Name: Pecan Pie Bars
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 30 Bars
Ingredients: Crust; 2 ½ cups (1 pound 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened; ½ cup granulated sugar; ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar, packed; 3 extra-large eggs; ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract; 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; 2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter; 1 cup light corn syrup; 3 cups light brown sugar, packed; ¼ cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon vanilla; 2 pounds whole pecans

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Pecan Pie Bars

Author: Mary DiSomma

Nutty, buttery, and oh-so-gooey, these pecan bars are a welcome addition to dessert! They’re Absolutely drool-worthy. Pecans have a long history in North America. In fact, Native Americans were eating them as early as 10,000 years ago! The first pecan pie recipes appeared in southern cookbooks in the 1800s. One theory is that when Indigenous people introduced the nuts to French settlers, the French started baking with them, and pecan pie was born. However it got here, we’re sure glad it did.

We all know it’s not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie (in our house it’s a pumpkin pie with mile-high creamy meringue topping), but pecan pie is just as important in my house. Pecan pie really became popular in the 1920s when the manufacturer of Karo corn syrup started printing a recipe for it on their bottles. It was easy to make and people loved it! Pecan pies fall into the category of “sugar pies,” so one of their most important qualities is their sweetness. This is a treat, not a health food! By the way, most of today’s pecan pie recipes are based on Karo’s original recipe. These bars, of course, were inspired by the very same.

I go all-out on Thanksgiving and there are usually leftovers of everything, including dessert! I love packing up leftover bars and sending them off with friends who visit around the holidays.

Ingredient Tips

Here are a few things I do to make the perfect pecan pie bars:

Always use unsalted nuts when making pies or cookies. Salt is a common ingredient in pie fillings but using nuts that are salted will make for an overly salty pie.
Use pecan halves if possible. They look fancier than crushed-up pecan pieces.
Measuring sticky ingredients like Karo syrup can be challenging. Try spraying your measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray before adding the Karo syrup to your filling. You will be pleasantly surprised at how easily it releases from the measuring cup. Keep this one in your back pocket for other tricky ingredients like honey and molasses, too!
Always let a pecan pie rest for at least 2 hours before slicing. Cutting into a pecan pie too soon will result in a runny piece of pie. That applies to this recipe, too!
Pies and pie bars made with eggs (like pecan or pumpkin) should always be refrigerated if not used the same day they’re baked. Make sure to eat it up within 3-4 days.

For a different flavor profile, replace half of the corn syrup with honey. You can also fold 2 tablespoons of Cointreau or dark rum into the filling just before pouring it onto the crust. Delicious!