a piece of the pie
Pecan pie was never my favorite during the holidays, but I think I might be turning a new leaf on it. Especially after making these pecan pie bars. It’s a simplified and mess-free approach to making pie, and the result is an ooey, gooey delicious dessert. These are very easy to make, and for a baked good, they really only require a few ingredients. They also make a great gift, as you can just slice them up into squares and put in a cookie tin or wrap in a little gift baggie. I made two batches of these in two days and took them to a holiday party and my office. They were a total hit! Just trying to spread the wealth.
⟶ the recipe
pecan pie bars
ingredients
For the crust
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
⅓ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
For the filling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, whisked
¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup chopped pecans
Prep time
30 minutes
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 30 minutes
Makes 12-16 bars
instructions
Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper.
Using a stand or hand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.
Add the salt and flour, and continue beating at a low speed until the mixture has formed a well-combined dough. Use a rubber spatula to scrape any of the dough off the sides of the bowl and use your hands to form it into a singular ball of dough.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Pile the dough onto the sheet pan, and press it out to the edges with a rubber spatula until smooth and evenly distributed. Alternately, you can place a piece of wax paper over the dough and use your hands or another smooth kitchen tool to spread out the dough.
Refrigerate the dough until it’s cold and firm. Bake the crust for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer crust to a wire rack to cool.
Prepare the filling by heating the butter in a medium saucepan until melted. Whisk in the sugars. Add in the whisked eggs, and beat until mixture is smooth and well-combined. Add in the vanilla extract and salt, and then stir in the chopped pecans.
Pour the filling into the pie crust, spreading it out evenly and making sure the nuts are evenly distributed.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until the filling has set. Place on the wire rack to cool.
Once the crust and filling have cooled and set completely, use a large knife to cut it into bars or bite-sized squares.
⟶ recipe notes
- You can double this recipe and use a regular sheet pan to make more
⟶ make it ahead and store it
- You can make the pie crust ahead of time and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the filling and bake it
- I recommend allowing the crust and filling to cool completely, at least 4 hours, before cutting into the bars to ensure the filling is solidified. You can also bake these the night before and cut into bars in the morning
- Store at room temperature for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container
