Easy Caramel Pecan Bars, luxurious caramel and pecan topping on a buttery shortbread cookie base. Like a pecan pie in cookie form! A really easy recipe too.
Anyone who loves caramel and pecans will be in heaven when you take a bite of one of these bars!
These are absolutely perfect for making over the Thanksgiving and Christmas period.
They'll keep fresh in an air-tight container for a week or so, (if they manage to last that long of course!), and are ideal for making as gifts, or to serve when you have friends and family over to visit during the holidays.
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For this recipe, we've kept it really simple, and these pecan bars are made up of 2 layers.
The bottom layer is a lovely buttery shortbread cookie base which you'll need to precook to get it crispy, and then the next layer is made up of sticky caramel and pecan nuts.
We've cut these into 12 squares, but you can cut them smaller or larger, to suit.
If you love pecan pies, then think of these bars as tasting very similar to a pecan pie but in cookie form! these are very sweet, obviously, the caramel is very rich, so if you decide to cut these into small squares, say to fit in a gift jar for a Christmas present, they will still satisfy whoever eats them! Think of them as Pecan Caramel mini bites!
Recipe Adapted from Gourmet 1999 and made by Jeanette Hanson-Parker
Prep Time
20-30 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Yield
Makes a 9-inch square pan, cut the bars to a size that suits. (we made 12 bars / squares)
Ingredients
For crust:
1 cup or 225 g unsalted butter, room temperature
⅔ cup or 130 g brown sugar
2 ⅔ cups or 330 g all-purpose / plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
For topping:
½ cup or 110 g unsalted butter
1 cup or 200 g light brown sugar
⅓ cup or 110 g honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups or 290 g chopped pecans
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, 180 C, and line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with kitchen foil or parchment, making the sides bigger so you can use the edges to lift it out later.
The crust
2. Add the flour, salt, butter, and brown sugar to a mixer and pulse until crumbs
3 . Add the crust mixture to the pan
and press down, make it firm, and then place in the oven for 20 minutes.
The filling
4. In a saucepan, add the butter, honey, brown sugar, and heavy cream, and stir over medium heat. Allow the mixture to gently simmer for about 1 minute, then add the chopped pecans and combine.
5. Remove the crust from the oven and whilst it is still hot, pour the pecan filling all over the hot crust spreading evenly so the whole surface is covered.
6. Place the pan in the oven bake for an extra 20 minutes.
7. When done, let the Caramel Pecan bars completely cool before trying to cut them.
When cold, lift it out of the tray and slice to your desired size.
Recipe Card
Caramel Pecan Bars
Easy Caramel Pecan Bars, luxurious caramel and pecan topping on a buttery shortbread cookie base.Like a pecan pie in cookie form! A really easy recipe too.
Ingredients
For crust:
- 1 cup or 225 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup or 130 g brown sugar
- 2 ⅔ cups or 330 g all-purpose / plain flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
For topping:
- ½ cup or 110 g unsalted butter
- 1 cup or 200 g light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup or 110 g honey
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 cups or 290 g chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C / gas 4 and line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with kitchen foil, making the sides bigger so you can use the edges to lift it out later.
The crust
- Add the flour, salt, butter, and brown sugar to a mixer and pulse until crumbs
- Add the crust mixture to the pan and press down, make it firm and then place in the oven for 20 minutes.
The filling
- In a saucepan, add the butter, honey, brown sugar, and heavy cream, and stir over medium heat. Allow the mixture to gently simmer for about 1 minute, then add the chopped pecans and combine.
- Remove the crust from the oven and whilst it is still hot, pour the pecan filling all over the hot crust spreading evenly so the whole surface is covered.
- Place the pan in the oven bake for an extra 20 minutes.
- When done, let the Caramel Pecan bars completely cool before trying to cut them.
- When cold, lift it out of the tray and slice to your desired size.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 608Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 100mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 3gSugar: 35gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
Delicious Sweet Snacks
Here's a selection of delicious sweet snacks, ideal for Thanksgiving and Christmas time
Toffee Nut Bars. Easy to make and of course DELICIOUS! This is a real age - old family favorite with delicious coconut and black walnuts, what a great combo!
Peanut Butter Rice Cereal Treats are delicious, easy no bake snacks, using just 4 ingredients, flavored with peanut butter and chewy marshmallows and crunchy rice cereal.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Tiffin is a delicious American twist on the classic British Tiffin chocolate snack, made up of peanut butter, jelly, crushed cookies, chocolate and raisins. An easy no bake sweet chocolate bar recipe.
Mini Almond Pastries.
