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!
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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
What oven temp for the bars? I’ve read through this several times, including the comments, but can’t find it. Of course, as soon as I press “post” I’ll see it!!
350
Hi Robyn,
I am going to make these tomorrow. How long would the bars last in an airtight container?
Thanks!
They generally last a few days for me, Kay, but not much longer than that because we love them so much! LOL!
Robyn,
The bars were a HUGE hit – thank you so much for an amazing recipe!
Kay
What size baking pan? 9 x 13 or 9 x 9 or 8×8? Thanks.
Hi Deborah,
You can use either an 8×8 or 9×9. If you use a 9×13, I’d double the filling portion and increase the cooking time between 12-15 minutes. I’ve updated the recipe to include that information!
What size baking dish do you use for these bars? Will 9 x 13 work?
You can use either an 8×8 or 9×9. If you use a 9×13, I’d double the filling portion and increase the cooking time between 12-15 minutes. I’ve updated the recipe to include that information!
Excellant , the crust was to die for.
I am baking mine now and the filling is really runny, is it suppose to be that way???
Robyn,
I am living in France and cannot find corn syrup anywhere. I think it might be illegal (haha). Any ideas what to use instead?
Substitute for Corn Syrup
For each cup of light corn syrup in a recipe, substitute 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup water. For each cup of dark corn syrup, substitute 1 cup of packed brown sugar and 1/4 cup water.
I made these for dessert after dinner … They were soooo good! I use brown sugar and maple syrup when I make pecan pies, I’m thinking I may do those two little change ups to your recipe, as an experiment. Hubby is very happy either way … he loves everything I bake,
Oh MY! I have these in the oven right now. I added a healthy splash of spiced rum and instead of sugar used buckwheat honey in the pie batter.
I also will maybe make a little bit more crust, so I can push it up the sides of the pan maybe a quarter inch, as the batter fills the pan and goes a little over the crust base. I also noticed that 15 mins for the crust should maybe be 20 mins. This will likely be a 5-star rating!
I must’ve done something wrong. These smelled and looked delicious, but they were not like pecan pie at all. There was no “pie” layer after baking. It was like shortbread with pecans on top, that were vaguely flavored like pecan pie! I was really disappointed! No idea what I did wrong – I followed recipe exactly. 🙁
@Joy, was your pan to large? I doubled the filling the second time for more filling less crust.. can’t stand pecans so had to go by the four men of the house that loved it. Also cooked on parchment paper since my first crust stuck badly.
@Nora – I used a 9×13 inch pan! But I think an 8×8 would be better – or as you say, doubling the recipe. I’m not a huge fan of any nuts either, but I love the “pie” part of pecan pie. Might try this once again…
@Joy, remember this is a shortbread crust..more like a cookie than typical pie crust. You may want to look up a recipe for traditional pie crust. My hubby always removes the edges of a typical pie,so he loved this. My second batch (doubled except for crust) came out thicker and yummy,just cook 15mins longer