Description
Pecan pie bars offer a delightful Southern twist on classic pie flavors. Buttery graham cracker crust and rich caramel-like filling create sweet memories you’ll savor with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups pecan halves
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dark corn syrup
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter (340 g), (1 cup + ½ cup melted)
- 1 ½ tsp salt (½ tsp + 1 tsp)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and prepare a 13-by-9-inch baking dish by coating with butter and lining with parchment paper, ensuring overhanging edges for easy removal.
- Crust Creation: Brown butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until nutty, then transfer to a bowl. Mix browned butter with granulated sugar, salt, and flour until a uniform dough forms, pressing evenly into the prepared pan’s bottom.
- Initial Baking: Bake the crust for 15 minutes until set, gently pressing down any large bubbles that emerge during baking.
- Filling Fusion: Whisk together melted butter, dark corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl until smooth and well-integrated.
- Pecan Integration: Fold pecan halves into the filling, ensuring complete coating, then carefully pour over the pre-baked crust, distributing pecans evenly across the surface.
- Final Baking and Cooling: Bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling rises and sets completely. Cool entirely on a wire rack, then use parchment paper edges to lift and slice into individual serving squares.
Notes
- Brown Butter Technique: Carefully heat butter until it turns golden and develops a rich, nutty aroma to enhance the crust’s depth of flavor.
- Crust Compaction: Press the dough firmly and evenly into the pan’s corners to create a solid, uniform base that prevents crumbling.
- Filling Consistency: Whisk ingredients thoroughly to achieve a smooth, silky mixture that ensures even distribution of flavors and prevents ingredient separation.
- Cooling Is Crucial: Let the bars cool completely on a wire rack to allow the filling to set properly and make cutting clean, precise squares easier.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 564
- Sugar: 42 g
- Sodium: 196 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg