Made with brown butter and maple syrup, you’ll love the sweet and salty flavor in each bite of brown butter pecan pie bars. They’re so much easier than baking an entire pie!
Though these bars aren’t shaped like your typical pie, they’re every bit as mouthwatering in square form. Especially when that square combines not only pecan pie + crust, but brown butter, quality nuts, pure maple syrup for extra flavor, and a sprinkle of sea salt on top.
Brown Butter Pecan Pie Bars Video
Why We Love Pecan Pie Bars
While I don’t usually like to stray from the classic, unadulterated pecan pie– I do believe there is room for both traditional pecan pie (here’s my favorite pecan pie and pie crust recipe!) and jazzy pecan pie (and even pecan pie cheesecake!). Who doesn’t want a little jazzy every now and then?? These pecan pie bars are certainly jazzy and there’s so much to love about them.
- Deliciously flavored with brown butter, brown sugar, and sea salt
- Made with maple syrup which adds flavor and takes the place of corn syrup that’s typically used in pecan pie recipes
- The shortbread crust is soft and simple
- Lots of wonderful crunchy and gooey texture in every bite
- The pecan pie topping is sweet and salty
- They’re easier to make than an entire pie– no pie crust to chill and roll
- A fun alternative to the classic pie and perfect for serving a crowd
- No mess to clean up because they’re easy to eat and transport!
Brown Butter Shortbread Crust
Brown butter brings a whole new level of flavor to these pecan pie bars. It’s the same crust as my salted caramel apple pie bars, only doubled to make a larger batch and– of course– made with brown butter. All you’ll do is brown some butter on the stovetop, then mix it with sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour. Press it into the pan and pre-bake for a few minutes while you make the pecan pie topping. So simple yet so delicious!
Here’s a full tutorial on how to brown butter. It’s quick and easy.
Pecan Pie Bars Without Corn Syrup
I chose to make these pecan pie bars without corn syrup and formulate a way to have maple syrup get the job done. It works like a charm here. You’ll boil butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cream together into a syrup– then temper the eggs. Now before you go running at the term “tempering” let’s chat about it for a second.
Tempering means you’ll add a hot liquid to the beaten eggs. If you add the eggs directly to the pot of boiling ingredients– guess what? You’ll have some funky scrambled egg sauce. By slowly whisking *some* of the hot syrup into the beaten eggs, you are slowly bringing up their temperature– not shocking them. And then you’ll slowly drizzle and whisk that warm egg mixture into the pot. This way you’re avoiding that funky scrambled egg situation that sounds, and probably is, horrifying.
For an entire pecan pie made without corn syrup, try my maple pecan pie!
How to Make Pecan Pie Bars
They’re truly easier than pie!
- Brown the butter. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Combine all of the crust ingredients. Press the mixture evenly into a prepared 9×13 pan.
- Bake the crust. 15 minutes is all it takes.
- Make the pecan pie topping. Combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk this mixture and bring to a boil.
- Temper the eggs. As the mixture boils, carefully spoon 1/2 cup of the mixture into a glass measuring cup. Slowly drizzle it into the beaten eggs. Stir frequently to keep it moving so the eggs do not scramble. Once the 1/2 cup mixture is added to the beaten eggs, slowly drizzle and whisk this back into the pot.
- Add the pecans.
- Spread topping evenly onto the crust. Don’t be alarmed if the pecan topping is too syrup-y. It will cook just fine!
- Bake. These bars take about 30-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out *mostly* clean. If the top is getting too brown as it bakes, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
- Cool, cut into squares, and enjoy!
The flavors marry together wonderfully between the brown butter, maple, toasty pecans, and brown sugar. I’m not a fan of cloyingly sweet pecan pie, so I added a sprinkle of sea salt on top of the baked bars. They’re crunchy in some places, soft in others. Moist with big chunks of delicious pecans on a bed of brown butter. It most certainly doesn’t get better than this.
Like my cranberry crumble pie bars, this process is much easier than an entire pie! Both great (easy!) additions to your favorite Thanksgiving pie recipes 🙂
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Brown Butter Pecan Pie Bars
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 18-24 squares
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These ultra flavorful brown butter pecan pie bars made with maple syrup are so much easier than baking an entire pie.
Ingredients
Brown Butter Crust
- 1 cup (230g; 2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
Pecan Pie Topping
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I prefer dark here)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pure maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3 cups (300g) coarsely chopped shelled pecans
- optional: sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch pan or line with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out. Set aside.
