Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
I think I was southern in a former life because my love for Dolly Pardon, Gone With The Wind, and pecan pie run VERY VERY DEEP!!! BUTTTTTT I am also crazy busy (and possibly a bit lazy) and baking homemade pies is NOT always on my to-do list. SOOOOO when I found this recipe for Pecan Pie Bars in our family cookbook, I WAS SOOOOO EXCITED!!! These bars have ALLLL of the pecan pie yumminess, but without all of the trouble of pie baking:)
How to make pecan pie bars on a tight budget:
- Cut down the amount of pecans or mix in half walnuts or use pecan pieces in place of pecan halves. You can also look for pecans in your local bulk food stores. They are often cheaper this way and you only need to buy the amount you will use.
- Make your own pie crust. Don’t forget to double the recipe because you need TWO crusts to cover one jelly roll pan. Just roll them out together into one big rectangle and place gently into your jelly roll pan…carefully pressing into the corners.
- Half the recipe and make a smaller batch of bars. This recipe is enough for a crowd. If you just want to make a quick dessert for your family, use one crust in a 9×9 pan or small baking pan with half the ingredients.
- Stock up on baking essentials around the holidays when they go on sale. You might also find a good deal on pecans right before or right AFTER the holiday baking season. Or if you are lucky, you might find pecans sold for a good deal at your local farmers market.
If you have a hidden Dolly inside too, you might wanna try these other family favorite recipes…
Happy Baking!!!! —Jessica
Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts, room temp
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 TBSP vanilla
- 3 cups pecan halves or pieces
Instructions
- pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- After pie crusts have become softened and easy to unfold, lay them into a jelly roll pan (approx. 10 by 15 inches). You may need to stretch, stack, overlap, or cut the edges on your crusts in order to fit them together in one pan. They need to cover the entire pan AND overlap the edges. Crimp edges between your thumb and finger if you want a pretty scalloped edge or fold over.
- Bake crust for about 7 mins.
- Mix together eggs, melted butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until well blended. Add in pecans.
- Pour pecan mixture into prepared pie crust.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center is fully set and the top is golden.
- Cool completely before cutting. You can cool pecan bars for around 3 hours OR pop it into the fridge for about 35 minutes.
- Cut into rows and serve. You can add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream or a dollop of whipped cream for added yumminess, but these are also great plain.
- Store leftover bars in the refrigerator,