This is a must-try recipe if you’re a pecan lover. This Easy Recipe for Pecan Squares offers you all of the goodness of a pecan pie without all the mess. They are quick to make and you can eat them with your hands!
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The pecan squares are a delightful mix of pecan pie and cookies. The pecans are baked in a luscious caramel filling atop a crisp brown sugar crust. These pie bars are the easy, less complicated version of the pecan pie. They are a great addition to your holiday meal or a cookie plate to gift to neighbors.
The shortbread crust is the real MVP of this recipe. It is buttery and will melt in your mouth. Picture it like eating a shortbread cookie with pecan deliciousness on top.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make ahead: These lovely bars are great to make ahead of time. I like to prepare them the day before and then refrigerate them until I am ready to cut and serve. Easy Peasy.
- Perfect for all occasions: I love this dessert for the holidays but don’t let that limit you. Pecan squares can be made year-round. It features a shortbread crust with a delicious filling and then it is topped with pecans. Yum!
- No plate required: Eat these squares with your hands! They are the perfect size for individual servings at parties or when you’re trying to wash fewer dishes after dinner.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Granulated sugar
- Heavy cream
- Pecan halves
- Vanilla
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Instructions
- To make the crust: Mix butter and brown sugar. Add salt, and mix to combine. Add flour 1 cup at a time.
- Press dough into baking pan: Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown.
- To make the filling: Place butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla.
- Pour filling: onto the cooled crust and then Bake. Cut into 1×3 inch bars. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Pecan pie bars are cooked when the center of the bars is set and not jiggly. You also want to watch for the edges to crisp up a bit.
I tend to like them refrigerated because it makes them so much easier to cut into nice, uniform squares. You can either serve them chilled or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.
How do you know when pecan pie bars are done? Pecan pie bars are cooked when the center of the bars is set and not jiggly. You also want to watch for the edges to crisp up a bit.
More Expert Tips
- Chill the crust: After pressing the crust into the pan, refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes before baking. This helps prevent shrinkage.
- Add a touch of salt: A pinch of salt in both the crust and filling balances the sweetness and enhances overall flavor.
- Storage tip: These bars freeze well. Cut into portions, wrap individually, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Cool completely: Allow the bars to cool entirely before cutting for clean, neat slices.
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Easy Recipe for Pecan Squares
Ingredients
Crust
- 18 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup light-brown sugar firmly packed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick
- ½ cup light-brown sugar firmly packed
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups pecan halves 8 ounces
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- To make the crust: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add salt, and mix to combine. Add flour 1 cup at a time, on medium speed, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Continue mixing until the dough begins to come together in large clumps.
- Press dough about ¼-inch thick into a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan.
- Prick the pastry with the tines of a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
- Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
- To make the filling: Place butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla.
- Pour filling onto the cooled crust. Bake until filling bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Run a paring knife around edges of the pan, and invert onto cooling rack, leaving the pastry on the rack. Invert rack with pastry onto a cutting board, leaving the pastry on the board, filling side up.
- Use a sharp knife to cut into 1-by-3-inch bars. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead: These bars can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Nut Substitutions: While pecans are traditional, you can experiment with other nuts like walnuts, almonds, or a mix of your favorites for a unique twist.
- Gluten-Free Option: To make these bars gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour in the crust with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Ensure all other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
- Serving Suggestion: For an indulgent dessert, warm individual bars slightly and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Asha @ FSK
YUMM!! they look as rich as befits the holiday season!! :)) So were the pecans the world's best, freshest, crunchiest, tastiest ??
Lauren
Barbara, this looks fantastic! I love the flavours – anything with nuts is a winner in my books =D.
Katrina
Yum! I love pecans and to just do this to them–heavenly–and really dangerous for me to have around! 😉
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
Mum you've done it again! How do you know all of the dishes that I would love? xxx
Tina
Delicious…..
Cinnamon-Girl Reeni♥
I love pecan pie! This looks incredibly scrumptious!
Amanda
Ummm WOW those look great Barbara! Can't go wrong with caramel and pecans 🙂 mmmmmmm
tasteofbeirut
I love pecan squares and pecans anything. In Texas they are everywhere and the season is almost there to go pick them. I am sure if I made this recipe I would wolf it down in a few hours !
Megan
Ina Garten's recipe for Pecan Bars is another winner – I've made them hundreds of times and they always disappear.
Too bad I'm the only one in my house that eats them, though!
teresa
oh my goodness, these look unbelievable! so delicious!
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
Mmmm I love pecans. So much nicer than walnuts. We have a cafe chain in the UK called Pret a Manger which was my first introduction to pecan pie but I've never made it myself. I should!
Natashya KitchenPuppies
Yum, I love pecans. The bars look terrific!
Nutmeg Nanny
Delicious! Only recently have I started to appreciate the flavor of pecans. This is perfect for Thanksgiving…yum!
Denise
These are so beautiful and the pecans sound wonderful.
Christy
Mmmm-these bars look sooo good! I LOVE pecans and your bars are loaded with them. Did you save me any??? 🙂
Daniela
Davvero interessante questa torta, ho gia annotato la ricetta.
Buon fine settimana Daniela.
Mags
You know it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas when you start seeing pecan bar recipes. These look delicious Barbara.
Memória
I wonder if this would be just as good without the pecans, like pecanless pie. YUMMM!!!
April
I will be making these very soon!!
Maria
No nuts are allowed at our house, sad! I would love these!