Easy Recipe for Pecan Pie Bars With Shortbread Crust
Turn your favorite pie into a handheld dessert with these pecan pie bars with shortbread crust. The buttery crust is topped with a gooey caramel and pecan filling. It’s like what you’d get with a pecan pie, but this recipe is easier to make and share. It’s perfect for a party, cookie exchange, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.
Pecan Pie Bar Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe uses straightforward pantry staples combined with pecans, delivering a sophisticated flavor profile with minimal effort. While many pecan pie fillings rely on corn syrup to make them gooey, this recipe uses honey. You can substitute corn syrup or even maple syrup if you prefer.
Here are the ingredients needed.
For the Crust:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Pecan Pie Filling:
- 3 cups chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus extra for topping, optional)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Tips for Pecan Pie Bars With Shortbread Crust
These pecan pie bars with shortbread crust start with the crust. Once the crust is baked, a separate pecan pie filling is added on top, and the bars are baked once again. So there are two layers to these delicious cookies. But don’t worry—it comes together quickly. Here are my tips for making this recipe.
Crust: Shortbread can puff up when baking. To prevent this, pierce the crust with a fork before baking, a process known as docking.
Pecan Pie Filling: The filling is made in a saucepan. It starts by making a caramel with the pecan, butter, honey, vanilla, and sugar. After about two minutes, the heavy cream is added. The final addition is the eggs. Let the caramel mixture cool a bit before adding the eggs to prevent scrambling.
Step by Step With Photos
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, or lightly grease it. Using parchment paper allows you to remove the cookies in one piece before cutting them into bars.
Make the shortbread crust:
Place 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup sugar in a bowl.
Add 2 cups of flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients to make a crumbly dough.
Pour the shortbread dough into the prepared baking pan.
Use your hands to press the dough into an even layer.
Use a fork to pierce the dough. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden.
Make the pecan pie layer:
Place 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup honey, 3 cups chopped pecans, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until a caramel forms, about 2 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup heavy cream and stir into the mixture.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly. Then add 2 eggs and stir until combined.
Don’t overmix the eggs when stirring them into the filling.
Pour the pecan mixture on top of the shortbread crust and spread into an even layer.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden. The center will barely be set.
If you want to enhance the flavor, sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top of the bars when they come out of the oven. Let the bars cool completely in the pan, then use the parchment paper to remove them. Cut the pecan pie bars with shortbread crust into squares, or bars. Store the bars in an airtight container for 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
For another pecan and caramel delight, try these Caramel Chocolate Turtle Cookies. And if you love shortbread, try these Millionaire Brownies that have shortbread layered with a chocolate brownie.
If you try this Pecan Pie Bars With Shortbread Crust recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting, and happy baking!
Pecan Pie Bars
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Saucepan
- 9×13 Baking pan
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the pecan pie filling:
- 3 cups chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus extra for topping, optional
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- Prepare the crust. In a large bowl, mix the butter with the flour, sugar, and salt, breaking it up little by little until it forms a dough.
- Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a firm crust. Use a fork to pierce holes on top of the crust.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Prepare the filling. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the chopped pecans, brown sugar, vanilla extract, honey, salt, and butter, stirring until a caramel forms and everything is combined. It should take about 2 minutes.
- Then add the heavy cream and stir into the mixture.
- Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and add the eggs. Mix just until combined, don't overbeat the eggs.
- Pour the pecan filling over the prebaked crust, spreading it evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes more, or until the center is barely set and the top is golden brown.
- Optional: Sprinkle with a pinch of flaked sea salt immediately after baking to enhance the flavor.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan.
- Once cool, remove them using the parchment paper and cut them into squares or bars.
Notes
- Let the sugar and butter mixture cool slightly before adding the eggs to prevent it from cooking on contact.
- To cut cleanly and evenly, let the bars cool completely and use a large knife. Refrigerate the bars before cutting if you want firmer, more defined slices.
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