Pecan Pie Bars- Little Squares of Delight

by Michele Pesula Kuegler | February 24th, 2024 | Desserts, Recipes
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pecan pie bars

Pecan pie is a dessert that everyone in our house enjoys.  While I enjoy pecan pie, I do have a couple issues with it. First, I have had occasional problems with getting the filling to set.  Sometimes the crust is on the verge of burning before the filling has gotten to the correct consistency. Second, I am not a fan of pie crust. I tend to dislike both the taste and texture.

After New Year’s we had plans with another family while both of our oldest sons were home from college. With a theme of southern food, I was charged with making the appetizers and desserts. The popular request for dessert was pecan pie. However, I wasn’t sure if one pie would be enough for a group of eight, but two pies seemed like way too much. What’s a girl to do but search for a way to make pecan pie for a gathering of this size? Thus with a little thinking and a little help from the internet, I decided to transform pecan pie into bars.

The result was fantastic!  Instead of a crust, I made a shortbread-like base that was topped with pecan pie filling, which was oh, so yummy. Although they are bars, the filling is pretty sticky. If you decide to treat them as a finger food, be sure to have wet wipes nearby. Oh, and I also should warn you that they are addictive. These bars have since been served at a house party with many requests for the recipe.

Pecan Pie Bars

Yields 16




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Prep Time
5 min

Cook Time
50 min

Total Time
55 min

Prep Time
5 min

Cook Time
50 min

Total Time
55 min

Ingredients
  1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
  2. 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  3. pinch salt
  4. 2/3 cup unsalted butter
  5. 1 cup light corn syrup
  6. 1/2 cup white sugar
  7. 1/2 cup brown sugar
  8. 3 eggs
  9. 1-1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
  10. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  11. 2 cups pecans, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Line a 13×9 pan with parchment paper, and coat well with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Combine flour, 1/3 cup white sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Add 2/3 cup butter, cutting into small pieces. Using a pastry blender, blend until butter is the size of peas.
  5. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan, and press firmly to cover pan evenly.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes.
  7. While that bakes, combine corn syrup, both sugars, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla in a large bowl, stirring until smooth.
  8. Add pecans.
  9. When 20 minutes has passed, remove crust from oven, and top with pecan mixture.
  10. Return to oven, and bake for 30 minutes, or until filling is set. (If edges are getting too brown, cover pan with foil until filling is set.)
  11. Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
  1. While many bar cookies can be served warm, due to the very moist nature of the filling, these need to be room temperature or cooler before cutting.
Think Tasty https://www.thinktasty.com/

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