Recipe for Pecan Pie Bars
One bite of these Ultimate pecan pie bars, and you’ll fall in love. The homemade pie crust perfectly balances tender, buttery, and flaky texture. Paired with a custard-like filling made of chopped pecans, brown sugar, honey, molasses, and vanilla, it’s a sweet treat that’s hard to resist.
Pecan pie bars are a classic dessert that brings a touch of nostalgia to any gathering. These bars are a delicious reinterpretation of the classic pecan pie. They’re just as delicious but far more practical.
What’s best is that each component tastes incredible. The pie crust, crisp and buttery, sets the stage for the delicious filling. The combination of sweet and nutty flavors is nothing short of perfection. I recommend also checking out my pecan shortbread and Russian tea cakes! Trust me, you’re going to love them all!
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Easy to make: This old fashioned pecan pie bars recipe is straightforward, requiring only basic baking skills and ingredients. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can whip up a batch of these delicious treats!
- Perfect for sharing: These easy pecan pie bars can be made in large quantities and are perfect for sharing. Whether you’re hosting a party, bringing a dish to a potluck, or gifting to a friend, these bars are perfect!
- Absolutely Delicious: The combination of a flaky pie crust, a sweet and gooey filling, and crunchy toasted pecans makes these bars irresistibly delicious. One bite, and you’ll understand why this is the ultimate pecan pie bars recipe!
🍊 INGREDIENTS
More details about the ingredients and measurements are in the recipe card below!
All-purpose Flour: This is the foundation of the pie crust, providing structure and texture. It is also used in the filling to thicken it slightly, guaranteeing a perfect consistency.
Sugar: A touch of sugar in the crust adds a hint of sweetness that nicely balances the savory butter.
Butter: The fat in this recipe gives the crust a beautiful buttery flavor and flaky texture while adding richness to the filling.
Chilled Water: It helps to bind the flour and butter together in the crust, creating a dough that’s easy to work with.
Chopped Pecan: The star of the show, these provide a toasted crunchy texture and a rich, buttery flavor that’s favored by many.
Eggs: These bind the filling ingredients together and create a custard-like texture when baked. Make sure they are at room temperature so they incorporate more easily.
Brown Sugar: Adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness to the filling that compliments the nutty pecans.
Honey: A natural sweetener that not only tastes good but is good for you. It replaces corn syrup in traditional recipes, adding a floral sweetness to the filling.
Molasses: This brings a robust, earthy sweetness and a touch of bitterness that balances the sweetness of the other ingredients.
Milk: It adds richness and creaminess to the filling, enhancing its custard-like texture.
🔪HOW TO MAKE ULTIMATE PECAN PIE BARS
Making honey pecan pie bars at home is incredibly easy. Let’s look at home to make it step by step:
Preparing the Pie Crust
Step 1:
Combine ingredients in a bowl, excluding the water. You’re looking for a texture similar to wet sand. Once achieved, add the chilled water and bring the dough together to form a ball. Flatten this into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least half an hour.
Step 2:
Roll out the dough on a flour-dusted surface until it is big enough to fit your baking pan. You can use a standard pie pan or a rectangular tart pan.
Step 3:
Transfer the dough to your baking pan. Fold the dough in half for easy transfer, then unfold it in the pan. Preheat your oven to a temperature of about 350F/180C and bake the pie crust for about eight minutes.
Step 4:
Prep for filling by removing the pie crust from the oven. If the crust has puffed up, gently tap it down with the back of a spatula.
Making the Pie Filling
Step 5:
Roast the pecans by preheating the oven to 350F/180C. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about seven minutes. Set aside.
Step 6:
Prepare the filling by melting butter in a saucepan, adding flour, sugar, honey, molasses, and salt. Stir until combined. Add the milk and keep stirring. Once the mixture boils, turn off the heat.
Step 7:
Mix in the eggs by gradually adding the hot mixture to beaten eggs while whisking continuously to avoid scrambling them.
Baking the Pie Bars
Step 8:
Assemble the pie by adding the chopped pecans to the pie crust, then pour in the filling mixture. Top with whole pecans for decoration, then bake for about forty-five minutes in a preheated oven at 350F/180C.
Enjoy your homemade pecan pie bars!
👩🏽🍳 PRO TIPS
Use Cold Butter: For the pie crust, make sure to use cold butter. This helps make sure that your crust will be flaky and delicious.
Chill Your Dough: After making your pie crust dough, refrigerate it for at least half an hour. This will make it easier to roll out and shape.
Toast Your Pecans: Toasting the pecans before using them in the filling enhances their flavor and gives your pie bars a delicious crunch.
Pre-Bake Your Crust: Pre-baking the pie crust before adding the filling helps prevent it from getting soggy.
Use Honey and Molasses: Instead of corn syrup, use honey and molasses in your filling. These natural sweeteners add depth of flavor and make for a healthier pie.
Let It Cool: After baking, let your pecan pie bars cool completely before cutting. This allows the filling to set and makes them easier to serve.
