Pecan Squares
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With a buttery shortbread crust and rich caramel-pecan topping, these pecan squares make a wonderful potluck dessert for the holidays.
If you’re a fan of my bourbon pecan pie and candied pecans, you’re going to love these pecan squares. A buttery shortbread crust and rich caramel-pecan topping make them truly over the top—the perfect hostess gift, treat for your co-workers, or potluck dessert for the holidays. Bonus: they’re easy to make.
What you’ll need to make pecan squares
Step-by-step instructions
Begin with the shortbread crust (which, by the way, is much easier than making a homemade pie crust). Combine the flour, cornstarch, confectioners sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until combined.
Toss in the pieces of butter.
Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size clumps of butter within.
Dump the mixture into a foil-lined pan.
Then press firmly with your fingers into an even layer.
Bake until set but not browned, about 17 minutes.
In the meantime, make the topping. Combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a saucepan.
Boil gently for a few minutes.
Then stir in the heavy cream and chopped pecans.
Spread the pecan mixture onto the baked crust.
Bake until bubbling and caramel-colored.
Cool completely, then transfer baked bar to cutting board.
Cut into squares with a sharp knife.
You may also like
- Bourbon-Brown Butter Pecan Pie
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- Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondie Recipe
- Chewy Gooey Golden Rice Krispie Treats
- Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Pecan Shortbread Squares
With a buttery shortbread crust and rich caramel-pecan topping, these pecan squares make a wonderful potluck dessert for the holidays.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup Confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Filling
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Generous pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Instructions
For the Crust
- Cover a 9-inch square baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Push foil neatly into corners and up sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure it overlaps all edges (the overhang will help removal from pan). Spray foiled pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the flour, cornstarch, confectioners sugar and salt in a bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size clumps of butter within. It will seem dry; that's okay. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer over the bottom. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. While the crust is in the refrigerator, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the crust until crust is set but not browned, about 17 minutes. Set on rack to cool. Leave oven on.
For the Filling
- In a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil gently for 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and chopped pecans.
To Assemble and Bake
- Pour pecan mixture over crust (it's fine if the crust is still warm). Bake until filling is bubbling and caramel in color, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on rack. To cut, use the foil overhang to lift baked square out of pan and onto cutting board. Loosen the foil from the edges, then cut with a sharp knife into 2-inch squares. Store finished pecan squares in air-tight container and serve at room temperature.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: These can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap with the layers separated by wax or parchment paper. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Calories: 357
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Sugar: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 88 mg
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Hi Jenn.
I’ve made many of your delicious recipes.
I haven’t made these yet, but they look absolutely delicious.
I checked all the reviews but didn’t see these questions.
Why do you use 1/2 cup Confectioners’ sugar in the shortbread crust, instead of regular sugar or extra fine sugar?
I’ve never really liked the taste of Confectioners sugar in baking or in whipped cream.
Also, would adding an egg help make the shortbread crust less dry & crumbly before & after the pecan squares are baked?
Wishing you & your family a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much for your advice!
Harriet
Hi Harriet, Glad you like the recipes! 🙂 I use confectioners’ sugar in the crust because it makes for a more tender crust and, because it’s cooked, you really can’t taste it. And I don’t think an additional egg is necessary here – the squares slice very nicely. Hope you enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!
These bars are amazing. So much easier and great to freeze. I may never make another pecan pie. Thank you for this recipe!
This recipe has become our Thanksgiving favorite! Who cares about turkey when these are for dessert??? Easy to follow and phenomenal!
I made these for company last night and didn’t change a thing. My grandson said this was the best thing I ever made. There were none left.
Beyond delicious! My husband and guests devoured them 🙂
These are fantastic and very simple to make. Was afraid that something was wrong with the crust as it looks very dry and loose in processor but comes together nicely when pressed into pan. Served with vanilla ice cream and was delicious. Will definitely make again
Can these be frozen?
Definitely 5 star!!
Yes, they freeze nicely. Glad you like them!
Absolutely perfect as written! I get asked to make these by everyone. I have tweaked the recipe a little for special occasions by adding a layer of chocolate chips on the hot shortbread, letting them melt and spreading them before adding the caramel. Then, I add 1 Tbsp. of bourbon to the caramel, make the nuts a walnut/pecan mix and call them “Derby bars”
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were a hit among the adults and kids. Will definitely make again! Perfectly bite sized and a nice alternative or compliment to a piece of pie.
I made these instead of pecan pie at Thanksgiving. My kids would never touch pie but they inhaled These Bars. The best part is if they were easy to pack up and send home 4 the next day.
Fabulous! My husband decided to make these for a holiday party. They were easy and a big hit. They are now in our party recipes file along along with your fantastic rugelach. He made those too. I’ve been singing your praises at home and on Facebook for quite some time. He is now too! We are looking forward to our copy of your book in April! Happy New Year.
