Pecan Pie Bars No Corn Syrup Wellplated Com

These pecan pie bars melt in your mouth. Every time I took a bite, I couldn’t believe a dessert this seemingly rich and thick could dissolve on my tongue as if by magic.

The buttery shortbread crust is tender but sturdy enough to pick up with your fingers. It tastes like a cross between my Darn Good Whole Wheat Pie Crust and the most excellent shortbread cookie.The filling is lush with maple and brown sugar and positively chock-a-bloc with deeply toasty, crunchy pecans.A finishing sprinkle of flaky sea salt ties the whole shebang together and saves these pecan pie bars from many a classic pecan pie’s greatest transgression: being cloyingly sweet (a trick I also use in these decadent Dark Chocolate Cookies).

Whereas with traditional Thanksgiving pecan pie, I find myself barely being able to finish a bite or two, these pecan pie bars are a true danger in the best possible way. This recipe yields a big batch. You’ll have enough to serve at a party, give them as gifts, or if you find them as easy to eat as I do, keep yourself in happy supply for as long as you can resist them.

The Pecan Pie Bars of My Dreams

Let’s get this out right now: this recipe has a lot of butter—more than in any dessert recipe I have ever baked. These pecan pie bars are WORTH IT. I loosely based this recipe on the famous pecan pie bar recipes of Ina Garten and Pioneer Woman. I wanted to take what they created, put my own stamp on it, and make the consummate pecan pie bars of my dreams. All I can say is, whoa.

The version of these bars I’m sharing today is beyond buttery and indulgent yet uses 3 sticks LESS than Ina’s recipe.The level of sweetness is just right. I skip the corn syrup and swap in maple syrup which pairs beautifully with the pecans. (As seen in my Pumpkin Pecan Pie.)I read from many of Ina’s reviewers that the bars overflowed the pan, so I felt confident scaling the recipe down.This recipe bakes in a standard 9×13-inch pan, instead of the more specialty 8×12 that Ina uses.Ina’s version calls for extra large eggs; I modified this recipe to use large eggs instead.And then, of course, I had to tinker with the vanilla extract and add that flourish of sea salt.

The end result: they’re tall, proud, and taste magnificent to the point that (and I do not say this lightly) I can’t imagine them with any more butter or sugar than they already have. They’re pure pecan pie bar perfection!

How to Make Pecan Pie Bars

These bars do take some time to make, but the end result is a pecan pie bar recipe made entirely from scratch with simple ingredients you can feel good about eating. While I would be exaggerating to call them healthy pecan pie bars, unlike many traditional pecan pie recipes, these pecan pie bars contain no corn syrup. This one does not use recipe hacks like cake mix, pie crust, crescent rolls, or sweetened condensed milk either. All you’ll find here are wholesome, everyday ingredients…and plenty of butter.

The Ingredients

Butter. Just do it. It’s worth it here! (It’s also a necessity in these sinfully rich Butter Tarts.) Sugar. I used a combination of sugar and brown sugar for the right texture, sweetness, and richness.Eggs. To bind the pecan pie bars’ shortbread crust recipe together.Vanilla. A necessity in all pecan pie recipes (including this Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler).Flour. All-purpose flour helps create the perfect crust texture.Maple Syrup. These are pecan pie bars without corn syrup, so I opted to use maple syrup instead. The warm flavor really shines through and is a beautiful pairing with pecans. (You won’t find any corn syrup in my Pecan Pie Cobbler either.)Lemon Zest. Unnoticeable on its own; it’s here to make the filling pop and balance the sweetness.Heavy Cream. A necessity to make the filling rich, creamy, and caramel-like.

Pecan Halves. These bars are fully loaded for maximum pecan toastiness and crunch. (Extra pecans? Stir them into a batch of this Cranberry Orange Relish!)Sea Salt. My star addition that takes the flavor to the next level. A flaky sea salt like Maldon or fleur de sel works best.

The Directions

Storage Tips

To Store. You do not need to refrigerate pecan pie bars if you will be enjoying them within a day or two. These keep well at room temperature for up to two days and in the refrigerator for up to five days.To Freeze. Lay fully cooled bars onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and place in the freezer until frozen solid. Then, place the frozen bars into a freezer-safe ziptop bag or storage container and store them in the freezer. Three months is how long you can freeze pecan bars. To Serve After Freezing. If the bars are frozen, let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Let them come to room temperature prior to serving or warm them up a little in the microwave. If you do not have a microwave, you can try warming them in a low oven. Tent the pan with foil to keep the top from over-browning.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Baking Dish. Simple and all you need. This one comes with a lid. This set of dishes (with lids) is a great deal.Parchment Paper. DO NOT SKIP THIS to make sure the bars don’t stick. I’m obsessed with these time-saving precut parchment paper sheets.Non-Slip Cutting Board. This cutting board won’t slip out from under you while you’re chopping pecans for these easy pecan pie bars.

These southern pecan pie bars are good to the last crumb.

First, use a large, sharp knife to loosen the bars all the way around the edges of the pan. Then, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper that’s hanging over the sides.The bars will be thick and heavy, so if your paper starts to tear, cut the whole pan of bars in half or quarters first, then with a spatula, lift it onto a cutting board in sections.These bars are rich, so I like to cut them into smaller pieces (even though I usually end up taking more than one!).

Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.