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Best Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars (Easy 30-Min Recipe)

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These Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars are the perfect balance of buttery, nutty, sweet, and boozy, all packed into a neat, shareable square. With a 30-minute prep time and simple ingredients, they are the ultimate crowd-pleaser for fall gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup bourbon
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ cups pecan halves or pieces (toasted)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with a long sheet of parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on the two long sides. Lightly grease the parchment and the exposed sides of the pan.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. Scatter the cold, cubed butter over the flour mixture. Pulse in 1-second bursts until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Dump the mixture into your prepared pan and press it firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are just lightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the ½ cup butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and bourbon. Stir occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Bring it to a gentle simmer and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly and looks glossy. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
  4. In a separate small bowl, whisk the two eggs and the vanilla extract together until frothy. Slowly drizzle about ¼ cup of the warm syrup mixture into the eggs while whisking constantly. Then, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining syrup and whisk until completely combined. Stir in the salt.
  5. Sprinkle the toasted pecan halves evenly over the pre-baked crust. Pour the warm filling evenly over the pecans. Give the pan a gentle tap on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 22-28 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is just slightly jiggly. If the top is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
  6. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the bars cool completely at room temperature, at least 2 hours. For the cleanest slices, refrigerate them for another hour after they reach room temperature. Once fully chilled, use the parchment overhang to lift the entire slab out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice into squares, wiping the blade clean between cuts.

Notes

Don’t overwork the crust; pulse until sandy. Toast pecans for deeper flavor. Simmer filling gently to prevent graininess. Cool completely before slicing for clean squares. For gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend. For bourbon-free, substitute with strong brewed coffee or apple cider.

Nutrition

Keywords: pecan pie bars, maple bourbon, easy dessert, fall dessert, Thanksgiving dessert, shortbread crust, pecan bars

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