These ooey-gooey pecan pie bars are the perfect holiday dessert! They combine the classic taste of a pecan pie with a buttery shortbread crust. And they can be eaten on the go (albeit a bit of a messy “eating-on-the-go”)! This recipe was inspired by Natasha’s Kitchen Pecan Pie Bars.
Substitutions
This recipe includes the ingredients and instructions to make a shortbread crust from scratch. You can use premade shortbread cookies and softened butter (see the instructions “To make the crust with shortbread cookies”) for ingredients and to skip some steps.
Tips + Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Eat within 48 hours (the crust will start to get soggy if it sits out too long)
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Pecan Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust
A fresh take on the classic pecan pie recipe, these pecan pie bars with a shortbread crust are the perfect dessert for your holiday festivities!
Servings: 16 bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and diced
Filling
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup honey
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 14 ounces pecans (about 3 ½ cups) coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking pan with foil or parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Crust – by hand
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt a couple of times to combine. Add the diced cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a granular texture with some pieces forming. Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan, pressing the crust evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until the crust has set and the edges are just lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside while you finish the filling.
Crust – using cookies
- Put the shortbread cookies in a large baggie and pound with a mallet until the cookies are crumbs (about 3 cups). Soften one stick of unsalted butter and mix with the cookie crumbs. Continue to add softened butter, one tbsp at a time, until the mixture is a granular consistency. Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan, pressing the crust evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the crust has set and the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside while you finish the filling.
Filling
- In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, butter, cream, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and pecans, mixing until incorporated.
- Pour the hot pecan filling over the warm crust. Return to the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the top is bubbling. Set the baking pan on a wire rack and cool completely to room temperature before cutting.
- Once the pecan squares are at room temperature, cut the bars into 2-inch squares. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Store the pecan pie bars at room temperature in an airtight container.
- Eat within 48 hours for the best taste.
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