Name: Pecan Pie Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 52 min
Total time: 3 h 37 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Cooking spray, for the pan; ½ cup unsalted butter, softened; ¼ cup granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 2 large eggs; ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; ¾ cup light corn syrup; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1½ cups pecan pieces

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Three stacked pecan pie bars with amber filling and a buttery shortbread base.

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Pecan pie bars are everything good about the pie in a sliceable, shortbread-bottomed bar: a buttery crust, rich brown sugar filling, and plenty of chopped pecans. This recipe makes 12 bars in an 8-inch square pan, with a press-in crust that skips the rolling pin entirely.

Plan on 15 minutes of prep, 45-52 minutes of baking, and about 2½ hours for cooling and chilling. The hands-on work is short; the wait gives the filling time to firm up for clean slices. If you want the full pie instead, my Classic Pecan Pie is the place to start.

Why You'll Love These Bars

These bars give you the familiar pecan-pie layers in a batch sized for a smaller gathering.

Press-in shortbread: moist crumbs become a sturdy buttery base without rolling or crimping.
Make-ahead friendly: the required chill fits naturally into an overnight plan.
Easy to portion: cut the chilled slab into 12 bars for a dessert tray or an afternoon cup of coffee.

Pecan pie bars viewed from above at an angle, showing chopped pecan tops and shortbread layers.

Pecan pieces, eggs, butter, flour, sugars, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and cooking spray for pecan pie bars.

Ingredients You'll Need

Cooking spray: lightly greases the pan beneath the parchment.
Unsalted butter: soften it for the crust.
Granulated sugar: sweetens the shortbread base.
Kosher salt: goes into both the crust and filling.
All-purpose flour: forms the crust and is also whisked into the filling.
Large eggs: are whisked into the filling.
Dark brown sugar: measure it packed.
Light corn syrup: use the tested syrup for this filling.
Vanilla extract: rounds out the brown sugar and pecans.
Pecan pieces: fold them in, then spread them evenly over the crust.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Light brown sugar can replace the dark brown sugar, and chopped walnuts can replace the pecans. If using salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the salt in the crust to ¼ teaspoon; the filling's salt stays as written.

This tested version uses light corn syrup. A maple-syrup or honey version would need separate testing, so keep those swaps out of this batch. Exact ingredient amounts are in the native recipe card below.

Tools That Make It Easier

Oven
8-inch square baking pan
Parchment paper
Electric mixer
Mixing bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Whisk
Spatula or spoon
Wire cooling rack
Refrigerator
Cutting board
Sharp knife

How to Make Pecan Pie Bars

Bake the shortbread first, add the filling while the crust is freshly baked, then cool and chill before cutting. Keep the oven at 350°F for both baking stages.

1. Prepare the pan and press in the crust

Heat the oven to 350°F; lightly grease an 8-inch square pan and line it with parchment extending above two opposite sides. Beat the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and salt until smooth, about 2 minutes, then mix in the flour on low until moist crumbs form and press firmly into an even layer, filling the corners.

Raw shortbread dough pressed evenly into a parchment-lined square pan.

2. Bake the shortbread base

Bake the crust for 20-22 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Start the filling while the crust bakes so it is ready to spoon onto the freshly baked base.

Prebaked shortbread crust with lightly browned edges in a square pan.

3. Whisk the filling and fold in the pecans

Whisk the eggs and dark brown sugar together, then whisk in the flour until no dry pockets remain. Add the light corn syrup, vanilla, and salt, then fold in the pecan pieces.

Chopped pecans folded into the unbaked egg, brown sugar, and corn syrup filling.

4. Fill the hot crust and finish baking

Spoon the filling onto the freshly baked crust and spread the pecans evenly. Bake another 25-30 minutes, until the surface is browned and the center is set without a loose, liquid wobble.

Pecan filling spread over the freshly baked shortbread crust before the final bake.

5. Cool, then chill

Cool the bars in the pan on a wire rack for about 1½ hours. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight, to firm the filling before slicing.

Baked pecan pie bar slab cooling in its parchment-lined pan on a wire rack.

6. Lift out and slice

Use the parchment overhang to transfer the chilled slab to a cutting board. Cut into 12 bars, wiping the knife between cuts as needed.

Chilled pecan pie bar slab cut into twelve pieces on parchment.

A Few Tips for Clean Layers and Neat Slices

An even crust and a fully chilled filling make these bars easier to portion.

