Favorite Pecan Pie Bars

Total Time

Prep: 10 min. Bake: 45 min. + cooling

Makes

4 dozen

Updated: Feb. 14, 2024
These pecan pie bars are the perfect little gift. Send your favorite holiday travelers on their way with a package of these nutty pecan pie bars to eat when they get home. —Sylvia Ford, Kennett, Missouri

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
  • FILLING:
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups corn syrup
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2-1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt; cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake 20 minutes.
  2. For filling, in a large bowl, whisk eggs, corn syrup, sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Spread over hot crust.
  3. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until filling is set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
Pecan Pie Bars Tips

How can you make pecan pie bars your own?

You can really up the appeal of these delicious pecan pie bars with the addition of chocolate! Stir 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips into the filling (mini chocolate chips would also work great here) prior to baking. Or gently heat the chocolate chips in 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring until completely melted, then drizzle on top of finished bars. You can also fancy these up by serving them with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkling of additional toasted, chopped pecans on top.

How can you tell when pecan pie bars are done?

The filling should be just set; a tiny bit of a jiggle when you tap the edge of the pan while it's in the oven is fine. The bars will continue to bake in the pan after you take them out of the oven. Much like a cheesecake, these bars rely on eggs to set them, and you don't want to over-bake the bars and risk a crack in the center.

How should you store pecan pie bars?

Because pecan pie bars are rich with eggs, it's best to store these in the refrigerator, where they'll last for up to 3 days. Chilling these bars also helps to make clean cuts! Here's how to store baked goods for optimal freshness.

What can you do with extra pecans?

If you picked up a bag of pecans for this pecan pie bar recipe and still have some left, put them to use in our sweet and savory pecan recipes. Some of our favorites include pecan coffee cake and cream cheese turtle cups.

—Mark Neufang, Taste of Home Culinary Assistant

Nutrition Facts

1 bar: 157 calories, 8g fat (3g saturated fat), 25mg cholesterol, 54mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (16g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.