Published Date: September 14, 2022
Category: Holiday Recipes
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Rich, buttery and crunchy with all the pecans, these easy Pecan Pie Bars can be a delicious sweet treat to try your hands at. Take it along for a potluck or batch make it for the family- these bars are a total crowdpleaser.
Table of Contents
🛒 INGREDIENTS
Crust:
- Flour
- Powdered sugar
- Salted butter
Filling:
- Eggs
- Brown sugar
- Corn syrup
- Flour
- Vanilla
- Salt
- Pecans
*see recipe card for detailed amounts
HOW TO MAKE PECAN PIE BARS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a square 9 inch pan baking pan with parchment paper. (I lay a large rectangle the width of the pan with the edges hanging over, and another going the opposite direction, again with the edges hanging over.)
- Make the crust: Combine the flour, confectioner’s sugar, and butter with a food processor (or pastry cutter) until it is crumbly. Press the crust gently and evenly into the baking pan.
- Bake the crust for 15-18 minutes or until just turning golden.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, vanilla, and salt. When this is fully combined, stir in the chopped pecans.
- When you remove the crust from the oven, pour the filling evenly on top of the crust.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set.
- It is best to allow the pecan pie bars to cool completely, and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting them.
HELPFUL NOTES:
- Baking the crust before adding the filling is an absolute must. Blind baking will help the crust not to be soggy, which would happen if we added the filling to an unbaked crust.
- Corn syrup is an absolute must for this recipe. You really won’t get the look or taste of pecan pie without the corn syrup.
STORAGE AND REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS:
Store the pecan pie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. These also freeze well for up to 3 months.
FAQS & SUBSTITUTIONS/VARIATIONS:
What Else Can I Add Into the Filling?
You can experiment to your heart’s content with the filling in these pecan pie bars. Throw in a pinch or two of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to bring out the fall flavors of the dish. Fancy a bit of chocolate? You can add some mini semi sweet chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks) as well.
Can I Make the Pecan Pie Bars in Advance?
Yes, you definitely can! These pecan pie bars are freezer friendly, which means you can store them for months. Just remember to allow them to cool down completely before you transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze them, depending on how long you want to store them.
What’s the Best Way to Serve these Bars?
These pecan pie bars taste fantastic when they are still warm, right out of the oven, or reheated in a microwave. To make them extra fancy, you can serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
Try Some of My Other Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
These pecan pie bars are the easiest way to enjoy your favorite pecan pie this fall, without hours of kitchen time.
EQUIPMENT
- 1 Square Baking Pan
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Food Processor or Pastry Cutter
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients for the Crust
- 1 cup Flour
- 1/3 cup Confectioner’s Sugar
- 1/2 cup Salted Butter , (cold, cut into ½ inch pieces)
Ingredients for the Filling
- 2 pcs Eggs
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 3/4 cup Dark Corn Syrup
- 1/4 cup Flour
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 cups Pecans
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a square 9 inch pan baking pan with parchment paper. (I lay a large rectangle the width of the pan with the edges hanging over, and another going the opposite direction, again with the edges hanging over.)
- Make the crust: Combine the flour, confectioner’s sugar, and butter with a food processor (or pastry cutter) until it is crumbly. Press the crust gently and evenly into the baking pan.
- Bake the crust for 15-18 minutes or until just turning golden.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, vanilla, and salt. When this is fully combined, stir in the chopped pecans.
- When you remove the crust from the oven, pour the filling evenly on top of the crust.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set.
- It is best to allow the pecan bars to cool completely, and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting them.
NOTES
Storage Instructions:
- Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. These also freeze well for up to 3 months.
- Can I use margarine in the crust instead of butter? To get the really tasty shortbread crust you really must use butter – it does make a difference.
- Do these bars need to be refrigerated? No, they may be stored at room temperature. You just want to chill them prior to cutting so that you will be able to cut neat bars.
- How can I be sure that the bars are fully cooked? The center should be almost set, not runny (a slight jiggle is fine), the edges will be completely set.
NUTRITION
Serving: 16ServingsCalories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 212mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 2gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 184IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg
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