Best Ever Pecan Bars

Making my pecan bars recipe for Thanksgiving is a no-brainer! The rich, gooey filling and flaky crust are just as delicious as a pie, but pecan pie bars are easier to make!

A stack of 4 pecan bars on a white plate, with another stack of pie bars in the background.

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If your holidays are busy with dinners and parties, pecan pie bars are the perfect way to serve dessert to a crowd!

Crunchy toasted pecans are folded into a caramel-based filling, then baked on top of a buttery shortbread crust. Just cool and slice into squares for a dessert that is simple to make, and so delicious!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Fuss-free! Dessert bar recipes give you the same great flavors of a traditional pie, without the difficult and messy step of making pie crust.
Quick to make! If you don't want to spend a long time making your holiday desserts, pecan pie bars will be your go-to recipe.
Portable and sharable: Perfect for holiday parties or simply sharing with family and friends. They travel well, so you can take them to events without a mess.

Pecan pie bars cut into squares in a baking pan. A spatula taking one of the bars out.

Ingredients

To make the pecan bars, you’ll need:

all-purpose flour: Using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work, but it hasn't been tested with this recipe. Keep in mind, your results might be a little bit different than mine. King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill both make good quality gluten free flour.

butter: If you use unsalted butter, you may want to add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the crust. Margarine and dairy free butter alternatives have more water in them than butter, so I do not recommend using them as a substitute. A good butter substitute is vegetable shortening like Crisco may work, but it.

vanilla extract: If you need a substitute, almond extract is a good choice. Or, for a little boozy flavor, you can use rum extract. If you need an alcohol free extract, vanilla essence is a great choice.

corn syrup: You can use light or dark corn syrup. Using dark corn syrup adds a deeper molasses flavor and a darker color to the filling. Agave syrup is a good substitute for corn syrup. For a different flavor, you can substitute ¼ cup of the corn syrup with maple syrup.

pecans: Using finely chopped pecans creates a denser filling, whereas roughly chopped pecans will give you a consistency closer to pecan pie.

For a deeper and richer flavor, use toasted pecans. The bake time will toast the top layer of the pecans, giving you a toasted flavor without the need to pre toast the pecans.

For an extra level of flavor, you can top the pecan pie bars with some flaky sea salt when they come out of the oven. For a more indulgent treat, add ½ cup dark chocolate chunks into the filling.

If you like pecan pie bars, I bet you'll love Pecan Pie Bread Pudding too!

How to Make Pecan Bars

Instructions

Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️

Using a pastry cutter to work butter into flour in a mixing bowl.

Make the crust. Whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a bowl.

Unbaked pecan pie bars crust pressed into the bottom of a parchment lined 9x13 baking pan with a clear glass on top after pressing down.

Press the crust into a lightly greased baking pan, then bake.

Large spoon and filling for old fashioned pecan bars in a clear mixing bowl.

Make the pecan filling. You can do this while the crust is baking.

Uncooked pecan pie bars in a parchment lined baking pan on a marble counter

Pour filling over the crust, then finish baking.

Cool, cut, and serve the pecan pie bars.

5 pecan pie bars stacked on a white plate with more bars in the background.

Liz's Tips and Notes

Use a pastry cutter to work the butter cubes into the flour mixture until it resembles wet sand. It will be very crumbly and dry, but that is ok.
Be sure the crust completely covers the bottom of the pan. Use the bottom of a flat object (like a drinking glass) to work the crust into the corners.
Avoid underbaking. Similarly, if you underbake your dessert bars, the filling will be too runny. The center of the bars should be set, and have a little jiggle, like Jello. It will firm up more as it cools.
Using a glass baking dish allows you to look at the bottom of the crust to determine if it is thoroughly baked.
Be sure to cool the bars completely. If they aren't completely cool before you start cutting, the pie filling may not be fully set. When this happens, filling can squish out of the bars as you cut them.

Serving and Storing

Serving: For best flavor and texture, allow bars to reach room temperature before serving.

Storing: These pecan bars are best kept in the fridge in an airtight container. They keep well for 3-4 days.

Freezing: You can freeze pecan bars for up to 3 months in an airtight container, tightly wrapped and separated with parchment paper. Thaw in the fridge.

Pecan Pie Bars scattered on a marble counter with more pecans scattered around

Pecan Bars Recipe FAQs

Why are my bars soggy?

If your dessert is soggy, you likely didn't cool the bars long after baking. Another common reason is undercooking the crust before spreading the filling onto it.

How do you know when pecan pie bars are done?

The filling of pecan bars should be set, but it will also have a little jiggle, like Jello. The filling will firm up more as it cools.

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