Description
Lazy Girl Pecan Pie Bars: Easy, comforting dessert with gooey pecan filling on a buttery crust. Perfect for quick crowd-pleasing treats!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (dark preferred for deeper flavor)
- ⅓ cup honey or corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Baking Pan Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift out the bars later. This will make your life so much easier when it’s time to cut and serve your **Lazy Girl Pecan Pie Bars**.
- Step 2: Make the Shortbread Crust In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Don’t worry about getting it perfectly smooth—those little butter pockets will create wonderful flakiness! Press this mixture firmly and evenly into your prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the edges are just beginning to turn golden.
- Step 3: Prepare the Pecan Filling While the crust bakes, make your filling. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey (or corn syrup), and heavy cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once boiling, let it bubble for exactly one minute without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and chopped pecans, making sure every piece gets coated in that glorious caramel mixture.
- Step 4: Combine and Bake Pour the hot pecan mixture over the baked crust, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and set in the center. You’ll know it’s done when the filling no longer jiggles when you gently shake the pan.
- Step 5: Cool and Cut This is the hardest part – waiting! Allow the **Lazy Girl Pecan Pie Bars** to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (about 2 hours). For the cleanest cuts, refrigerate for an additional 2 hours before lifting out using the parchment overhang. Cut into squares or rectangles with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for pristine edges.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg