Made with brown butter, pure maple syrup, and loads of toasty pecans, these salted brown butter pecan pie bars ship that impossible to resist sweet-and-salty taste in each chunk with out the fuss of baking a full pie.
I first revealed this recipe again in 2016, and it’s since gotten a little bit makeover. You’ll discover the up to date model beneath and in my New York Instances best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101 (web page 77!). The pictures are new, the directions are even simpler, and some small tweaks make the feel higher than ever.
Whereas I’ll all the time have a tender spot for conventional pecan pie in a flaky pie crust, I additionally imagine there’s loads of room for a twist… like at this time’s salted brown butter pecan pie bars.
Why You’ll Love These Pecan Pie Bars
- Wealthy taste from brown butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of flaky sea salt
- Maple syrup replaces corn syrup—including deeper, extra advanced taste
- Gentle, buttery shortbread crust (no rolling or chilling!)
- Splendidly crunchy, gooey texture in each chunk
- Transportable and shareable—good for vacation trays, bake gross sales, or potlucks
Key Components (Overview)
- Butter: Browned to boost the flavour within the crust. For the filling, you’ll merely soften the butter.
- Water: So as to add moisture again to the crust combination. You possibly can use milk as a substitute if desired.
- Sugar & Brown Sugar: To sweeten, tenderize, and taste.
- Flour & Cornstarch: The bottom of the soft-yet-sturdy crust.
- Pure Maple Syrup: Taste-packed substitute for corn syrup.
- Eggs: Bind the filling collectively.
- Pecans: The star of the present!
- Flaky Sea Salt: Balances the sweetness.
Begin with the Brown Butter Shortbread Crust
When you’ve ever made my Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars, this crust will look acquainted. It’s merely doubled for a 9×13-inch pan and made with brown butter for additional taste.
To brown the butter: soften it on the stovetop till golden and nutty (see my step-by-step the way to brown butter tutorial), then combine with the remaining crust elements. Press right into a parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan and provides it a fast pre-bake when you put together the filling.
This buttery base holds up fantastically below the gooey pecan topping. When you love the brown butter + pecan combo, strive it in my darkish chocolate pecan cookies, too!
Pecan Pie Filling With out Corn Syrup
These bars skip the corn syrup utterly. Maple syrup steps in because the sweetener and binder, lending pure taste and a smoother texture. It really works like a dream right here (and for those who’re curious, I’ve a full maple pecan pie recipe, too!).
When finalizing this recipe for Sally’s Baking 101, my group and I made a number of small enhancements:
- Added 2 Tablespoons of water to the crust to interchange moisture misplaced when browning butter.
- Stirred in a little bit of cornstarch to make the crust softer and fewer crumbly.
- Simplified the filling technique—no extra tempering the eggs! Simply cool the filling barely earlier than including them.
- Added a contact extra cream for additional smoothness.
All updates are mirrored within the printable recipe beneath and within the cookbook.
Methods to Make Pecan Pie Bars
In the identical saucepan you used to brown the butter (no want to scrub it!), warmth the maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, and cream combination. Cool for five minutes, then whisk within the eggs and fold within the pecans.
Pour over the crust, prime with sea salt, and bake. Don’t fear if the filling appears to be like syrupy once you pour it over the crust—it’ll arrange completely.
If it’s browning too shortly, tent with foil. Cool utterly earlier than reducing into squares.
The Ultimate Outcome
Every chunk is the proper steadiness of buttery shortbread, toasted pecans, and gooey maple filling—with only a trace of salt to maintain issues fascinating. These bars are tender within the center, crunchy on prime, and filled with taste.
They won’t be conventional pie, however belief me: they’ll steal the present on any dessert desk. High with a dollop of home made whipped cream for an additional deal with!
When you love these, strive my cranberry crumble pie bars, blueberry pie bars, cherry pie bars, or apple pie bars subsequent. They’re all simpler than pie and make fantastic additions to your favourite Thanksgiving pie recipes!
Description
These extremely flavorful brown butter pecan pie bars made with maple syrup are a lot simpler than baking a whole pie. This recipe can be in my New York Instances best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101, on web page 77.
Brown Butter Crust
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, reduce into 16 items
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Pecan Pie Topping
- 1/2 cup (170g/120ml) pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed gentle or darkish brown sugar (I desire darkish right here)
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (60g/ml) heavy cream
- 2 massive eggs, overwhelmed, at room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) chopped pecans
- non-obligatory: flaky sea salt or coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 9×13-inch steel baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a number of inches of overhang on 2 reverse sides.
- Make the crust: Place the sliced butter in a light-colored skillet or saucepan over medium warmth. (Mild-colored helps you establish when the butter begins browning.) Stir or whisk the butter continuously because it melts. As soon as melted, the butter will start to foam. Preserve stirring. After 5–8 minutes, the butter will start browning—you’ll discover evenly browned specks start to type on the backside of the pan and it’ll have a nutty aroma. As quickly because the butter has browned, instantly take away from warmth and pour it into a big heat-safe glass bowl. Scrape up the browned solids on the backside of the skillet and add them as properly. Permit to chill for about 10 minutes. Don’t rinse out the pan.
- Add the sugar, water, vanilla, and salt to the marginally cooled brown butter and stir till mixed. Add the flour and cornstarch and blend till the flour disappears. The combination must be slick. Press the crust evenly into the ready baking pan.
- Bake for quarter-hour or till evenly browned on the perimeters. Place the baking pan on a cooling rack when you make the topping.
- Make the topping: Return the skillet/saucepan to medium warmth and add the maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, and cream. Soften the butter, whisking continuously to mix the elements. When the butter has melted, take away the pan from warmth and pour the combination into a big heat-safe bowl. Cool for five minutes. Whisk within the overwhelmed eggs, then fold within the pecans. Pour the topping over the nice and cozy crust and unfold it into a good layer. Flippantly sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake for 25 to twenty-eight minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out principally clear. If the highest is browning too shortly, loosely tent aluminum foil over the pan. Cool the bars utterly within the pan set on a cooling rack.
- Raise the cooled bars out of the pan by gripping the parchment paper overhang; switch to a reducing board and use a pointy knife to chop into squares. Retailer leftover bars lined tightly at room temperature or within the fridge for as much as 1 week.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: Bars freeze properly for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge then carry to room temperature earlier than serving.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 9×13-inch Steel Baking Pan | Mild-Coloured Skillet or Stainless Metal Skillet (for browning butter) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Flaky Sea Salt or Coarse Sea Salt
- Up to date in 2025: When finalizing this recipe for Sally’s Baking 101, my group and I made a number of small updates so the crust holds collectively higher and the filling course of is easier. The revised model is mirrored right here. To make the unique 2016 model, omit the cornstarch and water from the crust. For the topping, cut back heavy cream to 2 Tablespoons and observe these steps: Mix the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cream in the identical pan used to brown the butter. Whisk till the sugar dissolves, then carry to a boil and prepare dinner for 3 minutes. Rigorously spoon out ½ cup of the combination and slowly drizzle it into the overwhelmed eggs, whisking continuously to stop scrambling. Progressively whisk this tempered egg combination again into the pot, take away from warmth, stir within the pecans, and pour evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with sea salt and proceed with step 6.