📋 VARIATIONS
Try it with Chocolate: If you’re a chocolate lover, this variation is a must-try. Simply add a layer of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of the crust before pouring the pecan filling. The chocolate will melt into a delicious layer that pairs perfectly with the sweet, nutty pecan filling.
Add Some Fruit: Love a good fruit and nut combination? Try adding a half cup of dried cranberries or chopped apples to the pecan filling. The tartness of the fruit provides a wonderful contrast to the sweetness of the pie filling.
Switch up the Nuts: Not a fan of pecans? No problem! Try substituting the pecans with chopped walnuts, almonds, or even a mix of your favorite nuts. This variation adds a unique twist to the classic pecan pie bars while keeping the texture and flavor interesting.
🍽️ HOW TO SERVE
- For a delicious breakfast, pair your pecan pie bars with a hot cup of coffee. The sweet, nutty flavors of the bar perfectly complement the bitterness of the coffee.
- Want a perfect dessert? Serve your pecan pie bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cool, creamy ice cream balances the rich, sweet and nutty bar, creating a heavenly combination.
- For a fabulous afternoon tea, serve these pecan pie bars with a pot of your favorite tea. The sweet, rich flavors of the bars pair wonderfully with a robust, full-bodied black tea or a smooth, calming chamomile tea.
- Pecan pie bars also make a fantastic take-along snack for a picnic or a hike. Just wrap them up and enjoy the burst of energy and flavors they provide during your outdoor adventures.
- For a late-night sweet craving, a pecan pie bar with a glass of milk can do wonders. The creamy milk cuts through the sweetness of the bar, making it a comforting treat.
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Pecans are the star of this recipe, but if you don’t have them, you can use walnuts or almonds. Keep in mind, though, that this will change the flavor of the pie bars.
Absolutely! You can make the pie crust ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to two days. Just be sure to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling it out.
Toasting the pecans is not necessary, but it does enhance their flavor and gives the pie bars a delicious crunch. If you prefer, you can skip this step.
🌡️ STORING
Refrigerate: You can store leftover pecan pie bars in the fridge for up to one week. Just make sure to keep them in an airtight container to maintain their freshness and avoid absorbing other food odors.
Freeze: Due to the custard filling, pecan pie bars don’t freeze well. The texture can become grainy, and the crust may become soggy once thawed.
Reheating Instructions: If you’ve stored your pecan pie bars in the refrigerator, you can reheat them in the oven at a low temperature to achieve that freshly baked texture and warmth.
📣 MORE PECAN DESSERTS YOU’LL LIKE
⭐PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW
If you have tried this recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
Ultimate Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
PIE CRUST
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 3 tablespoon chilled water
THE FILLING
- 2 cup chopped pecan keep 19 whole to decorate the pie
- 5 tablespoon butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 1 ½ tablespoon molasses
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
MAKING PIE CRUST
- In a bowl, add all the ingredients except water. Rub ingredients together until you get a wet sand-like texture. Add the chilled water, do not knead the dough but bring it together to form a ball then press it down to make a desk.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Dust working surface with flour. Roll out the pie crust to fit your baking pan. (the dough can fill a 9” pie pan or a rectangular tart pan).
- Fold the rolled dough in half. Transfer to baking pan. Unfold the pie crust and fit it in the baking pan.
- In a preheated oven of 350F/180C, bake the pie crust for 8 minutes. (you can place parchment paper on the pie crust and then place some weigh like dry beans, this will stop the pie from puffing. But you can place the pie crust without the weigh in the oven, bake for 5 minutes and by using the back of a spatula tap gently where the pie crust is puffed and it will become even again.
- Remove the pie crust from the oven and start making the filling.
MAKING PIE FILLING
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Place the pecan on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for seven minutes. Keep aside.
- In a saucepan, add the butter and flour stir until the butter melts. Add the sugar, honey, molasses, and salt. Stir until combined. Now add the milk and keep on stirring. When the mixture comes to a boil, turn off heat immediately.
- Add the vanilla, mix well. Gradually add the mixture to the beaten eggs while whisking the eggs to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Add the chopped pecan to the pie crust and pour the filling mixture. I have used 19 whole pecans to decorate the surface of the pie. Bake for 45 minutes in a 350F/180C preheated oven.
These look amazing!
Thank you Meagan 🙂
Perfect. Beautiful presentation and I *LOVE* that there’s no corn syrup!
Thank you! I don’t like to use corn syrup and I found the best alternative that enhanced the flavor big time 🙂
How large is your tart pan?? Looks delicious!!!
Hi Laura, I have used 14″ X 5.7″ Non-stick Rectangular Tart Pan 🙂
These pecan pie bars sound so amazing! and I must say a pretty creative recipe, thumbs up for the great recipe
These were awesome and I am 100% sure that you’ll enjoy every bite. The taste is just heavenly!
For the filling, your directions say add butter and flour stir until …. How much flour 5T or less for the roux? Recipe sounds great but I will need amt to make and rate accurately.
Hi, I have mentioned under the filling ingredients the amount of flour you need to use!