These pecan pie bars are comforting and delicious. Just like classic lemon bars! This holiday dessert has a chewy texture with the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Prep this easy recipe in 20 minutes then bake!
PIN PECAN PIE BAR RECIPE
The holidays provide an opportunity for generations to gather in the kitchen and spend quality time together. Love is the secret ingredient that makes special recipes like these pecan pie bars so memorable and delicious!
INGREDIENTS
This traditional holiday recipe comes together quickly with basic pantry items and a few easy-to-find ingredients from your local market.
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Sugar
- Pecan halves or pieces
- Egg
- NESTLÉ® LA LECHERA® Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Nestle Toll House Butterscotch Morsels
- Shredded coconut
MAKE THE CRUST
The base for these pecan pie bars is a buttery shortbread crust. To make the dough you can use a fork, pastry cutter, food processor, or stand mixer.
RECIPE PREP: Coarsely chop the pecans. Lightly coat interior sides of a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Position an oversized piece of parchment paper over the baking dish like a sling. Preheat oven to 350°F.
RECIPE STEPS
- STEP 1: Add flour and sugar to a mixing bowl. Mix briefly until well blended. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- STEP 2: Add pecan pieces to the bowl. Stir briefly to combine.
- STEP 3: Transfer the crust mixture to the baking pan. Firmly press the crumbs into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. Make sure to include the corners and edges.
STEP 4: Bake the shortbread crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven, but keep the oven turned on! We’ll bake this easy dessert after adding the filling.
ASSEMBLE THE FILLING
This easy pecan pie bars recipe comes together quickly!
RECIPE STEPS
- STEP 1: In a medium bowl, add NESTLÉ® LA LECHERA® Sweetened Condensed Milk, lemon juice, vanilla, salt and one egg.
- STEP 2: Mix wet ingredients until smooth.
- STEP 3: Stir in pecans and Nestle Toll House Butterscotch Morsels.
- STEP 4: Pour mixture over the shortbread crust.
bAKE PECAN PIE BARS
- Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until filling is set.
- Remove pan from oven and cool completely.
- Cover with parchment paper. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
SLICE THE BARS
- Using the over-sized sheet of parchment paper as handles, carefully lift up the solid slab from the pan.
- Place the large bar, with parchment paper, on a cutting board.
- With a sharp knife, cut the piece into 36 squares.
HOW TO SERVE THIS HOLIDAY DESSERT
Being Latina you know the importance of hospitality. As children, you learn by example to be gracious, generous and inviting.
We kids grew up seeing our Grandma lovingly share homemade food with extended family, friends and neighbors. Even unexpected guests would be invited to join us at the table.
- Garnish pecan pie bars with shredded coconut.
- Get festive with holiday plates and napkins.
- Be a great hostess: offer guests a warm mug of Mexican Hot Chocolate along with squares of this traditional dessert.
FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
I fondly remember how Grandma always had Mexican Hot Chocolate in her pantry. She’d buy it at a little store in her neighborhood. Now the new generations carry on this beloved tradition.
Nothing says “happy holidays” more genuinely than bite-sized pieces of tender pecan pie bars along with cozy comforting mugs of hot chocolate!
MORE HOLIDAY DESSERTS TO MAKE ASAP
If you enjoyed these tasty pecan pie bars, then you’ll also love these easy holiday desserts! Each is a time-tested favorite passed down through the generations.
- PEACH DUMPLINGS
- BISCOTTI COOKIES
- GINGERBREAD MAN COOKIES
- GINGERSNAP COOKIES
- LINZER SUGAR COOKIES
- SNOWBALL COOKIES
RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Family and friends say this is the best pecan pie bars recipe! They love the addition of shredded coconut as an optional garnish. I
If you agree this is a must-make holiday recipe, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. And share it with a friend!
Pecan Pie Bars
- Total Time: 55
- Yield: 24 Bars 1x
Description
These delicious pecan pie bars have a tender shortbread crust and a gooey scrumptious filling. Quick and easy to assemble, it’s the perfect holiday dessert!
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
FILLING
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1–1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- 1–1/4 cups butterscotch morsels
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
OPTIONAL GARNISH
- Shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With cooking spray, lightly coat the sides of a 9X13 baking dish. Drape an over-sized piece of parchment paper over the long sides of the pan.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/3 cup of chopped pecans to the bowl. Stir until mixed. Press the shortbread mixture firmly onto the bottom of the baking dish (not the sides). Bake at 350° F for 15 minutes, or until the edges are ever-so-slightly golden brown. Don’t overbake! We want a light tender crust.
- In a large bowl, add the wet ingredients and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth. Stir in the butterscotch morsels and 1 cup of chopped pecans. Pour the mixture over the crust and spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Cool. Cover the pan with wax paper and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Using the over-sized parchment paper as handles, remove the large bar from the pan. Place it on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, slice the rectangle into 36 pecan pie bars.
- Before serving, sprinkle a festive amount of shredded coconut over the pecan pie bars.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD RECIPE: Bake the shortbread crust up to 3 days in advance. Keep it tightly covered in the fridge. Combine the caramel syrup in advance and refrigerate. When ready to assemble, layer chocolate chips and pecans inside the crust. Rewarm caramel syrup on stovetop or in the microwave until it’s pourable.
