Pecan Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust

Clean cut pecan pie bars on wire rack with scattered pecan bits.

5 from 1 vote

Pecan Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust

Pecan Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust is a make ahead, party-friendly pie bar recipe with a buttery shortbread crust and a rich pecan filling that sets glossy and cuts clean. This dessert bar uses light brown sugar, light corn syrup, and toasted pecans for classic flavor with simple steps in one small pan.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Rest & Chill1

Total Time1 50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 492kcal

Author: Jami Powell

Equipment

8x8-inch baking pan
Parchment paper
Mixing bowls
Whisk
Pastry cutter or fork
Spatula

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
pinch of salt

Pecan Bar Filling

1 cup light brown sugar
⅔ cup light corn syrup
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups chopped pecans toasted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment. Covering all sides prevents broken and burnt edges, and makes lifting the bars much easier.
In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden.
In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the pecans.
Pour the pecan filling evenly over the hot crust. Return to the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the center is just set and the top looks glossy.
Cool completely at room temperature (30 minutes), then chill in the refrigerator before slicing into bars for clean edges.

Video

Notes

Notes Cut cold butter into the flour until fine sandy crumbs form and prebake until edges are lightly golden. This keeps the crust crisp and prevents sogginess. Chilling in the refrigerator makes slicing neat and prevents crumbling.

Storage Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days or refrigerate up to one week.

Freeze Freeze tightly wrapped bars for two months and thaw in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature.

Reheat: For a just-baked feel, warm a square in the microwave for a few seconds.

Substitutions

Light Brown Sugar: Use dark brown sugar for deeper molasses notes.
Vanilla: Swap vanilla for bourbon or dark rum.

Adjustments Cooking time may need to be adjusted based on the geography of the area (high vs. low elevation), cookware (stoneware vs traditional bakeware), and outdoor temperature if grilling.

Nutrition information is only an estimate

Nutrition