Let's make Pecan Pie Bars!

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Let’s make Pecan Pie Bars! This recipe for pecan pie bars brings all the gooey caramel, crispy pecans of my Old Fashioned Pecan Pie Made Without Corn Syrup to a portable cookie bar. That’s winning my friends!

Just imagine a thick shortbread cookie baked up crisp and tender. Fresh pecan pie topping, made without corn syrup, baked on top. Cut in bars.

Pecan Pie Bars

Hello, cookies perfect for the lunchbox. Hey there, cookies for Christmas. HI, cookies and coffee, anytime, any day!

If you want pecan pie flavor in a cookie this bar is it. These bake up in a 9×13 sheet pan, or some call it a quarter sheet pan.

NO CORN SYRUP

These bars do not contain corn syrup, just like my Pecan Pie without corn syrup and my Mini Pecan Pies! I don’t believe Pecan Pies deserve their over-sweet reputation. When you remove the corn syrup, the bars are still sweet but not nauseatingly sweet.

An old-fashioned pecan pie has flavor beyond that sweet mess we’ve all been led to believe that’s how they should be. Once you taste a pie made without corn syrup you’ll be sold!

What Do I need to Make pecan Bars?

For this recipe for pecan pie bars you’ll need just a few special tools:

Food Processor (for the shortbread base!)
parchment paper sheets for lifting the cookies out of the pan in one piece
9X13 baking sheet
nut chopper OR sharp knife to chop pecans

Frequently Asked Questions About Pecan Pie Bars (and pecan pies)

Can I make Pecan Pie Bars without Corn Syrup

YES!! Enthusiastically YES! All the best pies are made without corn syrup. And they’re better for it!

Why is my filling soupy or runny?

Probably the big reason your pie isn’t set or it’s soupy is that the recipe isn’t great OR you missed an ingredient. This recipe has a little flour in the filling to help it set up.

Can I use Rum or Whiskey or Bourbon in place of the vanilla?

You can! I have used whiskey and rum instead of vanilla and the bars turn out great.

How many calories are in Pecan Pie Bars? Are they bad for you?

the answer is that if you cut the pan into 48 pieces each bar is under 130 calories. BUT that means you’re only eating one bar.

How long do these last?

You can store them on the counter for 12 hours but they do best when stored in the fridge after that.

These cookies are very popular on cookie trays and at parties. And they make the perfect gift for anyone who doesn’t need more stuff, and that’s all of us. In fact, I’ve included them in my Big List of Handmade Homemade Edible Gifts. If you haven’t read that post yet, you’re going to want to read it ASAP. And then go stock up on baking supplies.

Yield: 48

Pecan Pie Bars

The BEST Pecan Pie Bars are made without corn syrup! These bars are three layers of deliciousness, shortbread, caramel, and a crispy pecan top that work together to make one perfect cookie.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt, use half if using salted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter

Filling

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups pecans
1 Tablespoon milk
2 eggs

Instructions

pre-heat oven to 350˚
put the flour, brown sugar, and salt, in the bowl of a food processor, give it a little pulse
cut the butter in chunks and put it in the food processor, pulse until the mix looks like crumbs
press in the bottom of a 9X13 pan, you can line it with foil or parchment if you like
bake 15 minutes
meanwhile, melt the butter
while it's melting whisk the sugars and flour together
once the butter is melted set it aside to cool a little
roughly chop the pecans
when the butter is cooler add it the sugar mix and whisk it in
add the eggs and milk, whisk gently again
then stir the pecans in with a wooden spoon
when the timer goes off pour the pecan filling over the hot cookie base
bake another 15-20 minutes or until the pie filling is cooked and evenly brown, when you pull it out of the oven check to see the jiggle if it sloshes around you need to cook it another 5 minutes
cool completely before cutting, you can cut it as small as one-inch pieces or larger coffeehouse size bars