NO BUTTERSCOTCH MORSELS IN THE PANTRY? Use chocolate chips instead!
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican, American
Keywords: Pecan Pie Bars, Pecan Bars
PECAN PIE BARS > JOIN THE CONVERSATION
What do you think about this scrumptious recipe for pecan pie bars? Share your family’s treasured holiday traditions in the comments below!
This sounds and looks really good! My hubs is a huge pecan pie fan so I think he’d really like these. xo, Brittany Nicole | http://www.theblistblog.com
These pecan pie bars look incredible – I can’t wait to make them for my family this Christmas!
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I love pecan pie and these look like they would be so good. I definitely need to give them a try.
I love turning things into bars – so much fun to eat that way! These look fabulous and perfect for neighbor treat plates this holiday season!
I need to make these for my husband. He loves Pecan everything. They look so good.
Oh man these look too good! I love pecan anythng and these are right up my alley.
Wow these look so tasty. I will have to give them a try. I’m a HUGE fan of pecans here and think these look amazing!
Oooh! What a great treat! I love the added coconut! I made pecan bars at Thanksgiving and fell in love all over again. Will be trying yours, for sure!
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These bars and photos look perfect! I love the step by step photos in your post too?
I’ve never tried this before because pecan is a bit expensive here. But oh, this looks so good. I need to taste it!
Yum! Love that you added butterscotch chips. These sound delicious!
Wow these look so yummy ! I definitely need to try this out !
Kasey Ma
Wow, those pecan pies looks so yummy. I want to have for myself. I will try to make one.
This is my kind of snack/dessert. I love anything with pecans so thank you for sharing your recipe.
My goodness, these pecan pie bars look so melt in your mouth delicious!
Everything about this recipe looks so yummy. I can’t wait to give it a try. I know my family would love these bars.
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Oh my goodness! How fantastic these bars look! The perfect after-school snack! Yummy!
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I LOVE Pecan Pie so these bars sound FANTASTIC!! I would love to try these!! YUM!
The food that we prepare in our kitchens and especially the dishes prepared during festivals always have waves of nostalgia associated with them. This is because usually many of the recipes have been traditional and handed down from generation to generation. The Pecan Pie Bars look really amazing and convenient to cook as well.
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These look so tasty.Easy to cut up and bring to a holiday party.
I’ve made this crust before in a layered pudding dessert. This looks delicious. I plan on finding some Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate.
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My daughter loves pecan pie, and pretty much any other dessert involving a pecan. We will have to have this one for our Christmas gathering.
Those look so good! May have to try them for the holiday. I love anything with pecans!
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My favorite pie created into a bar- what a wonderful and delicious recipe! I can’t wait to try these.
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These pecan pie bars look so yummy! I’ve seen the Nestle La Lachera at the market but haven’t tried it yet.
O…M….G! These Pecan Pie Bars made with NESTLÉ® LA LECHERA® Sweetened Condensed Milk look amazing. When I was a kid my grandmother used to give us a small cup of NESTLÉ® LA LECHERA® Sweetened Condensed Milk and mix it with Quick Chocolate powder for a super duper chocolate sugar bomb! It was amazing.
These pecan Pie bars look amazing but what I love is how easy they are to make. I may have to try these out for Christmas!
I love pecan pie, and every dessert is better in bar form. I need to make these soon.
This looks like a fabulous recipe, especially for the holidays. I have several parties coming up soon and I need to take a sweet treat. I may have to take this.
These pecan pie bars look delicious. I am going to have to try to make them for sure, they are going to be a hit here with my fam!
Please excuse me while I drool over myself. These look SO good. I just love pecan pie, so I know I’d love it in bar form.
★★★★★
Pies in bar form what’s not to love. I don’t think I could have only one, maybe four.
These look amazing- our boys would love them!
I just made pecan pie bars last week. They were so good and I’m going to try your recipe the next time I make them. They are a little bit different than mine.
Who doesn’t love a good pecan bar. I have several vintage aprons and love the tradition of wearing them as your grandmother did
Mmmm…You had me at pecans and then I see you added butterscotch morsels! I’m in heaven! I must try this recipe this weekend!!! A delicious combination that I’ve never tried together before.
We love pecan over here, but we haven’t had those pecan pie bars before. They look so good. Can’t wait to try them.
Such a lovely festive presentation, i can’t take my off it. The recipe sounds so easy to make. What a delicious treat for Christmas!
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I am OBSESSED with pecan pie bars! I have never put shredded coconut on top though! Definitely going to try that out sometime soon!
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Everyone is cooking yummy things like crazy as of late and this looks just perfect to make and share with loved ones. I need them!
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These were soooo easy and delicious! A great way to use pecans and that shortbread crust is perfection. Thank you!
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I am bookmarking this page! I really want to try to make these pecan pie bars. They look amazing.
These pecan pie bars look amazing. Pecan pie is my favorite and I love this bite sized version. Yum!
That is a delicious treat! I make pecan bars every once in a while, so I look forward to trying your recipe!
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