The. Best. I was looking for a good Pecan Bar recipe, and came across this gem! Soooo delicious and easy to make! I really loved the addition of honey in lieu of corn syrup. I made these 4 times over the holidays (they disappeared that quickly!) I brought them into work, and had several people ask me for the recipe (shared your site). Like one of the reviewers, I had an 8″ X 8″ pan and they came out fine. I like my pecan pie a bit gooey, so for these, I reduced the amount of pecans to 2-2/12 cups, and added an extra tablespoon of cream. I made sure to cook the syrup mixture for the full 3 minutes after coming to a boil, and did not over bake – 20 minutes exactly. They’ll set up perfectly in the fridge once cooled, and be easy to cut. Fantastic recipe! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Addictive! This is a super simple recipe to prepare with excellent results. My only problem is how I will resist wanting to make these all the time? Yummy. Thank you so much for sharing this is definitely a keeper😊
Delicious, can I double the recipe and what size pan should I use for the recipe? Thanks
Hi Nancy, you can double the recipe and divide it between two 9-inch square baking dishes. If you don’t have two 9-inch dishes, you could use a 9 x 13 dish, but the whole mixture won’t fit, so I’d only make 1.5 times the recipe. Hope that helps!
I made these yesterday. I ended up doubling the recipe as I mis-measured the flour. 😉 They are absolutely outstanding. My family refused to wait until they were completely cooled to dig in. I had mine with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just heavenly. What a great dessert to take to a family dinner gathering (or any gathering) to end a meal. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this recipe!
I want to make these but I don’t have a food processor. What do you suggest I do?
Hi Danielle, If you have one, a stand mixer would work, or you can mix it by hand. Just put the flour, corn starch, Confectioners sugar and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or two knives, “cut” the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size clumps of butter. Hope you enjoy!
They came out amazing!!!
I was hoping to make them again for a party but the host has a egg and dairy allergy. This doesn’t have eggs but definitely contains butter. Any suggestions or should I just make something else?
So glad you enjoyed them, Danielle. Unfortunately, I don’t think these would work without the butter – sorry!
I just made this egg, gluten, and dairy free and they are wonderful. I used a 1:1 homemade flour blend and substituted Earth Balance (soy free) vegan butter for the filling and vegetable shortening for the crust. The filling came out a little bit too gooey/crumbly so next time I will give it a few more minutes in the oven.
Made this is was so wet it fell apart? What happened?
I’m sorry you had a problem with these Joan! I’m assuming you mean the filling? It definitely shouldn’t be overly wet. Did you boil it on the stove for a few minutes before adding the cream and the nuts?
Yes followed the recipe. Not sure what went wrong. Had to discard entire batch 🙁
Sorry to hear they were a bust! If you have any specific questions, I’m happy to help troubleshoot.
If I am gong to freeze these, can I cut them first, then freeze them? Or will they be less fresh if they are pre-cut?
Hi Sherri, It’s perfectly fine to cut them before freezing. Enjoy!
I followed the recipe to a T and the result was outstanding! Even my 11y old daughter loved them. My husband asked to keep the recipe close by as they won’t last until Christmas! Thank you Jenn for yet another great recipe and can’t wait to get your book.
Outstanding! This delectable pecan bar was the hit of our Thanksgiving dinner. Made exactly according to the recipe it was easy to make and a joy to cut and serve- no sticking and no mess. A real crowd pleaser… I’ll be making this one often during the coming holiday season. Thanks Jenn!
These were a huge hit for thanksgiving! Next time I’ll cut back on butter a little.
Another winning recipe. Just made a batch of these for holiday gifts for friends/neighbors and hubby says, “yeah…I think we should eat these ourselves.” 5 stars.
Made these for Thanksgiving dinner and they were a big hit with my family! Recipe was easy to follow. I was nervous about making the topping sauce, but everything turned out perfectly. The buttery crust, slightly gooey sauce, and the crunchy pecans are a simply delectable combination! We are big lovers of pecan pie but I think these bars are even more delicious! Will definitely make these again for Christmas.
These bars are fabulous. I loved the shortbread base and the filling is not super sweet.
I followed the recipe exactly including lining the pan with foil and spraying the foil. Just as promised, those bars lifted right out of the pan and came off the foil cleanly without any breaks! I only had an 8 x 8 pan and that did not seem to be an issue.
Quick and simple to make, save this one to impress those special guests!
I just made this again for Thanksgiving dessert. New people to this dessert. They all loved it. I know I can count on this recipe. It is easy to make, it does take a bit more time than some bar desserts because of prebaking the shortbread; but it is well worth it. Try it ans you’ll love this recipe too!
