These Browned Butter Pecan Pie Bars are a great way to mix up your traditional holiday desserts! No ultra difficult crust to make, minimal dishes used, and this recipe makes a whopping 24 servings! If you’re like me, you’ve always wanted to enjoy pecan pie but it’s just been too sweet. I love dessert, but the sugar content of some of the pies I tried made me feel a little bonkers while my blood sugar spiked. Dessert should be tasty and make you feel good, not like an anxious wreck, so this recipe, while sweet, will not leave you feeling sick afterwards.
Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Heavy cream
- Eggs
- Pecans
. Make sure to use salted butter in this recipe. The salt compliments the sweet, and without it the flavor balance is off.
. I prefer to use dark brown sugar here, but whatever you’ve already got will work just fine.
. Pecans aren’t cheap, so if you like near a bulk store check to see if you can purchase them that way (it’s often cheaper).
How to Make these Bars
Preheat the oven to 350°. While the oven preheats, make the crust. In a medium pot, melt the butter, stirring occasionally. When the butter starts to bubble and foam, stir it. Continue to stir until you notice dark flecks in the melt. Remove this from the heat and let it cool a few minutes. Once it’s cool, add the remaining crust ingredients and stir until combined. Press this dough firmly into a greased 9×13 dish. It will be thick, and that’s ok. Only press the crust into the bottom of the dish, not up the sides. Pop the dish in the oven for 10-12 minutes to let it par-bake.
Begin making the filling while the crust bakes. In that same medium pot, melt butter, sugar, and cream together, whisking occasionally. Eventually, this will start to boil. When it does, whisk it lightly for 2-3 minutes, then lower the heat.
Crack 2 eggs into a small mixing bowl and whisk them lightly. You’re going to temper them, meaning slowly combine the egg with the boiling liquid to avoid scrambled eggs. With a measuring cup, slowly whisk in around 3/4 cup into the eggs, keeping them moving the entire time. Continue to stir a minute, then, once well incorporated, slowly whisk the mixture back into the pot with the rest of the filling. Add your chopped pecans and stir them in.
By this time, the crust should be out of the oven. Spread the filling out evenly oven the surface of the crust, making sure everything is covered. Bake this on 350° for 25-30 minutes, then check with a toothpick or sharp knife to make sure it’s done in the middle. Set the casserole dish on a wire cooling rack and let them come down to room temperature, about 4 hours. Once they’ve completely cooled, cut them into 24 bars and enjoy!
What to Pair these With
These are sweet, crunchy, and crumbly, so my suggestion is to serve the bars with vanilla ice cream or a glass of milk. The are better slightly warm, so feel free to pop them in the oven on 170° for 20-30 minutes or the microwave on low power for a minute or so.
Browned Butter Pecan Pie Bars
Equipment
- 9x13 casserole dish
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 sticks salted butter, melted and browned
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1 stick salted butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Set aside.
- To make the crust, melt the butter in a medium pot until it begins to foam and grow, about 5 minutes. Once it foams, stir it until you see brown speckles in the butter. Remove from heat and let it cool 2-3 minutes.
- Once the butter has cooled slightly, add sugar, vanilla, and flour and stir until well combined.
- Once combined, press firmly into the bottom of the casserole dish. The crust does not need to go up the side walls, just on the bottom.
- Once your crust has formed, bake it uncovered 10-12 minutes. Make the filling while the crust bakes.
- In the same medium pot, melt the butter, sugar, and heavy cream. Whisk and let the mixture come to a boil, then let it boil 2-3 minutes.
- Crack eggs into a small mixing bowl and beat lightly, then slowly add about 3/4 cup of the boiling sugary mix while whisking aggressively. Don't add the mix all at once and make sure to stir the entire time.
- Once the eggs have combined with the mix, slowly whisk it back into the pot with the rest of the filling. Add your chopped pecans and stir until they've been integrated.
- Once the par-baked crust is out of the oven, spread the filling over it and once it evenly covers the crust, pop it back in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Test that the bars are done by inserting a toothpick or non-serrated knife into the middle and see if it comes back mostly clean.
- Let the bars cool completely on a cooling rack about 4 hours, then cut into bars and serve.
Notes
- If you don't want 24 bars, half the recipe or wrap and freeze leftover bars for future desserts. These freeze and thaw well.
- It's important to slowly whisk the boiling liquid into your eggs because otherwise you'd have dessert with chunks of scrambled egg in it! Don't skimp on the whisking.