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Gooey Pecan Pie Bars

January 18, 2022 by Heather Smoke 1 Comment

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These easy to make pecan pie bars have a sweet, gooey pecan pie filling and nutty brown butter shortbread crust for a treat no one can resist. These are basically like pecan pie, but with a simpler, press-in-the-pan shortbread crust, so the recipe comes together quickly. Your house will smell incredible while these are baking!

Looking for more recipes like this one? You might also love these pumpkin pecan waffles, homemade butter pecan ice cream, and butter pecan pound cake with bourbon icing.

Pecan pie bars with brown butter shortbread crust stacked on a serving board.

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Why You’ll Love These Recipes

Like Pie, but Easier. You get all the satisfaction of eating a piece of pecan pie, but with a lot less effort.

Nutty and Gooey. These pecan pie bars have all the best textures with the buttery, crumbly crust, and the sweet gooey filling full of crunchy pecans.

Delicious for Days. The leftover pecan bars are just as good days after baking.

Closeup of a gooey pecan pie bar.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Crust

  • Butter. Melted butter binds the dough together, and gives it a rich buttery flavor. By browning the butter first, you add even more toasty, nutty notes of flavor.
  • All-Purpose Flour. Gives the dough structure.
  • Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness.
  • Salt. Balances the sweetness of the filling and enhances the flavor of the pecans.

Filling

  • Butter. Adds rich, buttery flavor and moisture to the filling.
  • Dark Brown Sugar. Adds sweetness, moisture and a hint of molasses.
  • Light Corn Syrup. Makes the filling sweet, thick and gooey.
  • Eggs. Add richness, and helps to thicken and set the filling.
  • Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
  • Salt. Balances the sweetness of the filling and enhances the flavor of the pecans.
  • All-Purpose Flour. Helps to thicken the filling.
  • Pecans. Use raw, unsalted pecans so that your filling doesn’t end up too salty.
Ingredients for making pecan pie bars.

Instructions

Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray a 9-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray.
  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is very fragrant, starts to foam and nutty brown solids form on the bottom of the pan. Immediately remove the pan from the heat.
  • In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the brown butter, scraping up all the golden brown solids, too, and stir everything together into a moist, crumbly dough.
  • Brown butter being stirred into flour.
  • Shortbread dough crumbs in a bowl.
  • Press the dough crumbs evenly against the bottom of the pan.
  • Bake the crust on the center oven rack for about 18 minutes, until a pale golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the filling.
  • Dough crumbs piled into a baking dish.
  • Shortbread dough pressed into a baking dish.
Brown butter shortbread crust baked in a baking pan.

Filling

  • Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour, until smooth. Whisk in the chopped pecans.
  • Carefully pour the filling over the hot crust.
  • Pecan pie filling in a bowl.
  • Pecan pie filling in a baking dish.
  • Bake on the center oven rack for 45-50 minutes, until the filling is set.
  • Let the bars cool completely, at least 3-4 hours, before cutting into squares.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip the step of browning the butter in the crust?

You can, but it’s a simple step that adds so much more flavor and nutty goodness to these pecan pie bars.

How do I make the filling without corn syrup?

While I haven’t tested it in this recipe, pure maple syrup should work as a substitute. You could also use honey, but that will alter the flavor of the pecan bars considerably.

Will this recipe work with chocolate in the filling?

Sure. After baking the crust, sprinkle the crust with a handful of chocolate chips before pouring in the filling. Bake as instructed.

Do the leftover pecan bars need to be refrigerated?

No, just store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Pecan pie bars with brown butter shortbread crust stacked on a serving board.

You Might Also Like

  • Closeup of a maple pecan tart decorated with pecans.
    Maple Pecan Tart
  • A stack of pumpkin pecan waffles topped with butter and pecans.
    Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
  • Butter pecan pound cake on a white cake stand, with bourbon icing being poured on top.
    Butter Pecan Pound Cake
  • Butter pecan ice cream in a vintage silver cup.
    Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Favorite Products


Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!

Pecan pie bars with brown butter shortbread crust stacked on a serving board.

Pecan Pie Bars

Heather Smoke
Easy to make, gooey pecan pie bars with a brown butter shortbread crust.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet.

5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins
Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings16

Equipment

  • Small Saucepan
  • 9 inch baking pan

Ingredients
 

Crust

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, browned
  • 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)

Filling

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar
  • ¾ cup light corn syrup
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ cups unsalted raw pecans, roughly chopped

Instructions
 

Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray a 9-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray.
  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is very fragrant, starts to foam and nutty brown solids form on the bottom of the pan. Immediately remove the pan from the heat.
  • In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the brown butter, scraping up all the golden brown solids, too, and stir everything together into a moist, crumbly dough. Press the dough crumbs evenly against the bottom of the pan.
  • Bake the crust on the center oven rack for about 18 minutes, until a pale golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the filling.

Filling

  • Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour, until smooth. Whisk in the chopped pecans.
  • Carefully pour the filling over the hot crust. Bake on the center oven rack for 45-50 minutes, until the filling is set.
  • Let the bars cool completely, at least 3-4 hours, before cutting into squares.
Keyword Brown Butter, Pecan Bars, Pecan Pie, Shortbread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Filed Under: Brownies and Bars

Previous Post: « Small Batch Ruby Chocolate Truffles
Next Post: High Altitude Lemon Cupcakes »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chris

    January 24, 2022 at 10:33 am

    5 stars
    I made these. Very good! Chris

    Reply

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I'm Heather, and welcome to my Colorado kitchen, where you will find high-altitude tested recipes for beautifully photographed cakes, baked goods and sweets. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home, and everyone is welcome in mine. So stay a while, sip a cup of coffee, and bake something delicious with me!

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