These Pecan Pie Bars bring everything you love about classic pecan pie, only they’re easier, sturdier, and built on a buttery shortbread crust that’s downright addictive! They’ve become a must-make in my holiday rotation, and I think they’ll sneak into yours, too.
Why You’ll Love This Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
I created this recipe for one simple reason: I love pecan pie. Like… embarrassingly so. And after 25 years of marriage, I learned that my husband is right there with me. It turns out he’s been secretly team pecan pie this whole time!
Because our son has a tree nut allergy, I spent years avoiding anything with pecans. But now that he’s grown and out of the house, I figured it was time to bring pecans back into the kitchen. I also wanted to develop a pecan pie bar that didn’t rely on corn syrup. (No judgement – I use it for certain old-fashioned recipes, especially hot fudge—but I didn’t want a whole cup of it in these bars.)
And guess what? You absolutely can make an incredible, gooey, rich pecan pie filling without corn syrup. These bars check every box: buttery, sweet but not too sweet, crispy edges, and caramel centers. And yes, you can totally make them nut-free too, which I’ll show you below!
Pecan Bars Recipe Ingredients
For the Buttery Crust
- All-Purpose Flour: I always use organic, unbleached all-purpose flour but regular all-purpose flour works well, too!
- Granulated Sugar: To add just a bit of sweetness while helping the crust hold together.
- Fine Sea Salt: To balance out the flavors.
- Cold Salted Butter: Cold butter is the key to flaky, delicious shortbread!
For the Filling
- Brown Sugar: For that classic caramel-like flavor!
- Honey: Sweetens and keeps the bars gooey without corn syrup.
- Butter: For a richer filling!
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream creates that signature “pecan pie” texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and richness.
- Fine Sea Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweet.
- Pecans: Of course, you need pecans! Chopped pecans work best, so you can get small bites. Check out my variations to make them nut-free. Technically you can use any nuts, try walnuts, cashews or your favorite, but I suppose they can no longer be called pecan pie!
- Optional Toppings: Flaky sea salt or melted chocolate drizzle are both great topping options.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Pecan Pie Bars With Shortbread Crust
Step 1 – Make the Crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with oil—this helps the parchment stick and makes spreading easier. Line the pan with parchment paper (or aluminum foil, if that’s what you have), leaving a bit of overhang on the sides for easy lifting later. Give the parchment or foil another light spray of oil or non-stick spray.
In the bowl of a food processor (see Note 3 if you don’t have one), pulse together the flour, sugar, and sea salt. If you’re using all-natural cane sugar, pulse a few extra times since it’s coarser. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with some larger bits. It’s ready when you can press it together, and it holds its shape.
Step 2 – Bake the Crust
Pour the crust mixture into the prepared pan and press it evenly (a flat-bottomed measuring cup works great here). Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the crust is set and the edges begin to turn light golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside while you make the filling. You’ll note that this recipe doesn’t use any eggs! YAY!
Step 3 – Make the Filling
In a medium or large saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, honey, cream, and salt over medium heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stay close—it will bubble up quickly! If it’s getting too vigorous, turn the heat down.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and the chopped pecans, mixing until they’re well coated. Pour the hot pecan mixture evenly over the warm crust.
Step 4 – Bake Again
Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 20–25 minutes (mine was perfect at 24). The topping should be bubbling and a rich, dark caramel color.
Step 5 – Cool, Slice & Enjoy
Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. Once cooled, run a butter knife around the edges if needed, then lift the bars out using the parchment or foil. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 2-inch squares.
For picture-perfect bars, trim about ½ inch off the edges all the way around before cutting. If you like, finish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel, a drizzle of melted chocolate, or just leave them perfectly plain.
Tips For Making Pecan Bars With Shortbread Crust
- Use high-fat butter for the crust. European-style butters like Kerrygold, or any grass-fed butter, give you a richer, meltier shortbread with better structure. The higher butterfat content means more flavor and a more tender crumb—totally worth it.
- Make sure the butter is cold. Soft butter blends too easily into the flour, preventing the crust from forming flaky layers. Cold butter = crisp edges and a melt-in-your-mouth bite.
- Don’t overbake the filling. Pull the bars when the top is bubbling and lightly caramelized. If you bake them too long, the filling can get hard instead of gooey.
- Line the pan with parchment. It makes lifting and cutting cleaner, and helps prevent sticking!
