Name: Old Fashioned Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes; 2/3 cup packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 4 large eggs; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cups corn syrup; 2 cups pecans

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Pecan pie bars are a sweet and decadent treat perfect for any holiday gathering. They're easy to whip up, and a few simple ingredients can result in the most irresistible dessert you've ever tasted! These bars are amazing to serve your family on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning. The best part is that they're so easy to make, even if you don't have much experience baking. You'll be able to whip these up in no time at all!

Pecan Pie Bars

No Thanksgiving is complete without a pecan pie. But if you're tired of the same old pumpkin, apple, and cherry pies, this year why not try something new? A homemade pecan pie bar is so easy to make with just a few ingredients that you might be tempted to make them for every holiday gathering! Give your guests an unforgettable treat they'll love and won't stop talking about.

If you like the idea of serving dessert bars instead of pie, then you should check out this huge list of dessert bar recipes. Tons of ideas from chocolate and oatmeal to fruit-flavored on this list!

Can I Use a Ready-Made Pie Crust For This?

Instead of making the crust yourself, you can substitute a store-bought crust. It will save time when you want to make this incredible pecan pie dessert but you don't want to spend any extra time in the kitchen. The round pie crust will need to be rolled into the right shape or some stores carry a 9"x10"3 pie dough that is already rolled and ready to use.

If using a more traditional store-bought crust, you can skip the pre-cooking time and simply pour the mixture onto the raw dough to cook.

Stack of 4 pecan pie bars in front of red baking dish

Can I Use Different Nuts?

Pecan pie is a classic during the holidays. However, I know that not everyone loves pecans. If you're not a huge pecan fan, it's no problem! You can substitute any nut you prefer.

If there is no nut allergy to worry about you can use walnuts and cashews. Using walnuts will give a very similar texture and taste to the bars. Cashews and peanuts can also add delicious flavors to the bars. If you aren't sure about the flavor, you can check out the brown butter cookies with walnuts or brown sugar walnut banana bread recipes. Both of these show just how great walnuts go with sweet ingredients.

The texture and flavor will be different with each of the nuts, but they will still be great. Just be sure to let others know if you have used a different nut in case there are food allergies.

Do Pecan Pie Bars Have to Be Refrigerated?

The bars will have a longer shelf life if you refrigerate them. However, they can be stored at room temperature and they will still taste just as good.

Where you store them is going to depend on how long you need the pecan bars to last. Since you want to serve these bars warm, you can remove them from the refrigerator, or from the counter, and reheat them in the microwave for about 15 seconds. This warms the bars without overheating them and making them hard.

Two white plates holding sliced pecan pie bars

How Long are Pecan Pie Bars Good For?

In the refrigerator, these bars will last for about 3 to 4 days. They can be frozen and preserved for up to 2 months in plastic wrap. Make sure you keep them stored in an airtight container or bag so that they don't dry out and start to get stale. The plastic will also prevent the bars from picking up other food odors.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour
Sugar
Unsalted butter
Brown sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Salt
Corn syrup
Pecans

Handy Kitchen Tools

Square pecan pie bars stacked on white table by red baking dish

How to Make Homemade Pecan Pie Bars

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the bottom and sides of a 9"x13: baking dish with parchment paper so there is a bit of paper over the top sides of the pan, and then set it aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and sugar then add the cubed butter mix together until mostly combined and the texture is like coarse sand or slightly larger.

Press the crust mixture into the lined baking dish until it covers the bottom completely then bake for 20-minutes until it just begins to brown around the edges.

While the crust cooks, in a large bowl, mix together the flour and sugar making sure there are no lumps.

Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and corn syrup. Then let the mixture stand until just before taking the crust out of the oven.

Mix in the chopped pecans and pour the mixture over the baked crust just when it comes out of the oven and is still hot.

Bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes until the pecan mixture is set. The center may move a little but shouldn't be liquid.

Cool the pecan bars until room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight before slicing.

When ready to slice, pull out of the pan using the parchment paper edges then slice into serving sizes using a serrated knife.

White baking dish of pecan pie bars with empty space where bars have been removed

Tips for Serving Homemade Pecan Pie Bars

While you can cut them immediately out of the oven and serve warm, I find that the bars don't come out of the pan neatly until they have had a chance to cool and the filling firm up. So, I highly recommend letting them cool and then chilling them before slicing.

Once sliced, you can reheat them in the microwave for 15 seconds and top with your favorite toppings to serve. Below are some toppings we love with pecan pie bars.

Vanilla bean, cinnamon, or butter pecan ice cream
Whipped cream or Cool whip
Caramel, butterscotch, or vanilla syrup

Two white saucers of pecan pie bars on table by red baking dish

More Easy Desserts

Desserts are life, and that means I have tons of options for you to add to your meal plan. If you are looking for more tasty ideas perfect for the fall season, you won't be disappointed! Below are a few more favorites that I know you will enjoy! Make sure to bookmark, print, or pin the recipes to use in your menu soon!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 12