Pecan Pie Bars With an Easy Press-in Crust and No Corn Syrup!

you’ll want to make these pecan pie bars if you:

• love pecan pie but find it way too sweet after a couple bites
• need a holiday dessert that travels well and holds up on the go
• want a Thanksgiving pie moment without the hassle of rolling out a crust
• crave pecan pie all year long!

In other words, you want to make these pecan pie bars because they have the perfect filling-to-crust ratio, AMAZING flavor thanks to maple syrup in place of corn syrup, an easy and delicious press in crust, and a cute, portable, casual bar-format that is perfect for all sorts of gatherings (office parties, potlucks, just because) where a traditional pie wouldn’t be quite right.

I love a press in crust! (and how I make mine)

You can still have the flaky, buttery crust of your dreams with this press-in version. Some press in crusts are basically just a shortbread cookie recipe – I didn’t want something quite so sweet, so this Goldilocks crust is right in between a short bread crust and a traditional savory pie crust.

• I make my pie dough right in the food processor – this makes quick work of cutting the butter into the flour.
  • I use cold butter (like a pie crust) instead of soft butter (like a shortbread cookie) because the little bits of cold butter left in the dough make for a flakier texture. But, it means that the dough will seem crumbly before you press it in – don’t worry! It will work just fine, I promise.
• Crumble the dough evenly across the surface of your pan.
• Press it in, using your hands, or the flat bottom of a measuring cup.
  • press the crust up the sides of the pan about an inch.
  • get it as even as possible. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it will cook better if it is relatively even.
  • prick the surface of the crust all over with a fork to allow steam to escape
• Pre bake – this is essential for getting the crust nice and golden and crisp.
  • the crust will lose its shape a little bit during pre-baking. This is normal, so I like to gently press it back down with the back of a spoon while it’s still warm.

my no-corn syrup pecan pie filling!

I replace corn syrup with maple syrup in these pecan pie bars and it’s soooo good. The flavor is better and more complex, and pairs perfectly with pecans. Corn syrup traditionally makes for a smooth, thick filling in pecan pie, and to replicate that, we use maple syrup plus a little cornstarch dissolved in water since maple syrup is usually thinner than corn syrup.

the bottom line

You’ll love them. Pecan pie bars kind of give you permission to make pecan pie more often, even all year round! And you may want to use this press-in crust for other winter pie bars like pumpkin or cranberry. In summer think about cherry pie, or blueberry pie! The possibilities are endless.

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Pecan Pie Bars

4.50 from 2 votes

Pecan pie bars are everything I love about pecan pie, only easier. Maple syrup, a buttery press-in crust, and that irresistible caramel-pecan chew in every bite.

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Prep Time:20 minutes minutes

Cook Time:55 minutes minutes

Total Time:1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 bars

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Equipment

• 1 9×13 baking pan

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

for the crust

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups butter, cold
• 2 Tbsp water, cold

for the pecan filling

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp Bourbon (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups pecan halves

whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

to make the crust

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Pulse briefly to combine.
• Add the cold butter, cut into pieces, and pulse until there are no large chunks of butter remaining.
• Add the cold water and continue to process until the dough comes together. It will still be a bit crumbly.
• Crumble the dough evenly over the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan (you can line it with parchment paper, too, if you prefer), and press it in, going up the sides about 1 inch. Using the flat bottom of a measuring cup can help you get an even surface. (Note: take your time to get the coverage even, but don't worry too much about perfection, the crust is mostly there to hold the filling, anyway!)
• Bake the crust for about 25-30 minutes. About halfway through the cooking time, take it out and use the bottom of a measuring cup or a spoon to gently press down the center of the crust so that it doesn't puff up too much.
• Set aside to cool while you make the filling.

To make the pecan filling

• In a medium saucepan, brown the butter for extra flavor. (See notes below on how to brown butter*).
• Remove from the heat and add the maple syrup. Stirring frequently, return to the heat and let the mixture bubble for 2-3 minutes to create a thick syrup.
• Allow the syrup to cool for about 10-15 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, dissolved cornstarch, Bourbon, and vanilla extract. Whisk well until smooth.
• Gradually pour in the warm syrup mixture, whisking well as you go. Finally, fold in the pecan halves.
• Pour the filling into the par-baked crust, spreading it out into an even layer.
• Carefully return to the oven, and bake for about 35-40 minutes until the filling is set.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before slicing and serving.
• Because the filling is egg-based and quite moist, I follow standard food safety guidelines and don’t leave these at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. These bars can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

*How to brown butter:

• Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat.
• Let it bubble and foam, then stir as the milk solids begin to brown on the bottom.
• When it turns golden and smells nutty and toasty, pull it off the heat.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: maple syrup, pecan, pie, pie crust, Thanksgiving

Nutrition

Calories: 469 kcal · Carbohydrates: 41 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 33 g · Saturated Fat: 16 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 11 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 92 mg · Sodium: 301 mg · Potassium: 136 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 23 g · Vitamin A: 761 IU · Vitamin C: 0.1 mg · Calcium: 48 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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