This recipe for Pecan Pie Bars is a delicious twist on pecan pie that can easily feed a holiday crowd. The filling is first cooked on the stove and then cooled slightly before being enriched with eggs. The cooled filling is then poured over crisp pecans atop a sweet, buttery dough and baked.
I started baking and selling these Pecan Pie Bars at farmers’ markets many years ago and they became my signature sweet. The bars can be dressed up for an elegant holiday gathering or dressed down for a church picnic. Either way, they are always a crowd pleaser.
This bar recipe evolved from a recipe for pecan pie filling that called for cooking butter, sugar and corn syrup on the stove first before baking. I was intrigued, since many pecan pie recipes involve melting butter and then simply whisking the rest of the ingredients together. After testing the recipe many times over and tweaking it to my taste, I am absolutely convinced that the extra effort it takes to briefly cook this filling first is worth it. The filling thickens and intensifies in flavor.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR PECAN PIE BARS
- Food processor or stand mixer: To make the shortcrust, you can use either a food processor fitted with a blade or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
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- 4 quart saucepan: I recommend at least this size of a pot because the filling tends to bubble up quite a bit. A pot with a heavy bottom is ideal and something that isn’t too heavy to tip and pour.
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- 9 x 13 baking pan: This size pan is perfect for making bars. The filling can also be baked in two – 9″ round pie crusts instead. The recipe can also be cut in half to make a single 9″ round pie or baked in a smaller 8 x 8 baking pan.
HOW THIS RECIPE COMES TOGETHER
- Make the crust. Cold, cubed butter is added to flour, sugar, salt and a bit of vanilla. The butter is “cut” into the dry ingredients either by the blade of a food processor or in a stand mixer. When the dough comes together, bits of butter will still be intact enough that the crust will be very crisp and crumbly when baked. It will first be pressed into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan and then chilled.
- Cook the filling. Butter, brown sugar and light corn syrup will be combined in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and cooked briefly on the stove. We are not aiming for a hard caramel here. The goal is to simply thicken the ingredients a bit before cooling the mixture down and adding eggs. Off the heat, salt and vanilla extract are added.
- Incorporate eggs into the filling. When the mixture has cooled slightly, whole eggs are slowly tempered into the hot caramel. Tempering simply means you are slowly bringing the temperature of an ingredient, in this case the eggs, closer to the temperature of the caramel so that the heat of the caramel doesn’t scramble the eggs. The mixture will become thick and more custard-like after the addition of eggs. The filling is then cooled to room temperature or chilled in the fridge before baking.
- Assemble and bake. Finally, whole pecans are even distributed over the chilled shortcrust and the filling is poured over top. The bars are then baked and cooled or chilled before being cut and served.
COMMON QUESTIONS
- Why do you use salted butter in your recipes? I tend to think that most dessert recipes need more salt. There is usually an addition of salt in my recipes as well as using salted butter. If you prefer to control the salt level more or have concern over it, feel free to use unsalted butter or to omit the additional salt in the recipes.
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- Can I use something other than corn syrup in the filling? Yes! I have had great success with brown rice syrup replacing the corn syrup. The corn syrup can be substituted 1:1 with brown rice syrup. I do not advise using honey, maple syrup or dark corn syrup as substitutes.
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- Can I bake a pie instead? Absolutely! This recipe makes enough filling for 2 – 9″ round pecan pies. Bake the pies at 350° F for 40-50 minutes until the center no longer loosely wobbles, just firmly jiggles. See my recipe for Pecan Pie for more detailed instructions!
Pecan Pie Bars
This recipe makes a 9 x 13 pan of pecan pie bars with a crisp shortcrust base.
Equipment
- 1 digital kitchen scale
- 1 food processor or stand mixer
- 1 4 quart saucepan or other heavy bottomed pot
- 1 heatproof spatula
- 1 whisk
- 1 9 x 13 baking pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
For the shortcrust
- 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) salted butter cold and cubed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
For the filling
- 1 cup (223 grams) salted butter
- 2 cups (425 grams) brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (390 grams) light corn syrup or brown rice syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups (160 – 210 grams) whole pecans
Instructions
To make the shortcrust
- If using a food processor: Combine all ingredients in the bowl fitted with a blade. Lock the lid and pulse until the ingredients begin to combine into a cohesive dough.If using a stand mixer: Combine all ingredients in the bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on medium low and mix until the ingredients begin to combine into a cohesive dough.180 grams all purpose flour, 67 grams granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, 170 grams cold salted butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper and then grease the pan. Dump the shortcrust dough into the greased pan. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan – no need to go up the sides.
- Chill the pan of shortcrust in the refrigerator while you make the filling. You can also wrap the pan and freeze the crust at this point for future use.
To make the filling
- In a heavy bottomed pot such as a 4 quart saucepan add the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Set on the stove over medium heat until the butter melts, stirring occasionally with a heat proof spatula. 223 grams salted butter, 425 grams brown sugar, 390 grams light corn syrup
- Turn the heat up slightly until the mixture begins to bubble. Lower the temperature and let the mixture boil gently for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla extract. Let this mixture cool off the heat for about 15 – 20 minutes.1 tsp fine sea salt, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Crack the eggs in a bowl and whisk them thoroughly. There are two ways to add the eggs to the warm caramel mixture. Typically, I set the pot of caramel on a towel or trivet to hold it in place. Then, I use a whisk to stir the caramel rapidly as I slowly pour the egg mixture directly into it. If you are afraid of scrambling the eggs, you can first temper them. Set your bowl of eggs on a towel or trivet so it doesn't move around and then slowly pour about a third of the hot caramel mixture into the eggs while whisking rapidly. Once the eggs are tempered, then you can whisk them into the remaining caramel mixture.6 large eggs
- If you happen to see a few little bits of scrambled eggs in your filling, don't fret! Just strain them out and no one will be the wiser.
- I recommend cooling the filling down to room temperature before baking. I prefer to chill the mixture completely in the refrigerator for the best results. The filling can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days or chilled for an hour or two before baking.
To bake the bars
- Preheat a conventional oven to 350° F.
- Sprinkle the whole pecans directly onto the chilled shortcrust. Then pour the cooled or chilled filling directly over top of the pecans and crust.
- Bake on the center rack for 45 – 50 minutes. When you jiggle the pan the filling should wobble firmly, not loosely. If the filling still seems rather liquid, continue to bake.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely. The bars are easier to cut when chilled first, but are also delicious at room temperature. Bars can be covered in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Notes
To make ahead: The shortcrust and filling can be made separately and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The bars once baked also hold up very well in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
To freeze: The shortcrust can be made and stored in a freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. The bars can also be frozen whole or individually and kept in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. I do not recommend freezing the filling on its own.
To make pies: The filling for this recipe makes enough for 2 – 9″ round pies that can be baked in store bought crusts at 350 degrees F for about 40-50 minutes. The filling recipe can also be cut in half to make 1 – 9″ round pecan pie.
No corn syrup? Simply replace the corn syrup in this recipe with brown rice syrup.
