Easy Pecan Pie Bars

Easy Pecan Pie Bars bake into gooey, rich squares with a buttery shortbread crust that feels like the best ever shortcut to classic pecan pie. This pecan pie bars with shortbread crust recipe has a true lazy girl vibe, making it a simple, easy pecan bars recipe that works beautifully as cookie bars. You'll see how quickly these squares come together, making them a smart choice for Christmas cookies or an easy Thanksgiving dessert when time is tight. Pin this now so you always have a crowd-pleasing sweet ready whenever someone asks you to bring dessert.

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Why is this the best easy pecan pie bar recipe

This pecan pie bar recipe is absolutely delicious! The combination of crispy pecans, sweet filling, and a soft shortbread crust is divine!

This recipe makes the best pecan bars in the oven, every time! It's super easy to make and quick enough for busy holiday gatherings for the whole family and friends.

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This is an easy dessert recipe for pecan pie bars. Combine the shortbread crust mixture ingredients and press into a baking sheet. Bake the crust for a few minutes. In another bowl, whisk filling ingredients and pecans. Pour the pecan mixture on top of the baked crust and bake it all together. Way easier than making a pie crust!

The ingredients for the dish are common and easy to find. You likely already have most of the simple ingredients for this easy pecan pie bar recipe in your pantry. If you need an ingredient or two, you can easily find them in most local grocery stores or on Amazon!

This easy pecan pie bar recipe tastes amazing! These gooey pecan pie bars are delicious on their own, baked to golden brown. But you can also customize them to your preference with a drizzle of chocolate or add a pinch of flaky sea salt!

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These pecan pie bars look fancy. This dessert bar recipe is so easy, your guests won't believe it. They are perfect for a holiday dessert table, holiday parties, dessert after a dinner party, or a date night at home.

What you'll need to make pecan pie bars with shortbread crust

Equipment

• Baking sheet - These bars cook in a sheet pan that you can cut into bar shapes. They won't work on a cookie sheet without raised edges.
• Wire rack - These bars need to be cooled quickly to properly set without getting hard. The wire rack supports the sheet pan and allows air to circulate around it on all sides.

Ingredients  

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• all-purpose flour - This is for the shortbread crust.
• sugar - You'll need sugar in the crust and in the filling.
• butter - Some of this butter will be used soft and some will be melted. Pay close attention to how much of each you need. You'll also need extra to grease the pan.
• salt - This enhances the other flavors.
• eggs - You need eggs to make the shortbread crust.
• corn syrup - This is the foundation of the pecan pie filling.
• vanilla bean paste - I prefer vanilla bean paste to vanilla extract because the paste has a much stronger and richer vanilla flavor. Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol and then removing the beans. Vanilla bean paste is made by mixing crushed vanilla beans into concentrated vanilla extract. You can use them interchangeably in equal amounts.
• pecans - You can use pecan halves if you want, but I use chopped pecans. For one thing, they're cheaper, plus the bars are easier to cut and eat without huge chunks of pecans in the way.

How to make easy pecan bars recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease the sheet pan but rubbing a stick of butter over the bottom and sides.
2. In a large mixing bowl, blend together flour, ⅓ cup sugar, ¾ cup softened butter, and salt until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly and evenly into a greased sheet pan. Bake 20 minutes.
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3. In a second bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup, 1½ cup sugar, ¼ cup melted butter, and vanilla bean paste. Stir in pecans to coat. Spread evenly over the hot crust. Bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until set.
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4. Cool on a wire rack then cut into squares.
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Substitutions & variations

You can swap all-purpose flour for a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking mix, almond flour, crushed graham crackers, or crushed vanilla wafers.

To add extra texture to the chopped pecans, sprinkle chocolate chips over the crust before adding the filling.

Drizzle melted chocolate or honey over the cooled bars for a bakery-style finish.

Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over the filling before baking.

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Storing leftovers

If you have leftovers, you can put them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 4-5 days. Place a piece of parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

To freeze: Chill the bars first to ensure they're firm. Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container or zippered freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

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Don't miss these pecan recipes!

Don't miss our world-famous pecan pie recipe and our gluten-free crustless pecan pie. And also, our pecan pie mini cheesecakes and pecan pie cobbler.

Check out more delicious dessert bar recipes

• Cranberry Crumble Bars
• Apple Crisp Shortbread Bars
• Easy Key Lime Pie Bars
• Reese's No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
• Toasted S'mores Bars - Copycat Starbucks Recipe
• Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies (AKA PB Cream Cheese Brownie Bars)

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