Description
Joanna Gaines’ Pecan Bars are a deliciously rich and buttery dessert featuring a flaky shortbread crust topped with a sweet, gooey pecan filling. Perfect for any occasion, these bars combine crunchy pecans with a luscious caramel-like topping for a classic Southern treat that’s easy to make and sure to impress.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- Cooking spray or melted butter (for greasing)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Filling
- 3/4 cup dark or light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan generously with cooking spray or melted butter to prevent sticking.
- Make the crust: In a stand mixer, cream together the room temperature butter, granulated sugar, and kosher salt until the mixture is pale in color and fluffy in texture. Gradually add 1 cup of all-purpose flour and mix until the dough becomes crumbly.
- Bake the crust: Press the crumbly dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 22 minutes, or until the crust turns a golden brown color.
- Prepare the filling: While the crust bakes, whisk together the corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons of flour, vanilla extract, and kosher salt in a bowl until fully combined and smooth. Gently fold in the pecan pieces to evenly distribute them throughout the filling.
- Add filling and bake: Once the crust is done baking, carefully pour the pecan filling mixture over the hot crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is set and the top is golden brown.
- Cool and slice: Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan, which helps the filling to firm up. Once cooled, slice the dessert into squares and serve.
Notes
- For best results, let the bars cool fully before slicing to ensure clean cuts and proper set filling.
- You can use light or dark corn syrup and brown sugar depending on your preferred sweetness and flavor depth.
- Chopping pecans coarsely will give a nice texture contrast, but you can finely chop if desired.
- Store pecan bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- These bars can be served as a dessert or snack and pair wonderfully with coffee or tea.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 52 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Joanna Gaines, pecan bars, pecan dessert, baking, Southern dessert, pecan recipe, buttery crust, sweet filling
