Description
Indulgent easy pecan pie bars elevate classic Southern dessert with a buttery graham cracker crust and rich caramel-like filling. Nutty pecans and sweet caramel create a delightful treat you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1/4 tsp salt
Filling:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Topping:
- 1/2 cup pecans, whole
- 2 tbsp honey (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing excess to hang over the sides for easy removal.
- Create the crust by combining flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl, then cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press the crumbly crust mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared baking pan, ensuring a compact and uniform base.
- Bake the crust for 15-18 minutes until it turns a light golden color, then remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
- Whisk together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.
- Fold in the chopped pecans, stirring gently to distribute them evenly throughout the filling.
- Pour the pecan filling over the pre-baked crust, spreading it carefully to cover the entire surface.
- Arrange whole pecans on top of the filling for an elegant and decorative finish.
- Drizzle honey over the top of the bars for added sweetness (optional).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set and the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan.
- Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan, then slice into squares for serving.
Notes
- Chill the butter before cutting into the crust mixture to ensure a flakier, more tender base that crumbles perfectly.
- Toasting pecans before adding them to the filling intensifies their nutty flavor and provides a deeper, more complex taste profile.
- For gluten-free variations, swap wheat flour with almond flour or a gluten-free blend to make the bars accessible to those with dietary restrictions.
- Control sweetness by reducing corn syrup and adding a splash of bourbon or maple syrup for a sophisticated flavor twist that elevates the classic recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-48 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 297 kcal
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 114 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg