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Itโs time for our annual pecan fix, and so weโre making Pecan Pie Bars in an 8-inch pan! I use maple syrup instead of corn syrup to make these delicious gooey pecan pie bars that are so much easier to make than a whole pie.
Pecan Pie Bars without Corn Syrup
Imagine this: pecan shortbread cookie crust and gooey pecan pie filling on top. I promise: the pecan shortbread crust is so easy and requires no rolling! Just press the crust into the pan with your fingers and press it up the sides to hold the pecan pie filling.
If you love pecan pie, but the idea of making and rolling out a pie crust is not an option for you (I donโt blame you!), then enter pie bars to the rescue! I did the same thing with my pumpkin cheesecake bars, by the way!
The secret to why I prefer bars over an actual full pie is because of the shortbread crust! Itโs a double-dose of pecan flavor! And honestly, the crust is so good that I should probably make a separate recipe for it. (Stay tuned for that!)
These pecan pie bars have a double hit of pecans: not only are they in the custard filling, floating on the top with their gorgeous crispiness, but theyโre also ground up in the crust! If youโre a fan of those pecan sandies cookies, you are going to love this recipe!ย
While most pecan pie recipes call for corn syrup, Iโm using maple syrup today. The flavors of toasted pecans, brown sugar and a hefty pinch of salt in the filling means that you wonโt exactly taste the maple syrup. I donโt have anything against corn syrup, itโs vital in so many recipes, but I do love using maple syrup because I always have it on hand.
Pie bars in an 8ร8โณ pan
I love that this recipe makes just an 8ร8โ pan of bars. Itโs enough bars to share (youโll get about 9 large bakery-size bars), but itโs not a giant 9ร13โ pan of treats with tons of leftovers. I also love that the shortbread cookie crust comes together in the food processor. The food processor takes all of the guess-work out of knowing when your crust is readyโwhen it clumps together into a ball, itโs ready to be pressed into the pan. Be sure to see the instructional photos below so that you know exactly what Iโm talking about!
Ingredients
- Butter. Ten tablespoons (one whole stick plus 2 more tablespoons) of unsalted butter to make the crust. Weโll use another 2 tablespoons of butter for the filling, so we need 12 tablespoons of butter total.
- Sugar. For the crust, add 6 tablespoons of granulated white sugar.
- Flour. One cup plus 2 additional tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
- Pecans. This recipe calls for toasted pecans; to do this, place them on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven and toast until fragrant, stirring every 5 minutes or so. It should take 10-15 minutes. You will be rewarded with unbelievable toasted pecan flavor in your final pecan pie bars. We need 1/3 cup of pecans for the crust and 1 cup for the filling, so 1 1/3 cups total.
- Salt. One-quarter teaspoon of salt for the crust and another 3/4 teaspoon for the filling. Donโt skip the salt because it balances the sweetness!
- Maple Syrup. One-half cup of maple syrup, grade A or grade B work equally well here.
- Brown Sugar. One-half cup of light brown sugar. You may use dark brown sugar if thatโs all you have, but the filling will be slightly darker.
- Eggs. Three whole eggs make the filling extra rich and gooey!
How to Make Pecan Pie Bars
Combine all of the crust ingredients in the bowl of a large food processor. (10 tablespoons butter, 6 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour, 1/3 cup toasted pecans, and 1/4 teaspoon salt).
Pulse the food processor until it becomes one big dough ball, as pictured.
Press the crust mixture into a lined 8-inch pan evenly.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, and let cool completely.
Whisk together the filling. (2 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 eggs, 3/4 teaspoon salt).
Stir in the final 1 cup of toasted pecans.
Pour the filling over the cooled crust, and bake again at 350 for 30 minutes.
The pecan pie bars are done when only the very center is slightly jiggly. Let cool completely to room temperature before slicing.
Leftovers:
I store these pecan pies already sliced at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 2 days. They become soggy if refrigerated.
You can make the crust 1 day ahead of time and store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
Pecan Pie Bars
Pecan pie bars made with maple syrup, no corn syrup here!
Ingredients
FOR THE PECAN SHORTBREAD CRUST:
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and diced
- 6 tablespoons granulated
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup pecan halves, toasted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
FOR THE PECAN PIE FILLING:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pecan halves, toasted
Instructions
- First: make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350. Line an 8x8โ pan with parchment paper in both directions to ensure all sides are covered.
