Description
Homemade pecan pie bars blend Southern comfort with rich caramel and nutty flavors. Buttery shortbread crust and toasted pecans create a delightful dessert perfect for holiday gatherings and casual weekends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (240 g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 227 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (120 ml) corn syrup (light or dark)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350F (175C), establishing an ideal baking environment for the pecan bars.
- Shortbread Creation: Blend flour, sugar, salt, and melted butter into a unified mixture, creating a firm, compact base for the dessert.
- Crust Formation: Press the shortbread mixture evenly into a prepared baking pan, ensuring a uniform foundation that will support the pecan topping.
- Initial Baking: Bake the shortbread crust until it reaches a light golden color, approximately 15-18 minutes, then allow it to cool and stabilize.
- Filling Development: Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and heavy cream in a saucepan, simmering and stirring until the sugar completely dissolves into a smooth mixture.
- Filling Enrichment: Remove from heat and whisk in eggs, vanilla, and salt, creating a luxurious, silky filling that will bind the pecans.
- Pecan Integration: Gently fold chopped pecans into the filling, ensuring each nut is thoroughly coated with the sweet cream mixture.
- Final Assembly: Carefully pour the pecan filling over the cooled shortbread crust, distributing it evenly across the surface.
- Final Baking: Return to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, allowing the filling to set with a gentle firmness that promises a perfect texture.
- Cooling and Serving: Let the bars cool completely, allowing flavors to meld and the filling to set, then slice into elegant squares and serve as a standalone treat or with a caramel drizzle or whipped cream.
Notes
- Optimize Shortbread Base: Press the crust mixture firmly and evenly to create a compact, stable foundation that prevents crumbling and ensures a consistent texture throughout the bars.
- Prevent Filling Overflow: Use a baking pan with high sides and avoid overfilling to stop the pecan mixture from spilling during baking, maintaining a clean and professional appearance.
- Control Pecan Toasting: Toast pecans lightly before mixing into the filling to enhance their natural nutty flavor and add a deeper, more complex taste profile to the dessert.
- Manage Cooling Process: Allow bars to cool completely at room temperature before cutting to help the filling set properly and prevent a runny or messy texture when slicing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 17
- Calories: 249
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 43 mg