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Best Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars (Easy 30-Min Recipe)

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These Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars are everything you want in a dessert: buttery, nutty, sweet with a hint of warmth, and incredibly easy to make. They capture the spirit of a classic pecan pie without the stress of rolling dough or worrying about a soggy bottom.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups pecan halves (toasted lightly)
  • ¾ cup pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Lightly spray with nonstick spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or fingertips, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. While crust bakes, spread pecan halves on a separate baking sheet. Toast in oven for 5-7 minutes, watching carefully. Let cool, then roughly chop half of them. Leave the other half whole.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and well combined.
  5. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over warm shortbread crust. Pour maple bourbon mixture over pecans, tilting pan to spread evenly. Arrange remaining pecan halves on top.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until filling is set around edges but still slightly jiggly in center. If edges brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for last 5 minutes.
  7. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely—at least 2 hours. Use parchment overhang to lift entire block out. Transfer to cutting board and slice into 24 squares using a sharp knife, wiping blade clean between cuts.

Notes

Don’t skip toasting the pecans—it brings out their natural sweetness. Let bars cool completely before slicing to avoid runny filling. Use room temperature eggs to prevent lumpy filling. Line pan with parchment paper with overhang for easy removal. For clean slices, chill bars in refrigerator for 30 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition

Keywords: maple bourbon pecan pie bars, easy pecan bars, Thanksgiving dessert, fall baking, pecan pie bars, shortbread crust, bourbon dessert

Find it online: https://lumalunch.com/best-maple-bourbon-pecan-pie-bars-easy-30-min-recipe/