Are you ready to serve something a little different this holiday season? Everyone knows the hard work that goes into making a pecan pie from scratch. Well, intensive stressful baking isn’t our thing at simple party food.
Instead, we are making these over the top delicious pecan pie BARS with an easy to make shortbread crust.
How to make Pecan Pie Bars with a shortbread crust:
Begin by making the crust in a stand mixer until you have a sticky clumpy dough.
Bake the shortbread crust just until it turns golden
Mix the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl.
Pour the filling over the pie crust and bake
TIPS:
- Try adding some crushed salted pretzels on top
- Allow these bars to cool COMPLETELY otherwise the caramel filling will be runny and ooze out
- Using parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray will allow a much easier removal after baking
SIMPLE Pecan Pie Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
For the Crust
- ½ Cup Butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 ¼ Cups All purpose flour
- ¼ Cup Brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 2–3 Tablespoons cold water, if needed
For the Filling
- 1 Cup Light Corn syrup
- ½ Cup Brown sugar
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Chopped pecans
- ¼ Cup Flour
Instructions
To Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat an oven to 375°F. Line an 8” square baking dish with parchment paper and spray it lightly with non-stick baking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter, flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon on low speed until it comes together in large clumps. If the dough seems too dry, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together in large clumps. It should only 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to the parchment lined baking dish and pat it into a smooth, compacted layer.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is starting to turn golden brown around the edges.
- When the crust has finished baking, remove it from the oven, poke it 8-10 times with a fork and set it aside to cool.
To Prepare the Filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the chopped pecans and flour.
- Add the pecans/flour to the wet ingredients and fold them to combine. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling no longer jiggles when gently shaken.
- Allow the bars to cool completely and then transfer them to the fridge for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
This crust has a shortbread-like texture that helps keep the bars together. If you prefer a more flakey crust, start with frozen, cubed butter rather than softened butter.
Poking the crust after it has been baked allows it to rise slightly which creates a lighter, softer crust.
Make sure to let the bars chill fully before slicing so it can set properly. If the pan is still warm, the filling will still be runny.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
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