Description
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars feature a buttery shortbread crust topped with a rich, gooey pecan filling loaded with chocolate chips. These easy bars deliver all the delicious flavor of traditional pecan pie without the fuss of making pie crust. Perfect for holidays, potlucks, or any time you’re craving that irresistible combination of buttery pecans, sweet filling, and melty chocolate.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
For the Filling:
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Optional for Serving:
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Turn the oven to 350. Take your pan and grease it good—I use butter but the spray stuff works too. Cut parchment paper so it fits in the bottom and comes up the sides on two ends, maybe two inches of overhang. This is how you get them out later without destroying everything.
Throw flour, brown sugar, salt in a bowl. Add your butter—needs to be soft, like if you poke it with your finger it should make a dent but not feel greasy or melted. Mix it with your mixer until it looks like chunky wet sand. Takes a minute or two. Dump it in your pan and press it down with your hands. Get it flat and even, especially in the corners where it wants to be thick.
Put it in the oven 12 to 15 minutes. Should be firm when you poke it and starting to turn a little golden on the edges. Not brown though. Take it out when it’s done but keep the oven on.
While the crust bakes, crack three eggs in another bowl. Dump in the sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, melted butter. Whisk it until it’s smooth and there’s no lumps. Maybe a minute of whisking.
Pour in the pecans and chocolate chips. Stir it around. Gets really thick and chunky. That’s right.
Soon as you take that crust out of the oven, pour the filling on top. Don’t wait around. Do it while the crust is still hot. Use a spoon to spread it so it’s even. Put the pan back in the oven 25 to 30 minutes. It’s done when the middle doesn’t look wet and it barely moves when you shake the pan. Should be shiny and puffed up on top.
Take it out and set it on the counter or a cooling rack. Now you wait. At least two hours. I know it sucks. If you cut into them before they’re completely cool, the filling runs everywhere and they look like garbage. I’ve done this probably eight times because I’m impatient and people are hungry and I think “oh it’s been an hour and a half, that’s close enough.” It’s not. Wait the full two hours. Or cool them for 30 minutes then stick them in the fridge for another 30 or 45 minutes.
Notes
- Line your pan with parchment overhang – This is non-negotiable if you want bakery-perfect bars. It makes removal and slicing so much easier!
- Use softened butter, not melted – For the crust, you want butter that’s soft enough to press your finger into but not greasy or melted. This creates that perfect crumbly texture.
- Add a pinch of salt to the filling – The recipe calls for salt in the crust, but I like adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon to the filling too. It brightens everything and keeps the bars from tasting one-dimensionally sweet.
- Check doneness by gentle shaking – The center should look set and barely jiggle, like a custard. Overbaking will make the bars dry and crumbly instead of gooey.
- Finish with flaky sea salt – Just a light sprinkle over the top before serving takes these from good to gourmet!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes (12–15 min crust + 25–30 min filling)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American