- For the crust: Slice the butter up into pieces and place in a light-colored skillet. (Light colored helps you determine when the butter begins browning.) Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Keep stirring occasionally. After 5-8 minutes, the butter will begin browning– you’ll notice lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan and it will have a nutty aroma. Once browned, remove from heat immediately and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, stir the brown butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour until evenly combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
- For the topping: Combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine the ingredients and dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 3 minutes. As it is boiling, carefully spoon 1/2 cup of the mixture into a glass measuring cup. Slowly drizzle it into the beaten eggs. Stir frequently to keep it moving so the eggs do not scramble. Once the 1/2 cup mixture is added to the beaten eggs, slowly drizzle and whisk this back into the pot. The trick is to always be stirring/whisking to avoid scrambling the eggs. Remove from heat, stir in the pecans, and pour evenly over the crust.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out *mostly* clean. If the top is getting too brown as it bakes, loosely cover with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, set on a wire rack, and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. Cover and store leftover bars at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Bars freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Baking Dish, Stainless Steel Saucepan, and Wooden Spoon
Keywords: brown butter pecan pie bars, pecan pie bars
These are amazing! They tasted even better the next day!
★★★★★
I have made 3 batches of this delicious slice so far and have had so much positive feedback from guests. A friend said it was the best slice she had had in all her 80 years. Many thanks for the recipe, i will be keeping this one as a favourite…
★★★★★
These are excellent!! Highly recommend!!
★★★★★
This recipe is fabulous! I had a difficult time mixing the eggs in for the topping, and although I had to drain the mixture (and throw away the egg bits), it still turned out excellent. The sea salt recommendation, to cut down on the sweetness, is stellar. Can’t wait to make these again!
★★★★★
HI sally! i havent tried this recipe but i do want to half it because we have a small family and i think 9×13 pan size would be too much. if im halfing it then what size pan should i use and does the baking time and temp vary?
Hi Zeba! You could halve the recipe and bake in an 8×8 pan. The bake time will be similar, maybe a couple minutes shorter. Same oven temp.
Made this recipe for the first time over the weekend—HUGE success!! Tasted delicious, and my colleagues LOVED them (a couple even asked me for the recipe!)!!!!
I wanted to know—is there a way to make these with more of a sweet gooey center (like a pecan pie)?
★★★★★
Hi Marcy! We’re so happy you love these bars. We haven’t tired it, but you could perhaps double (or 1.5x) the filling recipe for a thicker, gooier filling. The bake time will be a bit longer to bake through. Let us know if you give it a try!
In the last 2 months I’ve made these at least 8 times! They are better than a pecan pie. I’m getting experienced about the egg addition and have it down pat now. Wanted to thank you for the best dessert recipe I’ve ever made. I was looking for pecan bar recipe that didn’t use karo syrup, only because I was out of that ingredient and lived too far from a store! I hit a home run finding this recipe. Thank you very much for this recipe! I just had to pat you on the back for the ease of the recipe and the amazingly wonderful texture and taste.
★★★★★
Hi sally! I just made your recipe and it taste delicious but the only problem is that the crust crumbles, I really don’t know what I did wrong, I follow the recipe at the bottom of the letter.
Hi Valentina! Thank you so much for giving these a try. The crust could turn out crumbly if there is too much flour added – how are you measuring? We always recommend using the spoon and level method instead of scooping for best results.
This happened to mine too and I spooned and level. I also cooked it longer too (by about 5 min). It was very wet when I put it in. I think the problem is that when you brown the butter it changes the volume so sometimes there is too much moisture or too little. If you put the brown butter measurement in I will try again!
★★★
I made these instead of pie for Thanksgiving and they were amazing! You know that big smile you get when you taste something soooo good, we couldn’t stop eating them!
★★★★★
Delicious! Made a half batch – and possibly slightly overbaked them – but they got rave reviews anyway – crispy, buttery, nutty!
★★★★★
How would you adjust recipe for 8×8 pan?
Thanks
OK, so I never leave recipe reviews, but these are so incredible, I couldn’t help it! The brown butter makes the crust so tasty, and I did not have any issues with the crust falling apart. You just need to make sure you bake it long enough before adding the filling. The crust should be nice and golden brown. I also added semi-sweet chocolate chips after pouring in the filling. Mine only took 25 minutes to bake, so make sure to keep an eye on them!
★★★★★
What if I wanted to add chocolate chips? Would I need to decrease the maple syrup to keep it frombeing too sweet
Hi Pat, you can add 1 cup of dark chocolate chips to the filling when you stir in the pecans. No need to adjust the syrup.
These are soooo delicious! My husband and friends raved about them. One said pecan pie was her favorite but these bars were better. I liked that they didn’t taste like a sugar bomb. The brown butter really created a great depth of flavor. I’ve been told that I DEFINITELY need to make these again. I definitely will. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Hi sally! I love your recipes, but I can’t seem to find one for regular sized butter tarts. Do you have a recipe for these? If not, I would love to see one in the future!!!
★★★★★
Hi Serena, We don’t have a recipe for a butter tart but let us know if you find a good one!
Insanely good. The brown butter in the crust packs a punch. My only complaint is that the crust was crumbly the night we ate these, but after we put them in the fridge from that night on, the crust stayed put. Will definitely make these again and again.
★★★★★
I rarely leave reviews on recipes, but this one demands it. It. Is. Amazing. I made it for Thanksgiving and everyone raved about it. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out as I only have dark pans so I couldn’t tell when the butter was the correct shade of brown, and after baking the top was dark brown. But everything turned out perfectly. Truly an incredible dessert! Thank you!