These Mini Almond Pastries have a deliciously smooth, sweet, almond paste filling and are wrapped in crispy, light puff pastry. Quick and easy to make, and perfect for a tea time treat.
Scotcheroos, an easy no-bake cereal bar similar to rice krispie treats. Peanut butter, chocolate & butterscotch with a chocolate butterscotch topping. A chewy, soft, and crispy treat
Easy Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmier Cookies, AKA Elephant Ears. These are a very easy to make crispy puff pastry cookie, filled with sesame seeds and brown sugar. Great for the holidays!
Walnut Butter Cookies.
These walnut butter cookies are similar to French Sable cookies, crumbly, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth little cookies. Delicious served beside your morning tea or coffee.
Famous New Orleans Pecan Pralines. A great Southern, New Orleans institution! Delicious buttery brown sugar candy type cookie in one, made of pecans, butter, sugar, and milk. Great for Christmas time too!
Alfajores De Maicena, delicious melt-in-the-mouth buttery shortbread cookies from Argentina, made with cornstarch and filled with Dulce de Leche then rolled in coconut.
Easy English Tiffin is a delicious no-bake British colonial recipe, made of chocolate, crushed cookies, syrup, and raisins, often served at English afternoon tea.
Baklava is a Middle Eastern classic sweet treat, filled with a variety of nuts, honey, citrus, and spices, between layers of crunchy phyllo pastry. Ideal for serving at parties, or to have as a snack. An easy and simple recipe for the best baklava!
Delicious Apple Crumble Bars. These are absolutely out of this world! Chunks of apple filling on a lovely shortbread base and topped off with a delicious crumble. Really easy recipe too!
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Bars. These are so addictive! Easy to make and always popular! Flexible
so you can use your favorite chocolate, like milk, dark, white and also use whatever nuts you love!
Apple and Cranberry Crescent Roll Cream Cheese Bars. An incredibly easy recipe with fantastic flavors!
Nanny's Chocolate Nut Fudge. A tried and true family recipe and great for gifts! Use a cookie cutter to make pretty shapes too!
Peanut Butter and Coconut Oat Bites are tasty snacks, packed with peanut butter, coconut, oats, cookies and walnuts! Really easy to make using regular pantry ingredients.
Easy Caramel Snack Mix, a variety of cereals, dried fruits and nuts, coated in delicious caramel then baked until perfectly golden. Great for parties, gift packages and holidays! Freezer friendly and stores well.
Easy Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge, a simple recipe to make the best ever fudge, using pantry ingredients. Great for gifts and parties over the holiday season.
Caramel Flavored recipes
Here's a selection of lovely Caramel cakes and pies for you to enjoy
Pecan Cake WIth Salted Caramel Frosting is an easy recipe giving you a soft, fluffy cake and a creamy frosting, perfect for any celebration!
Salted Caramel Celebration Cake is perfect for a party. Homemade layers of soft caramel cake and layers of salted caramel frosting then topped with chocolate covered pretzels and salted caramel popcorn.
Alfajores De Maicena, delicious melt-in-the-mouth buttery shortbread cookies from Argentina, made with cornstarch and filled with Dulce de Leche then rolled in coconut.
Caramel Pecan Banana Pie. A delicious pecan pie crust, filled with bananas and topped with caramel sauce. Perfect for the holidays or to take to parties!
Caramel Pear Cornbread Muffins, easy to make and so delicious!
Caramel and Apple Loaf .... ABSOLUTELY Delicious!
Mini Caramel Cakes Soft and moist and oh so delicious!
Caramel Banana Bread. Add nuts like I did or leave them out. Either way it's delicious!
No-Bake Caramel and Marshmallow Cheesecake. Incredibly easy no-bake dessert, filled with mini marshmallows and laced with caramel on a crunchy cookie base. A Perfect chilled dessert and quick to make
Chocolate Caramel Fudge Sheet Cake. It's a very easy cake, filled with delicious caramel, fudge, and sprinkled on top with toffee and chocolate bits. Great for parties and celebrations!
Old fashioned Oatmeal Cake with Caramel Icing A wonderful moist, fluffy, soft sheet cake, using oats and apple sauce. Tastes like carrot cake! Easy homemade recipe and a family favorite.
White Chocolate Salted Caramel Cheesecake is a delicious baked cheesecake, rich and creamy with a white chocolate filling and a salted caramel topping. Easy to make.
Elnie
says:looks yummie!
elnienesia.blogspot.com
lovefoodies
says:Thanks Elnie, they are! Please do try them soon!
Jill Johnson
says::)