How to Serve Easy Pecan Pie Bars
Pecan pie bars can be served chilled for a firmer bite, room temp for the perfect gooey texture, or slightly warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can even drizzle them with some salted caramel or butterscotch for even more sweetness!
They’re a wonderful holiday dessert for anywhere you are feeding a crowd, and they make a great treat to slice into bite-sized squares for gifting or dessert boards! They travel well, store beautifully, and honestly… they’re good any hour of the day!
Storing Pecan Bars With Shortbread Crust
Store cooled pecan pie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or refrigerate for slightly firmer bars. Layer them with parchment if stacking.
Can you Freeze Pecan Pie Bars?
Yes! These bars freeze perfectly. For longer storage, you can place fully cooled bars in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.
Pecan Pie Bar Variations
- Gluten-Free Pecan Pie Bars: Substitute 1 ⅓ cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour (such as King Arthur cup-for-cup), ⅓ cup oat flour, and ⅓ cup almond flour for the crust; the rest of the ingredients are gluten-free.
- Nut-Free Pecan Pie Bars: You have a couple of options here. You can omit the nuts altogether and use the “goo” and bake as planned. Watch your timing on it; it may cook a little quicker without the nuts. Or, try a “faux” pecan by using broken-up pretzel sticks or snaps (chopped into pecan-size pieces) and incorporating them into the goo!
- Dairy-Free Pecan Pie Bars: Use vegan butter (I like Miyokos) for both the crust and filling, and swap the heavy cream for a thick plant-based cream (coconut cream or Silk dairy-free heavy cream works great). If making vegan, swap the honey with maple syrup!
Chocolate Butter Pecan Bars
If you’re craving something extra rich, you can turn these into chocolate pecan pie bars with just a couple of tweaks. Sprinkle 1 cup of semisweet or dark chocolate chips over the warm crust before pouring on the pecan filling. The heat from the topping melts the chocolate into a soft, fudgy layer that plays really well with the caramel pecan topping. Want even more chocolate? Drizzle the cooled bars with melted chocolate or add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the crust mixture for a subtle cocoa base.
I hope you try this pecan bar recipe. I think you’ll be hooked, too. Add these cookies to your next cookie exchange, or swap them for a traditional pecan pie during the holidays. Either way, I am convinced you will want to make them again and again!
More bar recipes you will love!
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour I use organic unbleached, see notes for Gluten-free
- ½ cup granulated sugar see note 1
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 12 tablespoons salted butter cold, diced into pieces
For the Pecan Pie Filling:
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar packed (you can use light brown sugar too, it won't be quite as rich)
- ½ cup honey see Note 2
- 12 tablespoons butter I used salted, but you can use unsalted butter, if you do, add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or try my bourbon vanilla extract
- 14 ounces pecan halves coarsely chopped (about 3 ½ -4 cups)
- Optional: Fleur de sel flaky sea salt or a little drizzle of melted chocolate.
Instructions
Make the Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan, line with parchment (with overhang), and spray again.
- In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt. (If using coarse cane sugar, pulse a few extra times.)2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs and holds together when pressed.12 tablespoons salted butter
- Press crust mixture evenly into the pan (a flat measuring cup helps).
- Bake 18–22 minutes, until set and lightly golden around the edges. Set aside.
Make the Pecan Filling & Bake
- In a medium saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter, honey, cream, and salt over medium heat, stirring until smooth.¾ cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup honey, ¼ cup heavy cream, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, 12 tablespoons butter
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes, stirring often (it bubbles quickly).
- Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and chopped pecans.14 ounces pecan halves, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the hot mixture evenly over the warm crust.
- Bake 20–25 minutes (about 24 for me), until the topping is bubbling and deep caramel in color.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. Lift out using parchment, then cut into squares.
- For clean edges, trim about ½ inch off all sides before slicing.
- Optional: finish with flaky sea salt or a drizzle of melted chocolate.Optional: Fleur de sel
Notes
- You can use cane sugar, white sugar, or even powdered sugar in the crust.
- Honey is delicious here, but maple syrup also works for a stronger maple flavor.
- No food processor? Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl, cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until crumbly with pea-sized bits, then press into the pan and bake as directed.
Storage, Make-Ahead & Freezing
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Great for make-ahead: cool fully, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Thaw at room temp or in the fridge overnight before serving.
Nutrition
Rate & Comment