- In the bowl of a big (at least 5-6 cup) food processor, add the diced butter, the sugar, flour, pecans and salt. Pulse until the mixture clumps together into a large ball.
- Press the crust mixture into the pan into an even layer. You can lightly grease your hands or use a measuring cup to press it firmly into the corners and up the sides. Press it up the sides at least 1โ to hold the filling.
- Bake for 30 minutes, but half-way through the bake time, use a wooden spoon to press down any puffy places in the dough.
- When the 30 minutes is up, remove the crust from the oven and again, press down any puffed up places.
- Let the crust cool completely.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in the microwave. Pour the butter into a large bowl, and add all remaining ingredients, except the pecans. Whisk very well to blend and make sure to break up the eggs thoroughly.
- Finally, stir in the toasted pecans. Pour this mixture over the crust, and bake for 30 minutes. When the pecan pie bars are done, the filling wonโt jiggle all over, just very slightly in the center.
- Let the bars cool completely before attempting to slice. I like to chill them overnight in the fridge before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 421Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 306mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 22gProtein: 5g
Hi Christina- We enjoy your cookbooks. But regarding your pecan bars we are partial to your original recipe with corn syrup. Could you please republish it too or perhaps email us a copy before Thanksgiving?
Thank you
Emailed you :)
I donโt have a food processor, what can I use instead?
Try a regular mixer on low speed :)
Can corn syrup still be used instead of maple syrup? Iโm sure maple syrup makes them delicious, itโs just a bit pricey. Thanks!
Yes, you absolutely can! Great question :)
I just made your pecan bars with maple syrup today. I followed directions very closely. The crust baked up very nicely. I let the crust cool. I did not remove the crust from the 8ร8 pan nor did I remove the parchment paper. Once the crust cooled I added the pecan filling and put in the oven. I baked the bars per recipe. Everything looked good. I let the bars cool in the pan with the parchment paper intact on a rack. The bars were basically cooled, I put the bars in the fridgeโฆ.I read that you put the bars in the fridge overnight to make slicing them easierโฆ.so I thought I can indeed the bars in the fridge to finish cooling. Anywho, I took the bars out after a couple of hours to slice them up because I could not wait until tomorrow to taste themโฆSo I cut them and the outside pieces were fine, but the middle was very soggy and separated from the filling.
Should I have removed the paper after the first bake, before adding the filling and after the crust cooled off?
Should I have removed the paper after the final bake to let them cool? Did the filling leak through the crust?
I thought the crust was going to be more firm/cookie like..but that was not as disappointing as the middle of the crust was very soggy, and pulled away from the filling.. Clearly I did something wrongโฆ.or many things wrongโฆ..they did taste good! If you have any recommendations I would love to hear them. I would like to try baking them again.
Thank you for time and energy!!!!!
Hi Marilyn! :)
I have been thinking about your comment for a few weeks now (and have since made them again and again). This is very true for me, too, and has been since the recipe was first developed. But it just doesnโt register to me as something wrong LOL. Theyโre gooey pecan pie bars, and thatโs the way theyโre intended to be. Iโm guessing you were expecting a dry pie crust bottom layer that does not absorb any moisture from the filling as a separate layer? Iโm so sorry that is not what this recipe produces! Maybe I should take the word pie out of the title? Because this recipe uses a rich shortbread crust, itโs always going to be dense and gooey and rich, like custard filling. I really like the way these taste. The goal was: a bite of that gooey pecan pie filling but in an easier form (no rolling a pie crust out!)
Pie crust by design has moisture wicking abilities intended to hold the filling separate from the crust. But in my opinion, pie crust is dry, slightly salty and boring because of this LOL (Iโm sorry to out myself here as someone who only eats the filling in a pie and leaves the weird salty greasy crust on the plate HAHA)
Iโm sorry these arenโt what you expected, and I will add words to the recipe that reflect these as what they are: gooey rich pecan bites with an insanely delicious crumbly pecan shortbread crust. (sometimes I eat the crust on its own without the filling bc itโs so good alone lol).
But firm pecan pie filling + separate pie crust is not what this recipe makes. Iโm sorry if you feel mislead :( Iโll update the recipe to make it clear that these are custard-like, rich and gooey. I think Iโm a glutton now lol