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Pecan Pie Bars Recipe

These delicious ooey gooey pecan pie bars with shortbread crust are a holiday must have dessert!

homemade pecan pie bars

You’ll love these Pecan Pie Bars

Maple brown sugar pecan pie filling is poured over a homemade shortbread crust and baked in the oven until set. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for an impressively delicious pecan treat!

These maple pecan pie bars are a holiday must have! This classic favorite dessert uses the filling from this pecan pie without corn syrup.

It just isn’t the holidays without pecan pie bars. They are a must have dessert!

It’s one of my favorite pecan desserts along with Pecan Cream Pie and Pecan Pie Balls.

ingredients needed to make pecan pie bars

Ingredients for Shortbread Pecan Bars

  • All-purpose Flour
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Brown sugar
  • Eggs
  • Real maple syrup: no corn syrup is needed for this recipe!
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Chopped pecans
  • Vanilla extract
  • Salt

How to make Pecan Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust

First, start by making the shortbread crust. This is the same crust that I use for my Apple Crisp Bars recipe.

Step 1: Mix together the flour, butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla until combined.

shortbread crust in a mixing bowl

Step 2: Line an 8 X 8 baking dish with parchment paper (trust me, this makes it so much easier to get them out). Use your hands to press the shortbread crust batter into the bottom of the pan, then bake until golden and beginning to brown. 

Step 3: While the crust is cooking, stir together the pecan bar filling. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, pure maple syrup, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, flour, vanilla, and salt. Once mixed, fold in the chopped pecan pieces. 

Step 4: Once the crust is finished baking, pour the maple pecan bar filling over the top. Bake the pecan pie bars for around 30 – 35 more minutes.

pecan pie bars in an 8 by 8 baking dish

How to know when your Shortbread Pecan Bars are done

Once the edges are browned and the middle looks firm (moving the pan side to side does not result in the bars jiggling), your pecan bars are done. 

Right around 35 minutes was perfect for mine. Once the pan has cooled, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

easy pecan pie bars cut into square

Pecan Bar Recipe Tips

  • Buy pecan pieces: Save time chopping up pecans and buy the pre-chopped ones you can find in the baking aisle.
  • Line the pan: Lining your baking dish with parchment paper makes getting the bars out to cut so much easier.
  • Buy real maple syrup: These ooey gooey pecan bars use real maple syrup instead of corn syrup which gives them an extra boost of flavor.
  • Refrigerate before cutting: Serving these for a party? Place the cooled bars into the refrigerator for several hours and they will be much easier to cut into pretty squares.
two pecan pie bars stacked

How to store Pecan Pie Bars

Allow the bars to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Leftover pecan pie bars will store well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

pecan pie bars without corn syrup
pecan pie bars stacked

This has become one of my favorite recipes for the holidays! Ooey gooey pecan pie bars are a must.

Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

homemade pecan pie bars

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homemade pecan pie bars

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pecan pie bars stacked

Pecan Pie Bars Recipe

Yield: 16 pecan pie bars (one 8x8 baking dish)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Easy gooey pecan pie bars without corn syrup. This simple recipe uses real maple syrup and brown sugar for a delicious dessert you won't be able to resist!

Ingredients

For the Shortbread Crust

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Pecan Pie Bar Filling

  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup real maple syrup
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Mix together all ingredients for the crust - flour, butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla, until combined
  2. Line an 8 X 8 baking dish with parchment paper
  3. Use your hands to press the shortbread crust batter smoothly into the pan
  4. Bake at 300 degrees for 22 - 25 minutes, until edges are golden and beginning to brown
  5. In a large bowl, mix together the pecan pie bar filling - the eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, flour, vanilla, and salt
  6. Once mixed, stir in the pecan pieces
  7. When the shortbread crust is done baking, pour the pecan pie bar filling over the top
  8. Turn the oven up to 350 degrees and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until set and hardly jiggly in the center. The edges should be browned
  9. Remove the pecan pie bars from oven and allow to cool completely
  10. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then cut into slices
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 282Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 114mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

pecan pie bars stacked on top of each other

Sharing is caring!

Nikki

Wednesday 20th of December 2023

Can u freeze these if you don’t serve for a couple days?

Joy Shull

Wednesday 27th of December 2023

Yes! I would think they would keep for 1-2 months at least in the freezer. I would suggest using parchment paper between layers so that they don't stick together.

Karen

Friday 20th of October 2023

If I wanted to double this, should I use a 9x13 pan and increase the bake time to 45-50 mins?

Joy Shull

Saturday 28th of October 2023

I haven't tried it, so you would have to experiment with it. Let me know how it turns out!

Hannah C.

Monday 26th of December 2022

Turned out great with a few tweaks!

- Shortbread dough was super wet with 1/2c. of butter… will probs cut that in half to get the crumbly consistency I’m looking for.

- left the brown sugar out of the filling bc I felt like 1c. of maple syrup was plenty sweet, and they turned out great!

Thanks for this recipe, friend!

Steph

Saturday 10th of December 2022

Made these today. Very yummy but the center pieces were very gooey and did not hold their shape. I was bringing them to a small party so I just brought the pieces from around the edges.

Ann

Thursday 4th of November 2021

Can these be stored at room temperature or do they need to be refrigerated?

Joy Shull

Saturday 6th of November 2021

They need to be refrigerated after two hours.

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