These pecan pie bars are everything you love about pecan pie, minus the fiddly pastry.
A buttery shortbread base topped with a sticky, caramel pecan filling - it's the easiest way to get your pecan pie fix without rolling out a single bit of dough. If you're a fan of nutty slices, you'll also love my caramel nut slice and my pecan pie cheesecake bars.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
🥧 Recipe Name: Pecan Pie Bars
⏰ Ready In: 40 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 16 bars
🔥 Calories: See recipe card below for full nutrition info
🌰 Main Ingredients: Pecans, butter, brown sugar, flour, condensed milk
🌱 Dietary Info: Vegetarian friendly, Thermomix method included
💛 Why You'll Love It: A buttery shortbread base with a gooey pecan topping - no pastry rolling required
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"Tasty treat, thank you!"
Trace
Trace also asked whether the sugar could be reduced a touch - great question, and I've answered it down in the FAQs below.
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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- No pastry rolling. The base is press-in shortbread, so there's zero fuss and zero blind baking.
- Cuts into neat squares, which makes it way easier to share around than a wedge of pie.
- Freezes beautifully, so you can make it ahead for Christmas or a party.
- Comes with a Thermomix method too, for an even quicker base and filling.
Pecan Slice Ingredients
Pecans - toast them lightly first if you have a few extra minutes, it makes a big difference to the flavour.
Condensed milk - this is what gives the filling its gooey caramel texture without needing corn syrup, which can be hard to find in Australia.
Brown sugar - used in both the base and the filling for that deeper caramel flavour.
Variations
- Add a splash of bourbon. Swap 2 tablespoons of the condensed milk for bourbon in the filling for a grown-up version.
- Go chocolatey. Scatter through a handful of chocolate chips with the pecans.
- Make it gluten free. Swap the plain flour in the base for a gluten free blend.
- Add a pinch of salt flakes over the top once baked for a salted caramel twist.
How To Make Pecan Pie Bars
- Step 1: Make the base. Combine the flour, butter and sugar until it comes together into a soft dough.
- Step 2: Press and bake the base. Press the dough firmly and evenly into a lined tin, then bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden.
- Step 3: Mix the filling. Whisk together the condensed milk, brown sugar, butter and eggs until smooth.
- Step 4: Add the pecans and bake again. Stir through the pecans, pour over the base, and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until set but still with a slight wobble in the centre.
Recipe Tips
- Let it cool completely before cutting. I know it's tempting, but cutting it warm gives you a gooey mess instead of clean squares. Better yet, chill it in the fridge for an hour first.
- Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts for the neatest slices.
- To store: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Freeze in a single layer, then stack with baking paper between layers, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Pecan Pie Bars FAQs
Yes - a reader asked exactly this, and you can cut back the brown sugar by about 5-10g in both the base and the filling without affecting how it sets. The condensed milk still gives you plenty of sweetness and that gooey texture.
It probably just needs more time to cool. The filling looks quite wobbly straight out of the oven but firms up properly once it's had a few hours (or a stint in the fridge) to set.
Yes - this recipe already skips corn syrup altogether and uses condensed milk instead, which is much easier to find in Australian supermarkets.
Yes, they freeze really well for up to 3 months. Freeze the bars in a single layer first, then stack them with baking paper in between so they don't stick together.
More Bar and Slice Recipes
If you liked these, you'll want to check out my full list of classic slice recipes too. Here are a few favourites to start with.
Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 160 g (1 cup) plain flour
- 65 g (⅓ cup) brown sugar lightly packed
- 115 g butter softened
- 1 egg
- 65 g (⅓ cup) brown sugar lightly packed
- 110 g (⅓ cup) maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract , or vanilla essence
- pinch of salt
- 1 & ¼ cups pecans halved or chopped
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius (fan forced).
- Grease and line a 20cm square slice tin with baking paper, allowing the edges to overhang.
- To make the base sift the plain flour into a large bowl.
- Add the brown sugar and butter.
- Mix well until the mixture forms a dough.
- Press the mixture firmly into the base of the slice tin.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes.
- In a large bowl whisk together the egg, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt until pale and frothy.
- Add the pecans and mix to combine.
- Pour the pecan mixture over the top of the warm slice base and spread the nuts out evenly.
- Bake in the oven for a further 15 minutes or until set in the middle.
- Leave in the tin for 30 minutes to cool before placing onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius (fan forced). Grease and line a 20cm square slice tin with baking paper, allowing the edges to overhang.
- Place the butter, plain flour and brown sugar into the TM bowl and mix for 15 seconds, Speed 5 or until a dough as formed.
- Press the mixture firmly into the base of the slice tin. Bake for 15-16 minutes.
- Place the egg, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla essence and salt into the TM bowl. Mix for 30 seconds, Speed 5.
- Add the pecans and mix for 10 seconds, Reverse, Speed 2.
- Pour the pecan mixture over the top of the warm slice base and spread the nuts out evenly. Bake in the oven for a further 15 minutes or until set in the middle.
- Leave in the tin for 30 minutes to cool before placing onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Claudia says
Hi, would it be possible to sub brown sugar for coconut sugar? Thank you
Lucy says
I haven't tried that sorry!
Trace says
Tasty treat thankyou. As we found it a tad too sweet, would it be possible to decrease the sugar a bit - maybe 5 or 10g in both the topping & the base?
Lucy says
Absolutely!
Rhonda Davis says
Hi
The bars are fantastic but why is the base not set properly in the middle . It seemed fine before the filling was added.
Thanks Rhonda
Lucy says
Hi Rhonda, it sounds like it needs to be cooked a little longer. xx