Mouthwatering Honey Pecan Pie Bars

Here is my favorite honey pecan pie bars recipe, with a simple buttery shortbread crust and a rich, gooey filling packed with toasted pecans and golden honey.

These pecan pie bars are always a hit at potlucks and family gatherings. They’re so much easier to serve than regular pecan pie, and you get that same sweet, nutty flavor in every bite. Plus, they travel well and look great on a dessert table.

What Kind of Pecans Should I Use?

For these honey pecan pie bars, you’ll want to use fresh pecans rather than ones that have been sitting in your pantry for months. Fresh pecans have a sweet, buttery flavor that really shines in this recipe, while older nuts can taste stale or even slightly bitter. You can buy them already chopped, but I recommend getting pecan halves and chopping them yourself for the best texture and freshness. When chopping, aim for coarse pieces about the size of small pebbles – you want some nice chunky bits to give your bars a satisfying crunch. If you can only find pre-chopped pecans, just give them a quick taste test to make sure they’re still good before using them.

Options for Substitutions

These pecan pie bars are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here’s what you can do:

• Pecans: While pecans are classic for this recipe, you can substitute with walnuts, almonds, or even a mix of nuts. Just keep the same amount and chop them to similar size pieces.
• Honey: If you’re out of honey, maple syrup or corn syrup work well as replacements. The bars will have a slightly different flavor but will still be delicious.
• Half and half or heavy cream: Don’t have either on hand? Whole milk will work fine, or you can even use 2% milk – just expect the filling to be slightly less rich.
• Brown sugar: You can swap brown sugar for white sugar in both the crust and filling, though you’ll lose some of that molasses flavor. If using white sugar, add an extra pinch of vanilla.
• All-purpose flour: This is one ingredient I wouldn’t mess with too much – the flour creates the proper crust structure. Stick with all-purpose for best results.
• Unsalted butter: Salted butter works fine, just reduce the added salt in the crust by half to avoid over-salting the bars.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake with pecan pie bars is underbaking the crust, which leads to a soggy bottom layer – make sure to prebake your shortbread base until it’s lightly golden around the edges before adding the pecan topping.

Another common error is overcooking the honey filling, which can make it hard and chewy instead of gooey, so keep the heat at medium-low when making your caramel-like mixture and remove it from heat as soon as it starts bubbling.

Don’t skip lining your pan with parchment paper and leaving some overhang, as this makes removing the bars so much easier once they’ve cooled completely.

Finally, resist the urge to cut these bars while they’re still warm – let them cool for at least 2 hours so the filling can set properly, otherwise you’ll end up with a sticky mess instead of clean, neat squares.

What to Serve With Honey Pecan Pie Bars?

These sweet and nutty bars are perfect on their own, but they really shine when paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream. The cool, creamy texture is a nice contrast to the rich honey and pecan flavors. I love serving them with a hot cup of coffee or black tea, especially in the fall when the weather starts getting cooler. For special occasions, try drizzling a little extra honey on top or serving alongside some fresh berries to balance out all that sweetness.

Storage Instructions

Store: These honey pecan pie bars keep really well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. I like to cut them into squares and layer them between parchment paper so they don’t stick together. The honey helps keep them moist and chewy for days!

Refrigerate: If you want them to last even longer, pop them in the fridge where they’ll stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. They actually taste great cold too – the texture becomes a bit firmer and the flavors really come together nicely.

Freeze: You can freeze these bars for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers. When you’re ready to eat them, just thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes. They taste almost as good as fresh!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2100-2300
• Protein: 14-18 g
• Fat: 130-140 g
• Carbohydrates: 250-270 g

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup plain all-purpose flour

For the pecan filling:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tbsp half-and-half or heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans

Step 1: Prepare the Baking Pan and Preheat Oven

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with aluminum foil, making sure to leave some overhang for easy removal later.

Lightly grease the foil with butter or non-stick cooking spray to prevent the bars from sticking.

Step 2: Make the Shortbread Crust

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup plain all-purpose flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, cream together the room-temperature butter and packed brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add in the salt and flour, and mix until the dough becomes crumbly.

I like to use my hands at the end to ensure the mixture is evenly combined, but don’t overwork it.

Step 3: Bake the Shortbread Crust

• shortbread dough from Step 2

Press the crumbly shortbread mixture evenly into the prepared pan, pressing it down gently with your fingertips or the back of a measuring cup.

Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until it looks set but not browned.

Step 4: Prepare the Pecan Caramel Filling

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tbsp half-and-half or heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans

While the crust is baking, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, and half-and-half (or heavy cream) in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Stir constantly as the mixture comes to a simmer, then let it simmer for one minute.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and chopped pecans.

For extra flavor, I sometimes toast the pecans lightly before adding them to the filling.

Step 5: Assemble and Bake the Bars

• baked shortbread crust from Step 3
• pecan caramel filling from Step 4

Once the crust has finished baking, remove it from the oven and pour the hot pecan caramel filling evenly over the crust.

Use a spatula to spread the filling to the corners.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, until the filling is bubbling.

Step 6: Cool and Slice the Bars

Carefully remove the pan from the oven (the filling will still be boiling) and place it on a wire rack.

Allow the bars to cool completely to set the filling.

Once fully cooled, use the foil overhang to lift the bars out of the pan.

Cut into desired sized pieces and enjoy.

I recommend letting them chill in the fridge for even cleaner cuts.

Mouthwatering Honey Pecan Pie Bars

Delicious Mouthwatering Honey Pecan Pie Bars recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 17 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 52 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Calories: 2200

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the crust:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup plain all-purpose flour

For the pecan filling:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tbsp half-and-half or heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8 inch baking dish with aluminum foil, making sure to leave some overhang for easy removal later. Lightly grease the foil with butter or non-stick cooking spray to prevent the bars from sticking.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, cream together the room-temperature butter and packed brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the salt and flour, and mix until the dough becomes crumbly. I like to use my hands at the end to ensure the mixture is evenly combined, but don't overwork it.
3. Press the crumbly shortbread mixture evenly into the prepared pan, pressing it down gently with your fingertips or the back of a measuring cup. Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until it looks set but not browned.
4. While the crust is baking, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, and half-and-half (or heavy cream) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly as the mixture comes to a simmer, then let it simmer for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and chopped pecans. For extra flavor, I sometimes toast the pecans lightly before adding them to the filling.
5. Once the crust has finished baking, remove it from the oven and pour the hot pecan caramel filling evenly over the crust. Use a spatula to spread the filling to the corners. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, until the filling is bubbling.
6. Carefully remove the pan from the oven (the filling will still be boiling) and place it on a wire rack. Allow the bars to cool completely to set the filling. Once fully cooled, use the foil overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into desired sized pieces and enjoy. I recommend letting them chill in the fridge for even cleaner cuts.