• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Baking Course
  • About Me
  • Newsletter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Baking Course
  • About Me
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Baking Course
    • About Me
    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Pecan Pie Bars

    Published: Sep 7, 2022 by Shiran · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    These simple pecan pie bars taste just like pecan pie in bar form! They’re made with a tender shortbread crust and topped with gooey pecan pie filling. They’re easy to make and perfect for the holidays.

    Pecan Pie Bars

    I fell in love with pecan pie bars the moment I first tried them. They’re a great dessert to have around whenever I’m craving a piece of pecan pie. It’s simple and tasty and perfect for a crowd. You can cut the bars big (for yourself) or smaller if you need to feed more people.

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    We'll email this recipe link to you, so you can come back to it later!

    What are pecan pie bars made of?

    These easy pecan bars are made of a simple shortbread crust that gets its delicious flavor from a combination of butter, sugar, and flour. The topping is a gooey, creamy, caramel-y pecan pie filling loaded with pecans.

    Pecan Pie Bars

    How to make pecan bars

    1. Start by making the crust. There are two ways to do this, and I recommend choosing whichever you feel more comfortable with:
      1. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or a food processer, or:
      2. Melt the butter and pour it over the dry ingredients in a bowl until evenly combined and crumbly pieces are formed.Whichever you choose, press the crust crumbs into the pan to form an even layer and bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. The crust shouldn’t be fully baked at this point. Baking the crust before adding the filling will prevent a soggy crust. Let the crust cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before adding the filling.
    2. Make the filling. Start by heating butter, maple syrup, and sugar in a saucepan just until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Then, you’ll need to let the mixture cool until lukewarm before adding the eggs. Once cooled, add the rest of the ingredients except for the pecans, and mix until smooth. Stir in the pecans then spread that deliciousness over the warm crust. Bake until the filling appears set.

    Pecan Pie Bars

    Two tips for making perfect pecan pie bars

    • Don’t overmix the crust dough. This will result in tougher, denser crust, and we want the shortbread crust to be perfectly flaky, crumbly, and buttery (yum).
    • Don’t overbake the crust. When you bake the crust the first time, pull it out as soon as the edges start to brown (about 15 minutes). You want it to be set but not too firm before you bake it again with the pecan topping.
    • Use powdered sugar for an extra-tender crust. Substitute equal amounts powdered sugar for granulated sugar in the shortbread to make an ultra, melt-in-your mouth crust.

    More pecan goodies to try:

    • Pecan Pie Brownies. Chocolate, fudgy brownies are topped with a layer of gooey pecan pie filling for a sinful treat.
    • Chocolate Pecan Espresso Cake. Tender and moist, this cake is served best next to a steaming cup of tea or coffee.
    • My Favorite Pecan Pie. This classic pecan pie is perfectly delicious and makes as amazing holiday dessert
    • Maple Pecan Sticky Buns. Tender and rich, these sticky buns have a maple pecan filling and make the perfect breakfast pastry.
    Pecan Pie Bars
    5 from 1 vote
    Print

    Pecan Pie Bars Recipe

    These pecan pie bars are made with a tender shortbread crust and a rich, caramel-y pecan topping. If you have it, use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar for the crust (not the filling), which gives a melt-in-your-mouth texture to the crust. Substitute 100g granulated sugar with 100g powdered sugar (¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons). Enjoy!

    Prep Time 25 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
    YIELD 16 large squares (or 30 smaller bars)

    Ingredients

    Crust:

    • 1 and ¾ cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup (2 sticks/230 g) cold butter, cut into small cubes
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    Filling:

    • ½ cup (1 stick/115g) unsalted butter
    • ½ cup (100 g) dark or light brown sugar
    • ½ cup (150 g) pure maple syrup
    • Pinch salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 3 cups (300 g) pecan halves, coarsely chopped and preferably toasted

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the sides for lifting the bars out of the pan after baking. Set aside.

    2. Make the crust: process flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor for a few seconds until combined. Add butter and vanilla extract and pulse until mixture becomes crumbly and resembles coarse meal. Alternatively, you can crumble all the ingredients together in a bowl using a pastry cutter. Press crumbs firmly into prepared baking pan to form a crust. Bake for about 15 minutes, until  the edges just start to turn golden brown. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before adding the pecan filling.

    3. Make the filling: Heat butter, sugar, and maple syrup together in a saucepan, stirring constantly, until the mixture is boiling and sugar dissolves. Let mixture cool slightly, then whisk in salt, eggs, and vanilla. Add pecans and mix. Pour filling evenly over the crust.

    4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until filling is set. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving so that the filling can set. Lift bars out of the pan using the parchment paper and cut into squares. Store bars in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

    More Dessert

    • Refreshing Watermelon Juice
    • Creamy orange curd in a jar with a spoonful of curd being removed, flanked by fresh oranges.
      How To Make Orange Curd
    • Chocolate Panna Cotta with shaved chocolate and a dollop of whipped cream.
      Chocolate Panna Cotta (Easy)
    • Citrusy orange cupcakes with a swirl of orange cream cheese frosting surrounded by fresh oranges.
      10 Orange Flavored Desserts You’ll Love

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Annie says

      July 11, 2018 at 2:04 am

      I made these today and they turned out beautiful. One major modification I made was to substitute brown sugar syrup (1 1/2 cup brown sugar + 5 tbsp water) for corn syrup. I was very nervous until it came out. I’m so glad it didn’t ruin your perfect pecan pie recipe. And I noticed a minor typo in the instruction (3) for base that it has to be 1 3/4 cups instead of “1/34 cups flour …”

      Reply
      • Ruth says

        August 04, 2018 at 4:05 pm

        Do you use a glass 13×9 pan, or a metal one??? This sounds like a dream recipe and want to get it right.

        Reply
        • Shiran says

          August 05, 2018 at 10:55 am

          I use aluminum/steel cake pans, but a glass pan would work as well.

          Reply
      • MARCIA ALLISON says

        January 29, 2019 at 10:38 pm

        I don’t see corn syrup in the recipe. Are you referring to the maple syrup?

        Reply
    2. marry says

      September 07, 2018 at 8:08 am

      very nice website

      Reply
    3. maurice otieno says

      April 28, 2023 at 5:25 am

      Very good recipe

      Reply
      • Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says

        April 29, 2023 at 3:54 pm

        Thank you, Maurice!

        Reply
    4. Janet says

      November 14, 2023 at 4:36 pm

      Can I substitute corn syrup for the maple syrup? Same amount? Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says

        November 16, 2023 at 8:20 pm

        Hi Janet, I haven’t used that substitution in this recipe so I’m not sure if that will work. Try substituting with a 1:1 ratio for the best consistency.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Stephanie! Join me in my kitchen, where we’ll be making simple and classic desserts and learning the science of baking along the way.

    More about me →

    Find A Recipe

    Recent Popular Recipes

    • Shaved asparagus salad with chive blossom vinaigrette dressing.
      Shaved Asparagus Salad with Chive Blossom Vinaigrette
    • 11 Cookies and cream oreo desserts with 6 different desserts showcased.
      11 Oreo Cookie Desserts You’ll Love
    • Moist lemon poppy seed scone broken in half to show its texture, topped with icing and styled with fresh citrus.
      Lemon Poppy Seed Cream Scones
    • Orange Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
      Orange Chocolate Rolls
    Shop King Arthur Baking for all your baking needs!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Website Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Testimonial Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Pretty. Simple. Sweet.