The Best Pecan Pie Bars

This holiday recipe is for all my pecan pie lovers. It s made with a simple shortbread crust that comes together in no time and is topped with the most delicious pecan topping.

This recipe combines all of our favorite flavors of classic pecan pie but puts them in a form that can be enjoyed by hand and also makes a larger batch so feed a crowd. I really think that slicing these bars into 16 squares makes for the best serving since they are so rich!

This is the best pecan pie bars recipe ever!

Around this time of year I become absolutely obsessed with everything pecan so here we are with another pecan center recipe that totally deserves a spot on your Thanksgiving dessert table.

It is made with simple ingredients that are abundant at your local grocery stores around this time of year.

The hardest thing is waiting for the bars to cool down before digging in because this recipe will make your house smell irresistibly good! So without further ado let’s get baking!

Why you need to make this recipe!

• It is a fun way to serve pecan pie. Cute bite-sized desserts seem to be the star of the show every time I bake and take them with me anywhere.
• This recipe is a lot easier than the traditional pecan pie in my opinion.
• You can make this recipe ahead of time and chill it in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.
• It’s the perfect recipe for bake sales or holiday cookie exchanges.
• This recipe is an all-around holiday favorite. I’ve served it for Thanksgiving or even at my family’s Christmas dinner and everyone was pleased to see them make a back-to-back appearance.
• It is packed with all the pecan pie flavor minus the hard work of rolling and chilling your pie crust.

Ingredients for these delicious pecan pie bars

Here are the ingredients you will need to make these pecan pie bars. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full detailed ingredient measurements.

• Flour- AP flour works great for this recipe. If you want to learn how to make this recipe gluten-free read the commonly asked questions.
• Granulated sugar- This is used to make the crust of our pecan bars.
• Butter- You can use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe
• Eggs- the eggs are what will help set our filling.
• Brown sugar- You can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. Both will work for this holiday dessert.
• Heavy cream – This will add richness to our bars.
• Corn syrup- You can use light or dark corn syrup for this recipe. I used light because that’s what I had on hand.
• vanilla extract- This will add extra depth of flavor to our bars.
• Salt- Always add a little salt to balance out the sweetness of your sweet treats.
• Pecans– Use your favorite brand of pecans for this recipe. No need to toast them, they will become crunchy as they bake in the oven.
• Cornstarch- to make the dough light and crumbly, and to thicken the filling.
• Cinnamon- flavors the filling to give it that iconic Fall taste.

How to make these easy pecan bars

This is how you can make this easy recipe for the holidays. Sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full detailed instructions!

Shortbread dough

1. Combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl.
2. Add in the cold butter and vanilla, and work that into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or clean hands.
3. Press the coarse crumbs into an even layer on the parchment paper-lined pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden brown.

Pecan filling

1. Whisk the brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, salt, heavy cream, corn syrup, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl
2. Mix in the chopped pecans and pour over the hot crust and bake again.
3. Let the bars cool down fully before chilling them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Slice and enjoy either warm with some ice cream or cold on their own.

Frequently asked questions – FAQ

How to store these pecan pie bars?

You can store these pecan pie bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

If you are making them the night before you are planning on serving them you can wrap the pan you made them in tightly and store in the fridge for the next day. The chilling process will also make slicing them a lot easier.

Are these bars supposed to be served cold or warm?

This will depend on preference. I enjoy this chilled but if you are planning on serving these bars with ice cream I would definitely make sure to serve them warm.

Can you freeze pecan bars?

Absolutely! You can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Let the bars thaw in the fridge overnight or warm them up in a 300 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.

Can these pecan pie bars be made gluten-free?

Yes! If you or any one of your guests follows a strict gluten-free diet, you can make this recipe using King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF flour for the crust.

Can I substitute the corn syrup for something else?

Unfortunately, I haven’t tried this recipe with anything else so I wouldn’t recommend you change up the ingredients. Both maple or honey would make the filling too runny in this specific recipe.

Easy pecan pie bars

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