To-Die-For Pecan Pie Shortbread Bars Recipe | Also The Crumbs Please (2024)

Every bite of these pecan shortbread bars is delectable. You just need 15 minutes of prep time and 9 ingredients to make them. They are so easy and feed a crowd! By the way, have you tried apple pecan bars yet?

Photo tutorial

Add theflour, sugar, salt, and butterto the food processor to make theshortbread crust. Continue to pulse until it becomes clumped.

Then transfer the shortbread crust to a paper lined baking pan. Use your fingers topress it evenly in the bottom of the pan. Bake until the crust becomes a golden brown which will take around20 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin preparing the pecan filling. Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Then add in the brown sugar, maple syrup, heavy cream, salt, vanilla, and butter. Heat to a simmer then cook for a 1 minute. Make sure to stir constantly, so it doesn't burn.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in chopped pecans.

Add pecan mixture to the baked crust. Make sure it's even. Then bake.

Substitutions

• Pecans - you can use walnuts instead of pecan if you want to. The flavor and texture will be slightly different, but not a ton. So if you have an aversion to pecans, you will be happy to know you can exchange walnuts in most pecan desserts without too many issues.
• Maple Syrup - If you aren't a fan of maple syrup or you don't have any on hand, you can substitute honey, agave, golden or even corn syrup. The flavors will be slightly different no matter which one you choose, but will still taste great.

Expert tips for success

• Make sure to use cold butter straight out of the fridge, for the flakiest shortbread crust. Also, don't overwork the crust in the food processor.
• Don't overcook the honey filling or it will turn dark brown and taste bitter.
• Avoid overbaking, or the filling will become dry and hard and tough to bite.

How to tell when they are done

You can tell that the pecan pie bars are done when the topping looks to be set. It's vital not to overbake any pecan desserts, especially these pecan bars. They will not be very good if you accidentally do.

Storage

After the bars have cooled completely, cover them. They should be kept airtight for up to three days. You do not need to refrigerate them, and they taste fabulous at room temperature.

Freezing instructions

They should be stored in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Keep in mind; they will stick to each other if they are touching when you freeze them. To help with this issue, I recommend flash freezing.

To flash freeze, simply cut the bars and place them on a cookie sheet so that they aren't touching. Then place the pan in the freezer for 2 hours. After they are frozen, you can put them in the freezer container, and they won't stick together anymore. Grab what you need! They will last 2-3 months in the freezer.

More bars recipes to try

• Cheesecake Bars
• S'mores Cookies
• Key Lime Bars
• Lemon Bars

Recipe