Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Go nutty for dessert with Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars. Baked on a buttery crust, these cookie bars are splashed with bourbon and loaded with toasted pecans, dark chocolate chips and ooey gooey goodness.
The best thing since sliced bread is sliced pie. Not only is pie a sweet, satisfying indulgence, but it’s the grand finale to any good meal. Then again, sometimes pie is the meal. There is pot pie, shepherd’s pie, pizza pie and that Greek pie with phyllo I can’t spell. Basically, you can cut anything into a triangle, slap it on a plate and call it pie. No plate? No problem, Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars place your favorite pie right in the palm of your gluttonous hand.
Not only do these nutty cookie bars let you skip a plate and forego a fork, the press-in crust lets you bypass the rolling pin too. Eliminating temperamental pie dough from the equation means more time for your temperamental family. And that’s what the holidays are all about: crazy relatives and crazy good desserts.
Topping the crazy good dessert list are these Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars. I’m talking freshly toasted pecans, dark chocolate chips and the magic of baking them with caramelly brown sugar and bourbon. They are ooey gooey crunchy and chewy–basically everything you could ever want from a dessert that’s part pie, part cookie, part bar and full on delicious. I may be biased, but these squares deserve to be portable dessert of the year. Make a batch and cast your vote, nobody is counting ballots–or how many bars you’re eating. It’s a win-win.
Before sharing the recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars, here are a few baking tips to help you out:
Ingredient Tips
Fresh pecans are mandatory, therefore, don’t use the open bag of pecans that’ve been in your pantry since last Thanksgiving.
Dark corn syrup is preferable for depth of flavor, but light corn syrup is a great substitute.
Preparation Tips
For the best pecan bars, always use toasted pecans in the filling. To toast pecans, simply add them to a foil lined baking sheet in a single layer then place in the oven for 8 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring after the first 4 minutes.
Only toast the pecans to be mixed in with the filling ingredients. The pecan halves placed on top of the filling should not be toasted since they will toast as they bake.
Bars are done when the edges are set and the center jiggles just a bit when wiggled. Avoid overbaking; the center will continue to set as it cools. Plus, be sure to cool completely to room temperature (approximately 3 hours) before serving to give the filling proper time to thicken.
How to Store Pecan Pie Bars
Allow bars to cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Pecan Pie Bars?
Yes, you can make pecan pie bars ahead of time and freeze up to 3 months. After baked bars cool completely, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, cover with aluminum foil and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then serve at room temperature.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars. Please leave a rating and review below after you try the recipe yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.
Finally, if you like chocolate pecan desserts then you’ll love these Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. Soft, chewy and crunchy in every bite, these brown butter cookies are a trifecta of textures and flavors.
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
- 2 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt fine
Pecan Pie Filling
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2/3 cup dark corn syrup
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 tbsp Bourbon optional
- 1/2 tsp sea salt fine
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract pure
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Pecan Topping
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
- 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Cookie Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add vanilla and beat until incorporated.
- Reduce mixer speed to low then add flour, cinnamon and salt. Beat until combined.
- Spoon mixture into your parchment-lined baking pan then press dough into the bottom of the pan with your fingers until evenly distributed.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Remove crust from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare filling.
Pecan Pie Filling
- Line a cookie sheet with almuinum foil then place pecan halves on foil in a single layer.
- Roast pecans at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, stirring after the first 4 minutes to ensure even baking.
- Remove pecans from the oven and set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, bourbon, salt and vanilla until well combined.
- Chop toasted pecans with a knife then add to filling with chocolate chips. Stir until evenly distributed.
- Spoon filling onto cookie crust.
Pecan Topping
- Top filling with 1/2 cup of pecan halves and 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Note: the pecan halves used for the topping should not be toasted.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are set and the center is a bit jiggly when wiggled. Avoid overbaking.
- Place baking pan on a wire rack to cool to room temperature (approximately 3 hours). Filing will firm as it cools, avoid cutting into bars before they have fully set or the filling may be runny.
- Serve bars at room temperature. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days.