How much off all that butter is for the cookie crust and how much for the topping? None of it is detailed
Reply
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for the input Karen – I added where the filling ingredients start in the recipe. Enjoy!
Reply
christine
How do you think walnuts would be? Has anyone tried that?
Reply
Aletriana
This is the best recipe for Pecan Squares. I’m telling you once you try them you can’t stop making them. The are soooooo goooood. Barbara thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us.
Reply
Barbara
Aletriana – thanks for taking the time to let me know you loved the pecan squares. They definitely are addicting. I should make more soon!
Reply
shabs
oh barbarra….i love pecans n tis looks the best ever recipe that uses pecans….these looks just sinful….i am making these delectibles when i get some pecans on hand:)
LOve,
shabs.Reply
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