These Pecan Pie Bars with shortbread crust are made with pure maple syrup instead of corn syrup. A holiday favorite dessert!

Pecan pie bars

These pecan pie bars are a staple during the holidays in our house! They are so yummy and reheat wonderfully too.

Maple brown sugar pecan pie filling is poured over a homemade shortbread crust and baked in the oven until set. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for an impressively delicious pecan treat!

These maple pecan pie bars are a holiday must have. This classic favorite dessert uses the filling from my pecan pie recipe.

It just isn’t the holidays without pecan pie bars. They are a must have dessert!

pecan pie recipe

Ingredients Needed

All-purpose Flour
Unsalted Butter
Brown sugar
Eggs
Real maple syrup: this recipe uses real maple syrup in place of corn syrup.
Heavy whipping cream
Chopped pecans
Vanilla extract
Salt

How to make Pecan Pie Bars

First, start by making the shortbread crust. This is the same crust that I use for my Apple Crisp Bars recipe. It is super simple to make and tastes amazing!

Step 1: Mix together the flour, butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla until combined.

Step 2: Line an 8X8 baking dish with parchment paper. Use your hands to press the shortbread crust batter into the bottom of the pan, then bake it until golden and beginning to brown.

Apple Crisp Bars

Kitchen tips

Leave enough parchment paper overhang on the sides of the pan to be able to grab it with your hands. This makes it so much easier to remove the bars completely from the pan before cutting!

Step 3: While the crust is cooking, stir together the pecan bar filling. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, pure maple syrup, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, flour, vanilla, and salt. Once mixed, fold in the chopped pecan pieces.

Step 4: Once the crust is finished baking, pour the maple pecan bar filling over the top. Bake the pecan pie bars for around 30-35 more minutes.

shortbread crust pressed down into an 8 by 8 baking dish

pecan pie bar filling poured over shortbread crust

How to know when your pecan bars are done

Once the edges are browned and the middle looks firm (moving the pan side to side does not result in the bars jiggling), your pecan bars are done.

Right around 35 minutes was perfect for mine. Once the pan has cooled, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

Tips For Success

Buy pecan pieces: Save time chopping up pecans and buy the pre-chopped ones you can find in the baking aisle.
Line the pan: Lining your baking dish with parchment paper makes getting the bars out to cut so much easier.
Buy real maple syrup: These ooey gooey pecan bars use real maple syrup instead of corn syrup which gives them an extra delicious flavor.
Refrigerate before cutting: Serving these for a party? Place the cooled bars into the refrigerator for several hours and they will be much easier to cut into uniform squares.

Storing

Allow the bars to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Leftover pecan pie bars will store well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.