​Pecan pie bars have all of the decadent brown-sugary flavor of a pie, but in an easy bar recipe with a push-in crust.

My mother was always coming up with variations on pecan pie, her favorite of the many favorite pies she baked. For years she baked pecan tassies, little individual cups of pie crust with a dab of pecan pie filling in each one. Those must have gotten to be too much work because she then shifted to pecan pie bars especially dessert at Thanksgiving dinner, with the same push-in crust she employed for her Lemon Bars. I’ve been making all kinds of interesting recipes from her big recipe binder of handwritten and clipped recipes, and just as I was on the hunt for her pecan pie bars recipe, the recipes literally fell from her binder as if they were there just waiting for me. 

Of course, her recipe is excellent! My own addition is orange blossom water, plus a few other tweaks (hello, toasted pecans! Hi, brown butter!) to get us to a bar that is the best piece of pecan pie you can make or eat.

Why You’ll Love Bars as much as Pie

Traditional pecan pie is either your favorite pie with its gooey pecan pie filling, or you consider it an acquired taste. But these delicious pecan pie bars? They are absolutely your new favorite cookie and pecan pie in bar form, all in one. 

My easy recipe involves a baked crust, pressed into the pan. Pecan pie lover or first time trier alike, this great recipe will be as much of a standout on the dessert buffet as at your next cookie exchange – the hardest part is trying not to keep them for yourself! These pecan squares pack the flavor of decadent pecan pie, but you only need a handful of simple ingredients. Plus, a scoop of ice cream, obviously. 

Ingredients 

For the crust:

Flour. Unbleached, all purpose flour works well, just like in a pie crust. 

Confectioners’ sugar. This is a standard ingredient in the press-in crust, giving it a shortbread texture.

Salt.

Unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch cubes, integral to a buttery shortbread crust recipe. 

Egg, which enhances the texture and workability of the dough.

For the filling:

Butter, which is melted and browned.

Dark Brown Sugar, which imparts a rich molasses flavor, almost caramel-like

Sugar. One cup sugar, granulated this time!

Sea Salt. teaspoon fine sea salt

Vanilla. Pure vanilla extract enhances all of the caramel notes and imparts the classic pecan pie flavor we love.

Orange Blossom Water, a best friend to anything caramel.

Pecans. Toasted, for added crunch and depth of flavor. Toasted pecan pieces are key in offsetting the sweet filling of pecan pie!

Egg, lightly beaten.

How to Make Shortbread Crust

Step 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Brush or spray the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan lightly with oil. Line with parchment paper, leaving an inch or so of overhang on two sides of the pan to lift the bars out after baking.

Step 2. In the large bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Add the butter all at once, then pulse on a medium speed with the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball.

Step 3. Roughly divide the dough in an even layer over the prepared baking pan and press crust mixture evenly into the pan and up the sides by about 1 inch. Bake until light golden brown, 20 minutes.

How to Make Pecan Pie Bars

Step 4. While the crust bakes, make the filling. Coarsely chop the toasted pecan halves. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until it foams, then browns. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and orange blossom water to the melted butter. Add the pecans and stir to combine, then add the egg and stir to combine.

Step 5. When the crust is done baking, remove it from the oven and pour the gooey pecan pie filling over the warm crust.

Step 6. Bake until the center is set, 20-25 minutes. Add 5 minutes to bake time if necessary.

Step 7. Cool to room temperature. Run a knife around the perimeter of the pan interior, lift the block out, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Do you have to refrigerate Pecan Pie Bars?

Storage is best in an airtight container, then refrigerate for up to one week. 

Tips and Variations 

• If you’re out of regular and/or dark brown sugar, maple syrup, light corn syrup, dark corn syrup, or light brown sugar are great sweetener alternatives. 
• Serve this decadent treat with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a la mode style. It’s extra special with a drizzle of caramel sauce over the top.
• If you don’t have parchment paper on hand, just use cooking spray or aluminum foil on the bottom of the pan. It may be more challenging to remove the bars from the pan, however.
• Make the cool down faster and cutting process easier by cooling them on a wire rack first.
• Add a cup of chocolate chips to this pecan pie bar recipe, even just a little bit adds great chocolate flavor
• If you don’t have a food processor at the ready, an electric mixer or a hand mixer with a large mixing bowl will work well. You can cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter to make the crust by hand.