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Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie bars with a buttery shortbread base and a sticky amber pecan filling, baked until set with whole pecans on top. Two-stage baking keeps the crust pale golden while the filling turns glossy and caramel-like.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For shortbread base
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.67 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
For pecan filling
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.5 cup honey
  • 0.25 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 whole pecans
  • 1 flaky sea salt for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and shortbread base
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment.
  2. In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
  3. Add cold unsalted butter, cubed, and cut it in until the dough just comes together.
  4. Press the dough firmly and evenly into the pan.
  5. Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes, until pale golden.
Pecan filling and finishing bake
  1. Melt unsalted butter, brown sugar, honey, and heavy cream over medium heat.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat and stir in salt, vanilla extract, and whole pecans.
  4. Pour the pecan filling over the hot shortbread.
  5. Bake at 350F for 20-25 more minutes, until the filling is set.
  6. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and cool completely before slicing, so clean bars form.

Notes

For clean slices, cool the bars fully on the counter before refrigerating; refrigerated pecan pie bars keep 4-5 days. Freeze up to 2 months in an airtight container—thaw overnight in the fridge. For a swap that still bakes well, use light cream in place of heavy cream if you prefer a slightly less rich filling.