Pecan Pie Bars
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With their buttery shortbread crust and rich caramel-pecan topping, these pecan pie bars are everything you love about pecan pie—only easier to make and perfect for sharing!
If you’re a fan of my pecan pie, bourbon pecan pie and candied pecans, you’ll love these pecan pie bars. With a buttery shortbread crust and a rich caramel-pecan topping, they’re an indulgent treat that’s perfect for the holidays—whether you’re bringing them to a potluck or giving them as a hostess gift. Best of all, they’re incredibly easy to make!
“The showstopper at Thanksgiving this year.”
What You’ll Need To Make Pecan Pie Bars
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the shortbread crust.
- Cornstarch: Blended with the flour, cornstarch gives the crust a crisper texture.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens the crust and helps achieve a shortbread-like consistency.
- Unsalted Butter: Creates a flaky crust and adds richness to the filling.
- Light Brown Sugar: Sweetens the filling with a deep, molasses-like flavor. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
- Honey: Adds sweetness and a touch of warmth to the filling.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the caramel with its aromatic richness.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Adds creaminess and helps achieve the silky, smooth texture of the filling.
- Chopped Pecans: Provide crunch and a rich, nutty flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin with the crust. Combine the flour, cornstarch, confectioners sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. 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. The bars will keep nicely, covered and stored at room temperature, for 3 to 4 days. Freeze for longer storage.
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Pecan Pie Bars
With their buttery shortbread crust and rich caramel-pecan topping, these pecan pie bars are everything you love about pecan pie—only easier to make and perfect for sharing!
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: The pecan squares will keep nicely covered and stored at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. They can also 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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Hi Jennifer,
I want to make these for Christmas. Will this work in an 8 x 8 x 2 pan?
Linda
Sure, that will work. They may take slighly longer in the oven, but keep a close eye on them. Enjoy!
These look great! would half and half cream be a good sub for the heavy cream?
Hi Ramona, I don’t recommend it here – sorry!
If you love pecan pie like I do but want to avoid using corn syrup, this is absolutely the recipe for you!! I made it for Thanksgiving and every one raved about them. Thanks, Jenn!
The pecan bars are now a Thanksgiving family tradition! Love them more than a pecan pie !! Put them in the freezer even better when cold.
This is one of my absolute favorites of all of Jenn’s recipes. I made it for the first time at Thanksgiving as an alternative to pecan pie and it was divine. I’ve made it twice since for events and people go nuts for them (literally!). If you’re looking for the perfect pecan bar, this is it. These stay fresh for days and make great gifts. I love the sweet-salt balance and have even used salted butter which provides even more contrast. I like to trim just a tiny bit off each of the 4 sides before cutting to serve, which leaves a more finished edge but also a nice little snack for the baker!
I have made them numerous times and they are always a hit! I want to give them to neighbors this year and was thinking about making them in a 1/2 sheet pan. Based on the pan size 3 times the recipe would be a little too much. Because the sheet pan is more shallow, I’m thinking 2.5 times the recipe. Thoughts? Have you ever done a large batch?
Hi Susan, because of the half sheet pan’s depth, I’d recommend making 1.5 times the recipe. I don’t think it will be deep enough to hold more. The bake time will be different, so keep a close eye on them!
Can I use a stand mixer if I do not have a large enough food processor?
Hi Marie, a stand mixer should 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.
Another easy and delicious recipe from Jen. Took these to a holiday gathering and everyone loved them. I did reduce the butter in the crust by 2 Tbls as per Jen’s instructions. They were still a bit oily but less would have made them dry.
These bars are truly amazing!!! They are so much better than pecan pie. Jenn, your recipes are so well tested, I never hesitate to make them the first time for a holiday. They have an amazing taste, good crunch, and a delicious buttery crust. This recipe is now one of my go to’s for holiday baking!
I made these a few years ago and they were a big hit. This time, I want to double the recipe. Will a 9×13 be the correct size? Thank you.
Glad they went over well! A 9 x 13″ pan will be too small for double the recipe. You could make 1.5 times the recipe for that pan size. If you need to double it, I’d use two 9 inch square pans.