These pecan bars with a shortbread crust are everything you love about pecan pie but in bar form. They’re made with a homemade buttery shortbread crust and a quick toasted pecan filling and then baked in the oven until the filling is nice and bubbly. Once they’re cool, they set up nicely without being sticky, making them perfect for giving out to friends and family.

Love Pecan Pie? These are Just For You

These bars may be even better than gooey pecan pie, especially with the buttery shortbread cookie crust. It’s basically like a huge shortbread cookie covered with lots and lots of toasted pecans. You still get the traditional pecan pie flavor from the corn syrup, butter, and sugar, but there are no eggs.

The key to these scrumptious pecan pie bars is toasting the pecans first. This step brings out the natural nuttiness of the pecans, adding a depth of flavor to the filling just like it does when making fudgy pecan brownies.

Then, it’s time to make the shortbread crust, which adds a melt-in-your-mouth buttery texture to the bars and is a nice twist from the usual pie crust.

As for the filling, there are no eggs needed. It still has all the flavor you expect from pecan pie from the corn syrup and brown sugar but it sets up when baked and hardens once cooled without being too crunchy.

You can cut these nutty dessert bars into small squares for a dessert tray and since they stay together so well, they work great for gifts or to ship to a friend. Don’t worry. They aren’t sticky once they’re cooled, so you can say goodbye to sticky fingers!

Serve these at your next party or gathering next to some buttery chocolate shortbread cookies.

The Best Things About These, Buttery Pecan Bars

No pie crust needed: These bars have the pecan pie flavors without having to make a pie crust, instead they are baked on buttery layer of shortbread.
They’re an easy dessert recipe: Everything is just mixed together and poured over the crust and baked. No waiting for the pie to set.
Portable: You can cut these into squares and take them to a potluck or picnic, no sticky fingers.

Core Ingredients for Perfect Pecan Bars

This is a list of the main ingredients in this recipe. You can find the rest in the recipe card below.

pecan pie bar filling on a gray background. — Pecan Pie Bar Ingredients

Corn Syrup: Helps bind everything together and gives the bars their classic pecan pie texture. Light corn syrup works best for this recipe.
Pecans: You want pecan halves, not pieces for this recipe. Toasting them before baking brings out their natural nuttiness and crunch.

The Foolproof Method for Making Pecan Bars

Step One: Prep the Pan and Toast the Pecans

pecans spread out on a baking sheet. — Toast the pecans in the oven until fragrant, tossing them halfway through for even browning.

Step Two: Make the Crust

melted butter, flour, sugar, and salt in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon. — Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add melted butter.

shortbread cookie dough in a glass bowl. — Mix until a dough forms.

shortbread dough pressed into a baking pan. — Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan to create a firm base.

Step Three: Whisk Up the Filling

corn syrup, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a glass measuring cup with a whisk. — In a bowl, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir until smooth.

pecans tossed in the filling mixture with a spatula in a glass measuring cup. — Fold in the toasted pecans to coat them in the rich, caramel-like mixture.

Step Four: Assemble and Bake

pecan filling spread on top of shortbread crust in a baking pan. — Pour the pecan filling over the crust, spreading it evenly.

pecan bars baked in a baking pan. — Bake until the filling is bubbling throughout, not just at the edges.

Step Five: Cool, Slice, and Serve

pecan pie bars sliced onto parchment paper. — As soon as the bars come out of the oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let them cool completely then slice into bars.

Getting Creative With These Bars

Bourbon: Stir a splash of bourbon into the filling for a warm, smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with the pecans.
Brown butter: Swap the melted butter for brown butter instead for a nuttier flavor.

Keep Pecan Pie Bars Fresh

Storing: Keep pecan bars fresh by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days or in the fridge if you want them to last longer. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Make sure to let them thaw on the counter before eating.

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