Pecan pie bars made without corn syrup! Use maple syrup to make these delicious gooey pecan pie bars that are so much easier than pie in an 8x8 pan.
I partnered with ALDI to bring you these pecan pie bars.
Pecan Pie Bars
If you’ve been around here a while, you’ll know that my husband and I moved frequently our first few years of being married. Four states in 6 years, to be exact. And each time we moved, before we even started looking for a house to live in, I would check out the local grocery store options.
Having a great quality grocery store near me is really important! Not only do my husband and I both love to cook, but I’ve been running this blog for over 9 years now. I go through many, many bags of flour and sugar in a month.
Over the years, I’ve determined that ALDI is the best place to shop for high-quality ingredients with great prices. Since the holidays are coming up, I’ve been stocking up on baking ingredients. I have a long list of recipes that we make each year to celebrate baking season, I mean holiday season, heh.
For Thanksgiving, it’s all about pumpkin and pecans in our house. My dad usually makes the pecan pies and the turkeys, while my Mom makes the pumpkin pies and all of the side dishes. Normally, I make a few things to bring, but considering I have a newborn baby, I get this year off. However, my husband and I decided we just couldn’t wait until Turkey Day to have a slice of pecan pie.
Pecan pie made without corn syrup:
Enter these pecan pie bars, with their pecan shortbread cookie crust and gooey pecan pie filling. Don’t tell my dad, but I just might like these more than pecan pie because of the cookie crust! Plus, the pecan shortbread crust is so easy—no rolling required! Just press the crust into the pan with your fingers and press it up the sides to hold the pecan pie filling.
These pecan pie bars have a double hit of pecans: not only are they in the custard filling, floating on the top with their gorgeous crispiness, but they’re also ground up in the crust! If you’re a fan of those pecan sandies cookies, you are going to love this recipe!
While most pecan pie recipes call for corn syrup, I’m using maple syrup today. The flavors of toasted pecans, brown sugar and a hefty pinch of salt in the filling means that you won’t exactly taste the maple syrup. I don’t have anything against corn syrup, it’s vital in so many recipes, but I do love using maple syrup because I always have it on hand.
Pie bars in an 8x8" pan:
I love that this recipe makes just an 8x8” pan of bars. It’s enough bars to share (you’ll get about 9 large bakery-size bars), but it’s not a giant 9x13” pan of treats with tons of leftovers. I also love that the shortbread cookie crust comes together in the food processor. The food processor takes all of the guess-work out of knowing when your crust is ready—when it clumps together into a ball, it’s ready to be pressed into the pan.
This recipe calls for toasted pecans; to do this, place them on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven and toast until fragrant, stirring every 5 minutes or so. It should take 10-15 minutes. You will be rewarded with unbelievable toasted pecan flavor in your final pecan pie bars.
I hope these pecan pie bars grace your table before the big day, and throughout the holiday season. Maybe I’ll see you in the baking aisle at ALDI :)
Pecan pie bars made with maple syrup, no corn syrup here! I really recommend pecan halves, not pieces for this recipe. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 512Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 2gSugar: 44gProtein: 5g
Patricia Harris says
Even better with 1/2 cup chocolate chips added to the pecan filling!
Christina Lane says
That sounds delicious! :)
Kirsti says
I was looking for a recipe like this (smaller, no corn syrup, not as sweet, easier crust) so I can’t wait to give this a try!
HK Cheung says
Halved this to make it in a loaf pan for a smaller batch. Love it! Next time I may add a bit cinnamon onto the custard portion as well.
Gabriela says
In my country you do not find maple syrup. Can I replace it with honey?
Christina Lane says
Yes, but it will impart flavor. Honey typically has a floral flavor. Try golden syrup or dark corn syrup.
Scarlet says
These pecan bars sounds so good and they will be perfect for holiday potluck parties. Thanks for the fabulous recipe.
Zilla says
I made these for Thanksgiving with no changes to the recipe and they were DEVOURED. I gave your URL to 3 people so they can appreciate your genius. These were so easy and delicious, although I did get a little nervous by how much my crust had puffed up by that 15 minute mark!
Thank you for yet another recipe that will be in my standard repertoire.
Tessa says
I made these tonight, they are so good and perfect for fall!
Allie says
I've made these a number of times and they are always a hit. I add 3/4 of chocolate chips and they are eaten up super fast. So scrumptious and the crust is just my favorite. We like them very cooled off or in the fridge. Thank you so much for this brilliant recipe!
Bebe says
Not sure what I did wrong but the base was more like a cake texture instead of a crunchy shortbread. Should I have baked the crust longer? The filling seemed to have seeped in. The flavor was great though and would like to try it again. Any advice is appreciated by this novice baker.
Christina Lane says
Oh I don't think the crust was supposed to be crisp...soft, chewy and like the inside of a pecan pie.
scott sproat says
can i eliminate both sugars in this recipe? i have to watch my sugar