Shortbread Pecan Bars

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These delicious shortbread pecan bars are the perfect holiday dessert to share with your loved ones this season! Like these? Try our ooey gooey butter tart bars too!

Shortbread pecan bars placed in rows on a wooden table.

These pecan bars are a staple in my house every Christmas! I have been making this pecan bar recipe for at least 15 years, and they always have a spot on my cookie trays, which I share with my family every year.

If you like making dessert bars during the holidays, try these chocolate chip cookie bars, gingerbread cookie bars, frosted pumpkin bars, apple cheesecake bars, and butter tart bars too!

A stack of shortbread pecan pie bars on a wooden table.

Want to know one of the best parts about this recipe? There's nothing fancy or special about how to make them! All you need is some basic pantry staple ingredients to make these incredibly ooey, gooey, nutty, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread pecan bars. Do you know why? The goal of Cup of Flour is to teach people how to make approachable recipes, and that starts with recipes that have ingredients that are accessible and convenient for you. Learn more about Cup of Flour on the About page!

Reasons you'll love this recipe

EASY: An easy recipe that can be made in 1 single bowl, without a mixer! These decadent, classic pecan bars are simple and quick to make! It doesn’t get much better than that.
FESTIVE: These pecan bars will put you in the holiday spirit! They’re the perfect dessert to share with your friends and family on other occasions, especially during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.
LESS MESS: All you need is 1 baking sheet, 1 bowl, 1 spoon, and 1 baking pan! No electric mixers and no need for multiple mixing bowls. This recipe keeps things simple and will leave you with little to no mess to clean up!

Ingredients

FLOUR: This recipe uses all-purpose flour. The flour in the crust helps to build the crust, while the flour in the filling helps to thicken the filling before baking. Use 1 and ⅓ cup for the crust, and 3 tablespoons for the filling.
SUGAR: Granulated is used in the crust, and both granulated and brown sugar is used in the filling. A ¼ cup of granulated is all you need for the crust, and a ⅓ cup of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of granulated is the perfect balance for the filling.
SALT: To enhance all the delicious flavours! Use a ¼ of a teaspoon for the crust and the filling.
BUTTER: Unsalted or Salted butter will do. The choice is yours! Make sure the butter is nice and cold, this will help the structure of your crust stay in tact. Use ½ a cup.
EGGS: Eggs are going to help make these cookies soft and chewy! Use 2 eggs for the perfect level of chewiness.
VANILLA EXTRACT: For a hint of vanilla, use 1 teaspoon.
CORN SYRUP: This is the base of the filling! Use ¾ of a cup.
PECANS: You should toast the pecans for a classic pecan bar taste! Use 1 cup.

Kitchen tools

BAKING SHEET: For roasting the pecans.
8X8 BAKING PAN: For baking the bars. This sized baking pan will give you 24 perfectly sized bars once you cut them into individual servings.
WHISK OR SPOON: For combining the ingredients. This recipe can be easily made without any electric mixers.
MIXING BOWLS: You only need 1 medium-sized mixing bowl. You’ll make the crust first, transfer to your baking sheet, and while the crust bakes, you can make the delicious pecan filling in that same bowl! This means less dishes in the sink!
MEASURING SPOONS AND CUPS: For measuring the ingredients.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F or 177° C.
Lightly grease an 8x8 baking pan, line with parchment paper, and lightly grease once more. Set aside.
Roughly chop the pecans, place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Set aside once roasted.
Mix the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add the cold butter. Incorporate these ingredients with a fork or even your hands until the mixture resembles a light crumb-like texture.
Transfer the crumb (crust) mixture into the prepared 8x8 baking pan by evenly distributing and pressing the mixture firmly into the pan.
Bake the crust for 18-20 minutes, until the edges start to lightly brown.
While the crust bakes, make the filling by mixing together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt, eggs, vanilla, and corn syrup in a medium-sized bowl (you can use the same bowl you prepared the crust mixture in). Mix in the chopped roasted pecans. Set aside.
Pour the pecan filling mixture onto the baked crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the centre can jiggle just a little bit, and the edges are set.
Cool completely at room temperature before placing in the fridge or cutting into individual bars.

Recipe Tips

Roast the pecans. This does wonders for these pecan bars. It gives a warm, toasty, festive roasted nut flavour that everyone is is looking for during the holidays.
Line your 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. Once baking is done and the baking pan has cooled, lift the pecan dessert out by lifting the parchment paper, set on a cutting board, and simply cut into individual bars. This is way easier than cutting the bars directly in the pan.
Wait for the pecan dessert to cool completely before cutting. If you cut into bars too soon, they will start to fall apart, and not resemble a straight edge/square/rectangle shape bar.

FAQs

How to tell when pecan bars are done?

When the edges are set, and the centre jiggles just a bit, the pecan bars are done.

How to cut pecan bars?

Once pecan bars are completely cooled to room temperature or from the refrigerator, place on a cutting board, and safely cut horizontally and vertically with a sharp knife, creating square/rectangle shaped bars.

Do pecan bars need to be refrigerated?

Yes. This is due to the dairy products, specifically the eggs.

How long do pecan bars last?

In an airtight container, pecan bars can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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