Pecan Pie Bars
Hi, friends! Can we talk for one second about how terrible it is to have cold feet? Not wedding style cold feet or anything serious like that, just literal feet that are frozen by the cold. It’s just so not fun at all, and quite frankly it hurts! Sometimes I genuinely wonder why I claim this is my favourite time of year. Clearly all it brings is cold – and the possibility of losing a toe to frostbite. But then I begin to remember the joys of the season: hot chocolates, indulgence, cozy woolen jumpers, pecan pie bars. It’s just unfortunate that we can’t have one without the other.
The weeks leading up to the holidays always bring about the best of the baked goods. People need that little bit of extra comfort, and the fillings are just so so good. Pecans, caramel, maple syrup, chocolate, warm spices, etc. If it’s delicious, it’s baked during winter. Unlike the cold, that’s something I can get behind.
brown butter for the base base dough ball before going into the oven base post-bake pecan pie bars pre-bake bars post-bake
Pecan Pie Bars are everything that one could ever want during the long cold days of winter. Cold feet, avoiding college assignments, general end of year blues – you name it. These bars are so good that I just know you’ll love them. As I type, I’m fighting the urge to get one to nibble on, again. Think: thick brown butter shortbread crust, gooey squishy caramel layer, heaps of pecans.
You can thank me after!
Pecan Pie Bars
INGREDIENTS
for the base:
- 170 grams salted butter
- 255 grams plain flour
- 60 grams light brown sugar
for the filling:
- 95 grams light brown sugar
- 40 grams plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 330 grams honey or golden syrup
- 3 eggs
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 100 grams pecans, coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS
for the base:
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease & line a 9 x 9-inch brownie tin with baking parchment; set aside.
- Place the butter in a saucepan over a medium/high heat & leave to brown. Swirl occasionally. After about 5 minutes, the foam will subside & you'll start to see a light brown colour. It should smell nutty and luscious. Remove from the heat, pour into a different bowl, and cool to room temperature. Alternatively, pop it into the fridge for a brief stint.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. Using a spatula, add in the brown butter & mix until a ball of dough forms. Using your fingers or an offset spatula, neatly press the dough into the prepared tin. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly golden.
for the filling:
- While the base cooks, make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add in the honey/golden syrup, the eggs, & the vanilla extract, and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Using a spatula, stir in the pecans – ensuring they get totally coated with the mixture.
- Pour the filling evenly over the hot par-baked base as soon as it comes out of the oven & bake in the pre-heated oven for 25ish-minutes, or until the filling is jiggly in the centre but set.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin before using a sharp knife to slice into 9 large, or 16 small, squares.
NOTES
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to know! Please leave a comment & a rating below, or tag me on Instagram @imvcki. Thank you so much for supporting Passionate Baker!
If you make these Pecan Pie Bars I would love for you to share them with my on Instagram! Tag me @imvcki or use the hashtag #passionatebakerrecipes.
**UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2020**