Cozy Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars – Easy Holiday Dessert
These rich, comforting bars feature a buttery shortbread crust and a gooey maple-bourbon pecan filling. Perfect for holiday gatherings, they come together in under an hour and taste like a warm hug on a cold November afternoon.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (220g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes (170g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup (180ml)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (100g)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (60g)
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (30ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups pecan halves (200g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 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.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter cubes. Using a pastry cutter or fingertips, work butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized butter pieces. Press evenly into prepared pan. Bake 18-20 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup, brown sugar, and melted butter until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in bourbon and vanilla extract. Fold in pecans and salt.
- Pour filling over pre-baked crust. Spread evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 2 hours).
- Use parchment overhang to lift slab onto a cutting board. Cut into 24 bars (about 2×2 inches each) with a sharp knife, wiping clean between cuts.
Notes
Chill butter for crust in freezer 10 minutes before starting. Don’t over-bake; center should be slightly jiggly. Toast pecans at 350°F for 5-7 minutes for deeper flavor. Let bars cool completely before slicing to avoid crumbling. For neat cuts, chill bars 30 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 14
- Sodium: 85
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 23
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
Keywords: pecan pie bars, maple bourbon, holiday dessert, Thanksgiving, Christmas, shortbread crust, easy dessert