Description
These cozy maple bourbon pecan pie bars are a recreation of a beloved restaurant dessert, featuring a buttery shortbread crust, a rich maple-bourbon filling, and crunchy toasted pecans. They’re the perfect easy fall dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ¾ cup (180ml) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60ml) bourbon
- ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (170g) pecan halves or pieces, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on the long sides.
- Make the shortbread crust: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups flour, ½ cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add the cold, cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
- Press the crust into the pan: Dump the crumbly mixture into the prepared pan. Press it down firmly and evenly with your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup.
- Bake the crust: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center looks set. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly on a wire rack.
- Toast the pecans (optional but recommended): While the crust bakes, spread the pecan halves on a separate baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 4-5 minutes until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
- Make the maple bourbon filling: In a large bowl, whisk together ¾ cup maple syrup, ¼ cup bourbon, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon salt until smooth and glossy.
- Add the pecans: Stir in the toasted pecans until evenly coated.
- Pour the filling over the crust: Carefully pour the pecan-filling mixture over the pre-baked crust and spread evenly.
- Bake the bars: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center. The top should be golden brown and bubbly.
- Cool completely: Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the bars cool completely at room temperature, at least 2 hours.
- Chill for clean slices: Once cool, refrigerate the bars for at least 1 hour to firm up the filling.
- Slice and serve: Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and slice into squares or rectangles with a sharp knife.
Notes
For best results, toast the pecans to bring out their flavor. Let the bars cool completely before slicing to prevent them from falling apart. Chilling the bars for at least 1 hour helps achieve clean slices. The bars taste even better the next day as flavors meld.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 33
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
Keywords: pecan pie bars, maple bourbon, fall dessert, easy dessert, shortbread crust, Thanksgiving dessert, pecan bars