These Easy Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars are a delicious twist on classic pecan pie and a wonderful bittersweet chocolate addition to add to your holiday baking lineup. With a tender shortbread crust and gooey chocolate pecan filling, they're sure to disappear quickly. Best of all, they're easy to make ahead and serve at parties and family gatherings.
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Why You'll Love These Easy Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
- A Delicious Combination of Textures: Every bite combines a tender crust, crunchy toasted pecans, melted chocolate, and a soft, gooey filling.
- Perfect for Holiday Gatherings: These bars make a wonderful addition to Thanksgiving dessert tables, Christmas celebrations, and holiday cookie trays.
- Great for Making Ahead: You can prepare these bars in advance, making holiday entertaining and party planning a little easier.
- A Fun Twist on a Classic: Combining bittersweet chocolate with traditional pecan pie flavors makes these dessert bars a little different from the usual pecan pie.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
Steps to Make These Easy Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fully line a 9x13 metal pan with parchment paper; set aside until ready to use. In a large mixing bowl, beat room-temperature salted butter and vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Then, beat in powdered sugar until well combined.
- Add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Transfer the dough into the prepared pan and press it evenly into the bottom and about an inch up the sides.
- Prick all over with a fork to prevent bubbling. Bake for 12 minutes in the 350°F preheated oven.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Start by melting unsalted butter in a large microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments until fully melted. Then, whisk in the light and dark Karo syrups and the vanilla extract.
- Next, whisk in the light and dark brown sugars.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and slightly beaten eggs.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, and Kosher salt until combined. Then, whisk the mixture into the filling.
- Stir in the toasted pecan pieces and chocolate chips.
- Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Then, ladle the filling over the crust.
- Bake the chocolate pecan pie bars for about 35 minutes, or until the center looks set and is no longer sloshing. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least three hours before slicing into bars.
These Easy Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars are an irresistible dessert that brings together buttery shortbread, toasted pecans, and rich chocolate. They're easy to prepare, perfect for sharing, and wonderful for holiday celebrations. Whether you're serving them at a party or enjoying one with a cup of coffee, these bars are sure to satisfy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Toasting the pecans is recommended because it brings out their natural nutty flavor and adds extra depth to the filling. Spread them in a single layer on a half-sheet pan and toast in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool before adding them to the filling.
Yes! You can substitute milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks for the bittersweet chocolate. But, keep in mind that both milk and semi-sweet chocolates are sweeter, so the finished bars will have a much sweeter overall flavor. The bittersweet chocolate actually helps cut the sweetness of the pecan pie filling.
Allow the bars to cool completely, ideally for at least three hours. For especially clean slices, refrigerate or freeze the cooled bars briefly before cutting.
Absolutely! These bars are a great make-ahead dessert. Bake them a day in advance, allow them to cool completely, and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to five days. They also freeze very well. Once completely cooled and sliced, wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to two months.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use room-temperature butter for the crust: Softened butter creams more easily with the powdered sugar and vanilla, helping create a tender shortbread crust.
- Don't skip pre-baking the crust: Baking the shortbread crust before adding the filling helps it set and prevents a soggy bottom.
- Combine light and dark corn syrup: Using half light and half dark corn syrup provides a nice balance of sweetness and rich molasses flavor.
- Mix light and dark brown sugar: Equal amounts of light and dark brown sugar add depth and caramel-like flavor to the pecan filling.
- Pour the filling over the warm crust: Adding the filling while the pre-baked crust is still warm helps the layers come together.
Other Great Pecan Desserts
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Recipe
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Easy Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Large Microwave-Safe Mixing Bowl
- Electric hand mixer
- Fork
- Small Bowl
- whisk
- Ladle
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 c Salted Butter, room-temperature
- 1 c Powdered Sugar
- 1 TBS Vanilla Extract
- 2 c All-Purpose Flour
For the Filling
- 4 TBS Unsalted Butter, melted
- ⅓ c Dark Karo Syrup
- ⅓ c Light Karo Syrup
- 1 TBS Vanilla Extract
- ½ c Dark Brown Sugar, packed
- ½ c Light Brown Sugar, packed
- ½ c Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 Large Eggs, slightly beaten
- ½ c All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 2 ½ c Pecan Pieces, toasted1
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fully line a 9x13 metal pan with parchment paper; set aside until ready to use.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat room-temperature salted butter and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until fluffy. Then, beat in powdered sugar until well combined. Next, add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press it evenly into the bottom and about an inch up the sides. Prick all over with a fork to prevent bubbling. Bake in the 350°F preheated oven for 12 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before adding the filling.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Start by melting unsalted butter in a large microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments until fully melted. Then, whisk in both dark and light Karo syrup and vanilla extract.
- Next, whisk in the dark and light brown sugars. Then, whisk in the heavy whipping cream and slightly beaten eggs.
- In a small bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, and Kosher salt until combined. Then, whisk the mixture into the filling. Stir in the toasted pecan pieces and chocolate chips. Then, ladle the filling over the crust.
- Bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes, or until the center looks just set and not sloshing around. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least three hours before slicing into bars2.
Video
Tips/Notes
- To toast the pecan pieces, spread them in a single layer on a half sheet pan and bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool before adding them to the filling.
- Store the chocolate pecan pie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to five days. They also freeze very well. Once completely cooled and sliced, wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to two months.
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