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    Home » Recipes » Pecan Bars

    Pecan Bars

    Published: Oct 21, 2018 · Modified: Mar 4, 2022 · by Debra with 2 Comments · 1252 words. About 7 minutes to read this article. · This post contains affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These pecan bars give you the flavor of pecan pie combined with a shortbread crust. Salty and sweet, and incredibly portable, they are easy to make, and my favorite dessert recipe for fall.

    Several square pecan bars on a wooden cutting board.

    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here. 

    Oh fall, I adore you! Crisp mornings and the sound of leaves crunching under my feet! Fall is my favorite. I've told you this before. There's something about the light, the temperature, the color, it energizes me. I wake up early, I feel motivated to get things done.

    And another thing: pecans! Fall means pecans galore! These pecan bars help you take full advantage of their glory with very little effort. They taste like pecan pie, but with a shortbread crust.

    Salty and sweet, I cut them into small bite-size squares so you can just pop them in your mouth all day long and somehow feel less guilty about eating half the pan. And they also have rum in them, so there's that...

    I adapted these slightly from one of my favorite cookbooks, Fat Witch Brownies. As I've told you before, if you're in their neighborhood - Chelsea Market in NYC, get your butt in there and buy something.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe
    Roughly chopped pecan halves on a wooden cutting board.

    Ingredients

    I am an affiliate for Millican Pecans and if you purchase through my links I may make a small commission. Thank you for supporting my blog and family farms.

    • Pecans: It’s important to use a high-quality pecan since they are the star of the show here. I recommend ordering from Millican Pecan. They use fresh, Grade 1 pecans harvested this season. Sometimes in the grocery store, you’re getting Grade 2 pecans that could be years old. Yes, years. (Like 2 - 4!) When I order from Millican Pecan, I know I’m getting the freshest pecans from the most recent growing season. The Millican family has been growing pecans on their farm for five generations - since 1888! They are the home of Texas’ Mother Pecan Orchard. I love their products and it makes me feel good to know that when I buy from them, I am supporting a family business that has such a wonderful history.
    • Brown sugar: There's nothing like brown sugar to add the perfect, caramel flavor to these bars.
    • Dark corn syrup: I prefer dark corn syrup when I'm making these bars and any pecan pie filling. But if you have light corn syrup hanging around, that will work, too.
    • Eggs: To help the filling set.
    • Butter: We'll need cold, cubed butter for the crust and melted butter for the filling.
    • Unbleached all-purpose flour and baking powder: This is for our simple, press-in shortbread crust.
    • Salt: SO important for this recipe. The salt gives the savory balance to the crust and the filling so we don't get a sweet overload.
    • Dark rum: Totally optional ingredient in the filling, but it adds a great aroma. The alcohol will cook out, so no worries if the kiddies are eating these.
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    Instructions

    Adapted lightly from Fat Witch Brownies by Patricia Helding

    One of the great things about this recipe is that you put pecans in the shortbread crust as well as the filling. More nutty deliciousness!

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    Grease  a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with butter, dust with flour and tap out excess.

    Combine flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar with a fork or whisk.

    A glass bowl sits on a wooden cutting board, the bowl contains flour and a pat of butter, and a pastry blender tool.

    Add the butter a piece or two at a time, combining with a fork or pastry blender until well blended. You should have a sandy texture with some small bits of butter here and there.

    A glass bowl containing the crust mixture.

    Stir in ¼ cup pecans gently by hand to combine.

    Unbaked crust in a square metal baking pan.

    Spread the mixture evenly in the pan and tamp down gently with your fingers. You just want it to hold together, you're not trying to make a smooth, flat dough.

    Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden and the edges are light brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

    While the crust is cooking, make the filling. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, set aside to cool.

    A glass bowl on a white surface contains the wet ingredients for pecan bars, a small whisk sits inside the bowl.

    In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, vanilla, corn syrup, rum (if using) and salt. Stir in the butter until just blended. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated.

    Pour the filling over the crust, and sprinkle the pecans evenly on top. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or  until the top is brown and little bubbles and cracks start to form on the surface.

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    Remove from the oven and let cool at least 2 hours before cutting into squares.

    FAQs

    How do you store pecan bars?

    Store pecan bars in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

    Do pecan bars need to be refrigerated?

    No, pecan bars do not need to be refrigerated. They can be stored at room temperature.

    Related Recipes

    • For a twist on the traditional version, Pecan Cream Cheese Pie has a luscious layer of cream cheese filling as well as that gooey pecan filling you love so much.

    Recipe

    Pecan bars arranged on a wooden cutting board.

    Pecan Bars

    These pecan bars give you the flavor of pecan pie combined with a shortbread crust. Salty and sweet, and incredibly portable, they are my favorite easy dessert recipe for fall.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Pecan pie bars
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 350kcal

    Equipment

    • mixing bowls
    • cutting board
    • chef's knife
    • whisk
    • pastry blender
    • 9 x 9 baking pan
    • small sauce pan

    Ingredients

    For the crust:

    • 1 cup unbleached flour
    • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
    • 7 tablespoon unsalted butter cold
    • ¼ cup roughly chopped pecans

    For the filling:

    • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • ½ cup packed brown sugar
    • ⅓ cup dark corn syrup
    • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon dark rum optional
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 ¾ cups roughly chopped pecans
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
      Grease a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with butter, dust with flour and tap out excess.
    • Combine flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar with a fork or whisk. Add the butter a piece or two at a time, combining with a fork or pastry blender until well blended. You should have a sandy texture with some small bits of butter here and there.
    • Stir in ¼ cup pecans gently by hand to combine.
    • Spread the mixture evenly in the pan and tamp down gently with your fingers. You just want it to hold together, you’re not trying to make a smooth, flat dough.
      Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden and the edges are light brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
    • While the crust is cooking, make the filling. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, set aside to cool.
    • In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, vanilla, corn syrup, rum (if using) and salt. Stir in the butter until just blended. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated.
    • Pour the filling over the crust, and sprinkle the pecans evenly on top. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the top is brown and little bubbles and cracks start to form on the surface.
    • Remove from the oven and let cool at least 2 hours before cutting into squares.

    Notes

    • I like to cut these into small, 2-inch squares. They make a perfect bite! 
    • Pecan bars do not need to be refrigerated. Store them in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
     
    This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 0.8mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Millican Pecan

      June 26, 2019 at 2:39 pm

      5 stars
      I am always looking for the ultimate pecan recipe and I am definitely making plans to make your pecan bars! Thank you for a great recipe and easy instructions, Great pictures, too!

      Reply
      • Debra

        June 27, 2019 at 12:43 pm

        Thanks so much! I do have to give credit where credit is due, as I adapted this recipe from the Fat Witch Bakery cookbook. If you make the recipe, be sure to let me know how it turns out for you!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

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