Fill the corners: press the moist dough crumbs firmly into a level base so the edges are not thin and fragile.
Get the flour smooth: whisk it into the eggs and brown sugar before adding the syrup, checking for dry pockets.
Use both doneness cues: look for a browned surface and a center that is set without a loose, liquid wobble.
Give the chill its full hour: a warm filling can smear even when the baking is finished; wipe the knife between cuts as needed.

Keeping Leftovers Fresh

Refrigerate the bars in an airtight container for up to 4 days, separating stacked layers with parchment. For longer storage, wrap individual bars tightly, place them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Can You Make Them Ahead?

Yes-cool the bars in the pan for about 1½ hours, then refrigerate overnight before slicing. Serve them chilled or let them stand briefly at room temperature before serving; there is no reheating step in this recipe.

Higher view of stacked pecan pie bars on a white plate beside coffee and pecans.

What to Serve with Pecan Pie Bars

Serve these bars with coffee, black tea, or milk, and add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you like. For a dessert-table gathering, Stabilized Whipped Cream adds a topping option, Coffee Punch offers a chilled coffee pairing, and Best Thanksgiving Desserts Beyond Pumpkin Pie helps plan the rest of the sweets.

Stabilized Whipped Cream

Coffee Punch

Best Thanksgiving Desserts Beyond Pumpkin Pie

Can I use a larger baking pan?

Use an 8-inch square pan for this tested batch. A larger pan changes the depth of both layers, and adjusted bake times have not been supplied for another size.

Should the filling go onto a cooled crust?

No-spoon the filling over the freshly baked crust, spread the pecans evenly, and return the pan to the oven. The cooling time comes after the second bake.

Is this the same as pecan pie cobbler?

No. These bars have a separate press-in shortbread base and are chilled before being cut into individual portions; this recipe is designed to be sliced rather than spooned.

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Tell Me How It Turned Out

One of my favorite parts of sharing recipes is hearing how they turn out in other kitchens. Leave a comment and tell me who you made these bars for or how you served them. If you made the recipe, please leave an honest rating and review to help other readers.

More Recipes You Might Like

For another bar-cookie platter, try Salted Caramel Bars, Sugar Cookie Bars, or Salted Double Chocolate Fudge Brownies. For a spoonable pecan dessert, there's Pecan Pie Cobbler.

Honey Spice Bars

These sweet and chewy Honey Spice Bars are a perfect sidekick to a cup of coffee or tea! Made with pure local honey, cinnamon, pecans and more!

Pumpkin Dump Cake with Sweetened Condensed Milk

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Pecan Pie Bars Recipe

Pecan Pie Bars

Print Recipe

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These pecan pie bars layer a buttery shortbread crust with rich brown sugar filling and chopped pecans. Chill the 8-inch-pan batch, then slice into 12 bars.

Author: Jennifer Locklin
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 52 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 37 minutes
Yield: 12 bars 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

Crust

Cooking spray, for the pan
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Pecan Filling

2 large eggs
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups pecan pieces

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Instructions

Set the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan lightly with cooking spray. Fit parchment paper into the pan, leaving enough above two opposite edges to lift out the bars.
Mix the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and salt with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix on low just until the dough forms moist crumbs.
Distribute the dough across the bottom of the pan. Press firmly into a level layer, making sure the corners are filled.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the edges begin to brown.
While the crust bakes, prepare the filling. Whisk the eggs and dark brown sugar together in a bowl. Whisk in the flour until no dry pockets remain, then add the light corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Fold in the pecans.
Spoon the filling over the freshly baked crust. Spread the pecans evenly across the pan.
Return the pan to the oven for 25-30 minutes. The surface should be browned and the center should be set without a loose, liquid wobble.
Let the bars cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 1½ hours. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight, to firm the filling before slicing.
Use the parchment to transfer the chilled slab to a cutting board. Cut into 12 bars, wiping the knife between cuts as needed.

Notes

Cook time: 45-52 minutes (20-22 minutes for the crust plus 25-30 minutes with filling). Cool in the pan about 1½ hours, then chill at least 1 hour or overnight. Total time: about 3 hours 30 minutes-3 hours 37 minutes; displayed time uses the upper baking bound. Light brown sugar can replace dark brown sugar; chopped walnuts can replace pecans. If using salted butter, reduce crust salt to ¼ teaspoon. Serve chilled or stand briefly at room temperature. Optional whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Pair with coffee, black tea, or milk. Refrigerate airtight up to 4 days with parchment between stacked layers. Freeze tightly wrapped individual bars in a freezer-safe container up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.