Best Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
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These are the best Pecan Pie Bars. This easy dessert recipe features a shortbread crust topped with a sweet pecan pie filling. These bars are perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas and throughout the year.
These Best Pecan Pie Bars are nutty, buttery, rich, and delicious! They taste like pecan pie – but are made into an easy-to-eat bar! They are easier to make anytime and they feed more people than a single pie. These characteristics make these pecan pie bars perfect for parties, gatherings, and any time you want to share them with several people. And since this scrumptious dessert is cut into bars, people may help themselves to more than one!
The Best Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
My family’s Pecan Pie Recipe is one of the more popular recipes on my website and later in my cookbook. It has been for years! It has been a favorite of my family for generations and I can’t remember a family Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration that it wasn’t included. Then, back in 2011, I shared my recipe for these easy, amazing Pecan Pie Bars. And they have been a favorite recipe as well. These delicious bars aren’t just for the holidays. They are great throughout the year!
If you are looking for something that is perfect to serve a large crowd, easy as can be to make and even easier to eat, and that still brings out that nostalgic, traditional pecan pie flavor, this is a recipe you should definitely try!
How to Make The Best Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
- Butter – softened butter is used for the crust and melted butter for the filling.
- Flour – all-purpose flour is used for the shortbread crust.
- Sugar – sugar is used for the crust and for the filling.
- Eggs – make sure the eggs are at room temperature for better mixing into the filling.
- Maple Syrup – you can also use light or dark corn syrup if you prefer.
- Vanilla Extract – I love the flavor from my homemade vanilla extract or you can use store-bought pure vanilla extract.
- Pecans – use your preference of pecan halves or roughly chopped pecans.
Optional Ingredients
- Salt Topping – Sprinkle sea salt flakes or coarse sea salt over the top of the bars once they have cooled slightly.
Step-by-Step Instructions
For the Pecan Pie Bar Crust:
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×13 baking pan with foil or parchment paper.
- Mix. Mix together sugar, softened butter, and all-purpose flour with an electric mixer until just well combined.
- Bake. Press the shortbread crust mixture into the baking pan and bake until the edges turn light golden brown, about 20 minutes.
For the Pecan Pie Bar Filling:
- Mix. Add eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup (or corn syrup), vanilla extract, melted butter, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Beat together until smooth. Stir in the pecans. Pour the filling onto the pre-baked crust.
- Bake. Bake the pecan pie bars until golden brown and the center has set, for about 30 minutes.
- Serve. Once done, remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the pecan pie bars to cool completely.
Do You Have to Refrigerate These Bars?
I recommend that these bars be refrigerated to keep them firm and for longer-lasting bars and since they contain eggs. If you prefer to serve them a bit softer, remove them from the refrigerator for a few moments before serving.
If you prefer to serve them warm, reheat them in a 300º F oven for about 5 minutes! So delicious with a cup of coffee for dessert or even breakfast. (shhh!)
Can You Freeze Pecan Pie Bars?
Yes, absolutely! One of the best things about these delicious bars is that they are so easy to make ahead to serve later, including freezing them for up to 3 months!
To freeze them, allow them to cool completely after baking.
Freeze as Individual Bars:
You can go ahead and cut these into individual bars and place them into an airtight, freezer-safe container. Separate each of the pieces with parchment paper. Then, store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or reheat in a 300ºF oven for about 15 minutes until warmed throughout.
Freeze the Full Recipe:
Cover well with parchment paper and then wrap in a freezer-safe dish with foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or reheat in a 300º F oven for about 20 – 30 minutes until warmed throughout.
More Dessert Bars We Love
Here’s my Southern Pecan Pie Bars recipe. I hope you love them!
Southern Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
Pecan Pie Bar Crust:
- 1/3 cup (66 g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (170 g) butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
For the Pecan Pie Bar Filling:
- 3 large (150 g) eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (107 g) brown sugar, or cane sugar
- 1 cup (312 g) maple syrup, or corn syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
- 2 cups (228 g) pecans, Optional: use halves or roughly chopped
- sea salt flakes, Optional
Instructions
For the Pecan Pie Bar Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Line 9×13 baking dish with foil or parchment paper. Mix together the sugar, butter and flour call for in the crust portion with an electric mixer.
- Press into the bottom of the 9×13 baking dish and bake until the edges turn light golden brown, about 20 minutes.
For the Pecan Pie Bar Filling:
- Add the eggs, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, melted butter, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until smooth. Stir in the pecans. Pour the filling onto the cooked crust.
- Bake the pecan pie bars until golden brown and the center has set, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. Optional: Sprinkle with sea salt flakes while barely warm.
- Store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Yum, wishing you had a gluten free crust for this to share somewhere? thanks
John, I haven’t made this crust gluten free but you should be able to use gluten free flour to make this crust.
question: Reading through the comments some recommend to double the filling if making in a 9×13″ pan; however, the recipe as printed requests a 9×13″ pan – have you adjusted the filling recipe to the 9×13 pan?
These look tremendous and i plan to make them tonight
Sandi, the original recipe was for an 8×8 pan. You would have needed to double the ingredients for a 9×13 pan. I updated the recipe a couple of years ago so it would fit a 9×13 pan. Just make the recipe in the amounts listed. I hope you enjoy.
I first made these bars for Thanksgiving last year. They were gone before we ever ate dinner!! I couldn’t keep everyone away from them. Since that time, this recipe is requested for all our family gatherings. They are AMAZING, and on top of that, so easy to make!
Thanks for letting me know how everyone loved these bars, Monica.
Just found your site & made your southern pecan bites for our poll workers tomorrow. They are delicious!
What a nice thing to do, Elaine. I hope everyone enjoys them. Thanks
Absolutely love this pecan pie bar recipe. It was quick and easy. The taste was every bit as good as pecan pie, I actually think better! Thanks for an amazing recipe.
Thank you, Patricia.
Mine was not set at 30 minutes was still loose. When do you know if you over baked? It should set without so much wiggle?
Barbara, you will have a slight jiggle in the middle of the bars but the edges should be stable. The jiggle will look similar to Jello when you give it a little shake. The bars will continue to set as they cool. The bars are overcooked if they are firm with no jiggle when you take them out of the oven.
So what would happen if I didn’t bake the crust first??? I totally forgot and put it all together 😫
Your crust probably wouldn’t be baked as much as needed and crust may be soggy.
Hi, I found your recipe for pecan pie bars in 2018. I printed but also bookmarked it because it was an extraordinarily good recipe. I went to the bookmark today and find you have changed the recipe. The crust is different (the original used your shortbread crust recipe). I noticed the filling is slightly changed as well in the type of sugar and amount of vanilla. Your original recipe was so good that I am hesitant to use this later version. Is there a reason for the change? I would really like my bookmarked version to link to the original.
Many thanks for such a delicious way to enjoy pecan pie.
Sherry, thanks for letting me know. I have gone back to my original handwritten recipe and updated it. I’m so glad your family loves these bars.
I want to make them for Thanksgiving. I plan on making them the night before. Will they be ok on a 5 hour drive?
Colleen, I would freeze the bars and place them in a thermal cooler bag to travel. They would stay cool and “refrigerated” for the drive.
If I wanted to add a little chocolate = Dixie pie…do you have a recommended method? I printed out so many different recipes, yours looks the absolute best it’s got the gooey Center that I’m looking for In A pecan pie, but my family would be super happy with a little bit of chocolate 😀
Carrie, I haven’t added chocolate to this recipe but others said they added chocolate chips. Also look at my Toffee Pecan Pie Recipe. I think you could add chocolate chips instead of the toffee bits to this pie, too.