Loved these and so did all the people at the party I took them to. Have several pecan square recipes, each just a tad different. Think these are my new favorite. Once again, thanks Jenn
Hi Jenn. Could you please convert this recipe into metric. I want to make these and freeze ready for Christmas. Many thanks. Anita
Done! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
I’ve been making pecan bars for years. These are the best yet. Perfect proportion of crust to topping. Just sweet enough. Cur beautifully.
These were absolutely delicious, buttery but not too sweet. They are a perfect dessert to bring to a party or get-together because they’re easier to serve than pie. And so easy to make.
These are amazing! We actually preferred them after they “rested” for a day except that then they were gone by Thanksgiving. I ended up making another batch after I took the turkey out of the oven! These are definitely going to be a favorite!
We can’t use pecans because of an allergy.
Which would you recommend, almonds,
cashews, or pistachios? Love your recipes Jenn! Thank you & Happy Thanksgiving
Hi Anne, I think I’d go with almonds or cashews. Please lmk how it turns out!
If increasing recipe 1.5 times for 9×13 pan, how should I adjust baking times? Thank you!
I’m guessing about 5 minutes longer, but keep an eye on it.
Would I need to adjust the oven temperature if my 9×13 is a glass pan? Thank you!
No, Flo, it’s not necessary to change the oven temperature. Hope you enjoy!
Can this be made without the 2 tablespoons of cream. Totally forgot to buy some and don’t feel like standing in the thanksgiving lines just for cream 🙁
I’ve made this recipe in the past and everyone asked for this instead of pecan pie for thanksgiving desert. It is amazing!
Hi JC, Glad everyone enjoys these! The cream helps bind the topping together. I’ve never omitted it, but my guess is that it should be fine.
Have you doubled the recipe or make them in a 9×13 pan?
Hi Jill, I haven’t doubled this recipe. If you want to make it in a 9 x 13-inch dish, I’d suggest making 1.5 times the recipe. Enjoy!
Can these be made then frozen for later? Thanks
Sure, Melanie – they freeze well. Enjoy!
Do these freeze well? How long do they keep in an air tight container without refrigeration?
Hi Judy, They freeze beautifully and they’ll keep well for 3 to 4 days on the counter.
I have been making these for the past few years for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I’ve even adapted a version for my family’s low carb/sugar-free diet.
It just isn’t Thanksgiving in my house until this recipe is made. I usually make one regular one, and one for the low-carb people, and both are great!! I absolutely love every recipe I have ever tried from your site – please keep ’em coming!!
I love this site… and the recipes. Any sharing of how to make this a lower carb option would be most appreciated.
I’ve made these twice already and will be making again for our Thanksgiving dessert table. They are simple to make and amazing – thanks so much for another fabulous recipe!
These are totally amazing! I make them just as the recipe states. My son took them to a Thanksgiving celebration with friends, and they all wanted the recipe. So much better than pecan pie. I literally want to eat the caramel sauce that comprises the filling just by itself, it is that good. Thanks for a great recipe!
Meant to give that five stars!
Going to make them for Thanksgiving. Can I use non-stick aluminum foil instead of heavy duty foil with spray?
I think that should work. Enjoy!
Can these be made a day or so ahead? Do they travel well? I would want to make them on Tuesday, travel on Thursday, use for breakfast on Friday. What do you think?
Hi Jane, They can definitely be made ahead but I’d probably make them no sooner than Wednesday if you’re planning to serve on Friday. And they do travel well. Hope that helps!
Yes, it sure does. And thanks!
This was fun and easy to make, and everybody went crazy over it. It was caramely and much better than pecan pie. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hello!
Would this recipe work using a tart pan with a removable bottom?
Thank you!
Yes, I think that would work. Enjoy!
I’ve made these twice now, and both times they are absolutely amazing. I am not very good at dealing with sweets and so I usually cut the pan into 48 teeny bars, which are just the right amount of richness and sweetness for an afternoon pick-me-up! Not to mention, they disappear like a flash whenever friends are over!
These bars are absolutely ridiculous, they are that good. I fell short on the pecans and the recipe still came out outstanding. I served them and my guests were truly blown away. The little that I had left I froze, and they held up very well in the freezer. This is definitely a crowd pleaser and very simple to make.
I love this recipe! Easy to make an oh so good. Reminds me of cooking with my mother when I was a child.
Can I use maple syrup instead of honey, we have some incredible maple syrup from Canada? Do I need to change the quantity? Thanks, can’t wait to try them.
Hi Q, I think you could but it will change the flavor just a bit. LMK how they turn out!
Should the pecans be measured before or after chopping?
They should be chopped first (although it doesn’t make much of a difference). Enjoy!
These are phenomenal. I looked like a baking expert when I brought these into work. Thank you Jen for the amazing recipe. Next time I think I will reduce the butter a bit in the crust and filling as you indicated to a previous review that was posted. I am looking forward to trying other recipes on your website.
Very good and simple recipe! My husband instantly fell in love with these pecan bars. Definitely will repeat!