Gooey Pecan Pie Bars with a Shortbread Crust

Hi hi! I am just popping in to share this recipe for Pecan Pie Bars with you! I love a baked dessert bar, and this one truly ticks all of the boxes.

We have a buttery shortbread base, which bakes by itself first, and is then topped with a super simple but very delicious pecan pie filling, and baked again until perfectly gooey.

These pecan pie bars have mega pecan pie vibes (obviously) but the recipe makes 20 servings, is great to make ahead, and perfect for feeding a crowd, so a little lower lift than the classic pecan pie recipe.

These got the mega stamp of approval from my family and friends when I was testing them - I hope that you love them as much as we do!

Components of a Pecan Pie Bar

There are only two components to this pecan pie bars recipe but they both play very important roles!

Shortbread Crust.

Look, I LOVE shortbread anything. I love how buttery and tender it is, and it is the perfect base for these pecan pie bars.

The dough comes together super quickly just in a bowl with an electric mixer (you could also make it by hand if you wanted) and is then pressed into the pan.

The shortbread base gets baked by itself first before the pecan pie filling is added, as the base is quite buttery and the topping is quite wet. I like to do it at a lower temperature (150°c / 300°f) to make sure that it is set through but not too golden. I bake my shortbread cookies at the same temperature for this reason.

When you are baking the shortbread you want it to look set in the middle and only just starting to go golden brown around the edges - remember that it is getting another 25 minutes in the oven again after it has been baked by itself.

Pecan Pie filling.

This is your typical pecan pie filling - I took it straight from my pecan pie recipe, but skipped the step where I brown the butter.

Pecan pie filling is essentially a super loose custard situation (bound by eggs). I like to finely chop the nuts rather than leave them coarse, as the layer is a little thinner so they sit nicer if they are finely chopped.

When baked the filling almost separates out a little as the nuts float which I love, so you get a nutty layer at the top and then a nice gooey filling layer on top of the shortbread.

No corn syrup in the recipe?! What is Golden Syrup?

You will notice that my recipe does not use corn syrup - instead I have use golden syrup, which is a similar product, but In my opinion, tastes a zillion times better.

If you do not have access to golden syrup (I used to get mine online when I lived in the US or some stores also stock it), you can use corn syrup or liquid glucose. I think that treacle or molasses will be too rich.

If you do get some golden syrup and are looking for other recipes to use it up, check these out: Recipes using Golden Syrup

Can Pecan Pie Bars be made ahead of time?

This is a great make ahead recipe - the pecan pie bars can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

If you want them to keep longer or if you are in a hot climate you can also store them in the fridge. I haven't tried freezing them sorry!

Why you should be toasting your nuts

If I am using nuts in a recipe, I almost always toast them. Toasting nuts gives them an amazing depth of flavour, and means you start out the recipe with that flavour already there - the nuts get suspended in the filling when they are baked, so they have less opportunity to get lovely and toasty, so I always do it separately first.

If you really don't want to then that is fine, but it doesn't take long and can quickly be done while you prepare the shortbread base for the pecan pie bars.

Can I use something else instead of Pecans?

I haven't tested it for this recipe specifically, but walnuts are generally a good sub for pecans. They are slightly more oily but I think that that should be fine for this recipe! Use the same amount by weight.

How to know when Pecan Pie Bars are baked

This can be a tiny bit tricky as the filling is already brown, but it will start to go golden around the edges. The main thing that you want to look for is that the centre of the bar is set and not liquidy any more. It may puff up a little in the oven - don't worry, it sinks back down once you take it out.

I like to let these pecan pie bars cool fully in the pan as they are on the thinner side so they are easier to remove from the pan when totally cooled. You can also store them in the fridge before cutting if you would like.

Setting you up for success - line your pan properly!

The key to getting your pecan pie bars cleanly out of the pan is to line your pan properly. You want to have some parchment paper sticking out past the bars a little to give you something to grab onto.

I like to use a pre-cut piece of parchment paper the size of a half sheet pan to line the pan, but if you are worried, use two pieces the come over the edges of the pan - you can clip them down with binder clips to help keep them on the edges of the pan too.

I like to grease my pan before I line it with parchment paper as I find that when you are spreading something like a shortbread base, you want to make sure that the paper is nicely stuck down.

What is the best way to get a clean cut on pecan pie bars?

I am a bit type A when it comes to cutting things (only for the internet though, if I'm just making something at home I just wing it and it's wonky).

I find that the best way to cut these cleanly is to make sure that your knife is super sharp. I don't warm it but if you want to, run it under some hot water then wipe it so that it is warm but not wet.

Make sure that you wipe the knife between cuts to keep the blade clean. I cut my pecan pie bars into rectangles, but you do you here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tools and equipment do you use?
You can find a full list of the tools and equipment I use on my products page

Which pan did you use?
I made these in a 9x13" (20x30cm) rectangular pan - my favourite comes from USA pan.