These made from scratch Pecan Pie Bars are a grab and go dessert worthy of any special occasion. They're indulgent to the very last ooey gooey bite.
Easy Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
It's no secret pecans are the beloved nut in the South. Walnuts rank just as high with peanuts and cashews holding their own. Pistachios and macadamia nuts aren't bad either, but I digress. The truth is, we love all nuts, but pecans have become somewhat synonymous with Southern desserts. Southern pecan pie has many faces with cook's making it their own. For example, I prefer to make the filling using brown sugar which gives it a bit of a caramel flavor. No matter how pecan pie is served, it's a keeper.
How to Make the Best Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
This sort of recipe turns pie into a handheld dessert that can be served for any occasion when pie is on the dessert menu. You can also cut these pecan pie bars into smaller portions or squares to turn them into two bite petit fours.
- Ingredients you'll need to make this recipe for homemade Pecan Pie Bars: The crust is made using all purpose flour, powdered sugar, butter and salt.
- The pecan pie filling is made using: Large eggs, light corn syrup, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract and 2 ½ cups of chopped pecans.
- Kitchen tools you'll need to make Pecan Pie Bars: Please note, you will need a jelly roll pan to make these bars. It's vital that the pan have a rim to hold all of the gooey contents inside and a sheet pan won't work. You'll also need mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a pastry blender to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients, a whisk to sift together the dry ingredients for the crust and a hand mixer to make the pie filling. Non stick spatula or a large spoon to spread the filling evenly over the crust and to scrape all of the filling out of the bowl.
- I don't recommend making these bars with honey in place of corn syrup. While honey is certainly delicious, it has a strong flavor that takes the bars in a different direction.
- If you've wondered about the difference between corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup you can read more about the differences in corn syrup on the FDA website.
More Pro Tips for Making Southern Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
As I mentioned earlier, brown sugar is a must in my pecan pie recipe. It changes the texture and flavor of the filling, in a most delicious way and gives it more of a caramel flavor. If you like classic pecan pie, use all granulated sugar instead.
- It's important to bake these pecan pie bars until the edges are golden and the center shows very slight movement when the pan is gently shaken. If you under bake them, the centers could be runny and they won't cut into clean squares.
- You can store these pecan pie bars in an airtight container at room temperature or chilled in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- These pecan bars can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Separate layers with wax paper.
More Southern Style Pecan Desserts to Make
I have a plethora of desserts and sweets here on the website using pecans. If you're looking for more sweets to make you may like these recipes, too.
- Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie is rich and decadent just as the name suggests.
- Saltine Toffee with Pecans and Toffee Bits is a vintage holiday goodie to make.
- You'd pay a mint for this bakery style Pecan Pie Cheesecake.
- Easy Caramel Pecan Sticky Rolls requires no bread making at all.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold butter cubed
- Filling:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoon butter melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups roughly chopped pecans
Instructions
- CRUST: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a jelly roll pan with cooking spray or grease using butter. Set aside.
- In a medium size mixing bowl use a whisk to sift together flour, powdered sugar and salt. Using an electric mixer or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press firmly and evenly into pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat together eggs, corn syrup, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in pecans.
- Spread evenly over crust. Bake 25 minutes at 350°F until filling is firm around the edges and slightly firm in center. Cool completely on wire rack.
- Cut into 48 even pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Adjust the baking time and bake these bars until the edges are golden and the center shows very slight movement when gently shaken. If you underbake, the centers could be runny.
- Store these pecan pie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- These bars can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Separate layers with wax paper.
Lexe
Very good flavor, I like the bar form much better than traditional pie. Will definitely make this again!
Melissa
I'm so happy you enjoyed them, thanks!
Joyce Sharpe
I have been making this recipe for years. Made a batch last week and they were stick on top. Any ideas about why? It was a rainy day.
Melissa
I suppose the weather could be a factor, did you change anything else? If that's the first time it's happened, it could have been.
Gary
What size jelly roll pan do you use?
Melissa
A classic standard jelly roll pan. 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches.
Jeana Gsoell
Can you use Pillsberry piecrust already done
Melissa
These bars are best made with the homemade crust included in the recipe.
Francine Jacobson
I agree 100% with you only the pecans are good!!
Mary Scaggs
I made your pecan pie bars for Thanksgiving. They look delicious but when I cut them the middle bars filling ran and really would not be easy to pick up and eat. Do you have a remedy for this?
Melissa
It's important not to underbake, these need to be baked until the center is set. Since the center is runny, it sounds like they needed a few more minutes in the oven. These bars also need to be thoroughly cooled before cutting. Since yours have been baked, you could chill them to speed up the process and they're fully set.
Kacee
There used to be a mix for what I recall them being called "toffee bars" but it's been a long time, like decades, since they made them. Do you know if these are anything like those? So good and butter.
Melissa
I'm sorry, I don't. I'm not familiar with that product. This is like pecan pie in bar form.
Chickpea
These look wonderful, and easier to serve than a pecan pie! Do you think you could drizzle some melted chocolate over the top of the bars once they're cool?
Melissa
Thanks so much. You could drizzle with chocolate, sure.
Nirasha Govender
Hi, I love, love pecans and anything that has pecans. I live in South Africa and we don't get corn syrup here. We do have glucose syrup,would it be a good substitute or do you have a recipe for corn syrup substitute.
Melissa
Hi Nirasha, our corn syrup is glucose so, it should work, yes! Thanks for visiting from beautiful South Africa!