Print

Best Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars Recipe

maple bourbon pecan pie bars - featured image
Print Recipe

These maple bourbon pecan pie bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, a gooey maple bourbon filling, and toasted pecans. They’re quick to make, perfect for entertaining, and even better the next day.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup pure maple syrup (Grade A dark amber preferred)
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon (e.g., Bulleit or Maker’s Mark)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups pecan halves, toasted and roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two opposite sides. Lightly grease the parchment.
  2. Make the shortbread crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add cold cubed butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla until dough just comes together.
  3. Press crust mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes until edges are lightly golden and center is set. Do not overbake.
  4. While crust bakes, prepare filling: In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, bourbon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour and ¼ teaspoon salt until no lumps remain.
  5. Toast pecans: Spread pecan halves on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes until fragrant and slightly darkened. Cool slightly, then roughly chop.
  6. Assemble: Sprinkle chopped toasted pecans evenly over the hot crust. Slowly pour the maple bourbon filling over the pecans.
  7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until filling is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center. Tent with foil after 20 minutes if top browns too quickly.
  8. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. For cleanest slices, refrigerate for 1 hour before cutting.
  9. Use parchment overhang to lift bars out of the pan. Cut into squares with a sharp knife, wiping blade clean between cuts.

Notes

Use cold butter for the crust. Don’t overmix the filling. Toast pecans for best flavor. Let bars cool completely before slicing; refrigerating helps. Bars taste even better the next day. For a non-alcoholic version, substitute bourbon with 1 tablespoon vanilla extract mixed with 1 tablespoon water, or use apple juice concentrate.

Nutrition

Keywords: maple bourbon pecan pie bars, pecan pie bars, maple bourbon dessert, Thanksgiving dessert, Christmas cookies, shortbread crust, bourbon pecan bars

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