★★★★★
These were amazing and easy. I made them for thanksgiving. Your recipes never disappoint. I made these along with pumpkin bars. Both were crowd favs. The flavour is rich and the brown butter adds depth. Love that it uses maple syrup. They are not overly sweet which I love. The crust reminds me of shortbread.
I did forget to put parchment paper under the crust and when I cut them at first they did crumble. However I let them rest overnight and cut them the next day and the cut wonderfully.
★★★★★
These were amazing and easy. I made them for thanksgiving. Your recipes never disappoint. I made these along with pumpkin bars. Both were crowd favs. The flavour is rich and the brown butter adds depth. Love that it uses maple syrup. They are not overly sweet which I love. The crust reminds me of shortbread.
★★★★★
Had to double the recipe, it wasn’t enough for 9×13 rectangle baking pan. What did I miss?
★★★
The flavor is yummy! But the crust came out sandy and crumbles when I cut the bars. I made these today for the pecan pie lovers in my family. Disappointed for presentation.
★★★★
Followed this recipe including weighing my ingredients for flour, sugar, etc. it’s delicious however the crust is very crumbly to the point that you cannot cut into it to make bars without the top sliding off of the crust and the crust sticking to the glass baking dish. I didnt have parchment paper so I buttered the dish but didnt seem to help with the nonstick abilities.
★★★★
Sarah- I made a batch (for a friend who is allergic to barley) substituting 1/2 coconut flour & 1/2 oat flour. The crust was just like you said – crumbly and sandy – more so than the King Arthur unbleached flour batch. A friend suggested I add an egg yolk to the crust mixture, which I did. I let it cool at room temperature for 3 hours or so, then put it in the fridge overnight. The crust came out perfectly – professional bakery quality! Also, I’ve had good luck greasing the dish liberally with a combination of salted butter & coconut oil.
Hi! Lactose intolerant pecan pie lover here. Can I substitute anything for the cream? Will margarine work here rather than butter? Thank you!
Hi Julia, I wish I had more advice for dairy free desserts. You can try canned full fat coconut milk for the heavy cream and coconut oil for the butter. I haven’t tested the recipe this way though.
These are so good! I made them to give to our family later this week since we won’t be having Thanksgiving with them. I need to freeze them so my family doesn’t eat them all (no joke)! What’s the best way to freeze them? They seem a little fragile.
★★★★★
These bars are dope
★★★★★
I freeze half of mine every year to save me from myself. I just place them in a large ziplock with was paper separating them. I usually kind of lay the bag on a plate or small baking sheet so they dont get jostled, then freeze
These bars are delicious and easy to make. The brown butter crust is so good. Can I use the brown butter crust for a pumpkin pie? Would that work?
★★★★★
Hi Susan, We are so happy you enjoyed this recipe! You could use this crust for pumpkin pie bars instead!
I love making these bars, especially this time of year! Can use the same amount of corn syrup instead of maple?
★★★★★
Hi Jessica, Yes, you can use corn syrup instead of maple syrup. Same amount.
If I can’t access pure maple syrup should I use “pancake syrup “ or not? Thanks for any advice you can give!
Hi Laura, Pancake syrup is pretty thin and won’t add as much flavor. You can use the same amount of corn syrup or dark corn syrup instead and if you want the maple flavor feel free to add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon maple extract (depending how much maple flavor you like).
I was so incredibly excited to try this recipe today. I had every ingredient and followed the recipe to a T.
It smelled amazing, and looked exactly as the pictures do.
I was nervous as the crust didn’t feel or look baked after 15 minutes so I added another 10 for the crust. Then I moved on, added the topping and put it back in the oven.
Once cooled, I went in to cut the bars and the base simply fell apart. It was like literal sand.
I was so so disappointed, more than I have ever been before because I’ve never had a recipe of yours fail me.
Maybe the weather today (super grey and rainy) threw me off or I missed something. Whatever it is, this recipe was a total fail for me.
Now, I will say this – the flavor of both the crust and topping was AMAZING. I truly expected nothing less in that department.
Something about the base though, just doesn’t seem right to me. As I said, I followed this recipe exactly, making no substitutions or adjustments at all.
Since the whole thing ended up falling apart, I was on my way to throw the whole thing in the garbage but decided to keep it as a crumble and use it to top ice cream.
★★★
Hi Sasha, it sounds like the crust was over-baked and that’s why it was sandy and falling apart. You are only pre-baking it for 15 minutes, not completely baking it. No need to add additional time since it bakes again with the topping. Careful not to overbake these at all!
I love this recipe. Turned out excellent. The only thing I’ll try next time is to double the filling as I like them gooey.
Thanks for sharing. They were a hit in my family.
★★★★★
Delicious and easy to make! Adding the egg to the hot filling was the only tricky part, but the clear, thorough directions made the whole process simple.
★★★★★