Maple Pecan Pie Bars

I am so obsessed with maple syrup, I absolutely adore the stuff. I mean obviously it's sweet and delicious, but it's origin also fascinates me because it comes out of a tree! Maple syrup is primarily produced in Quebec, Canada and what they do is drain the sap from the tree then reduce it to a syrup, so it involves very little processing to create this gorgeous golden liquid. I just knew I had to use it in these Maple Pecan Pie Bars!

They have a buttery shortbread base, and are topped with a gooey maple caramel, plenty of pecans and a sprinkle of salt. Another great thing about maple syrup is that although it's a type of sugar, it much better for you than refined sugars as it is a natural product, has higher levels of antioxidants than other sugars and contains more minerals too like zinc and manganese!

How to make Maple Pecan Pie Bars

To make the shortbread base, mix together sugar and butter, then add vanilla extract and plain flour until a dough forms.

Press it into a lined square baking tin and baked it for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, add the maple syrup, light brown sugar and butter into a pan and melt them together.

Boil the mixture for 3 minutes, then very slowy, whisking as you pour, add the eggs and milk to the maple syrup mixture. Then stir in the vanilla and pecans.

Pour the topping over the cooked base and put it back in the oven for 30 minutes. Let it cool fully, then chill it in the fridge before slicing.

Tips for making the Maple Pecan Pie Bars:

• It is much easier to cut the bars when they've been chilled in the fridge as it sets the filling better. I recommend using a serrated knife to cut through the nutty topping using a gentle sawing action.
• If you don't have golden caster sugar for the biscuit base, you can use regular white caster sugar instead.
• The salt on top is optional, but trust me it adds such a great flavour dimension! Very similar to salted caramel!!
• I've never tried this with other nuts but I'm sure it would work well with walnuts, almond and hazelnuts.

Recommended equipment & ingredients*

• 8" Square tin
• Mixing bowls
• Cooling rack
• Maple syrup
• Kitchen scales

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More pecan recipes...

Maple Pecan Pie Bars

Shortbread base with a maple pecan topping

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dessert

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings: 16

Author: thebakingexplorer

Ingredients

For the shortbread base

• 80 g Golden caster sugar
• 200 g Butter
• 225 g Plain flour
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

For the maple pecan topping

• 100 g Maple syrup
• 125 g Light brown sugar
• 80 g Butter
• 2 Eggs large
• 1 tbsp Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 250 g Chopped pecans
• 1 tsp Coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, line a 8" square tin with greaseproof paper. I grease the tin first with a little butter to help the paper stick to it
• To make the shortbread biscuit base mix the golden caster sugar and butter together into a bowl until creamy, using a spoon, or an electric mixer if you have one
• Add the plain flour and vanilla, and mix in
• Tip the mixture into the tin and press it down with your fingers until compact and even
• Bake the shortbread biscuit base for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden
• For the topping, put the maple syrup, light brown sugar and butter into a pan and melt them together on a low heat
• Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 3 minutes - stirring constantly - then remove from the heat
• In a bowl whisk the eggs, vanilla and milk together
• Add the egg mixture to the maple syrup mixture very slowly, add a little bit and whisk as you add it
• Then stir in the chopped pecans
• Pour the topping over the cooked base and put it back in the over for 30 minutes
• Let it cool fully before removing from the tin and cutting into squares, I also highly recommend chilling it in the fridge to make it easier to cut
• Store in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 3 days

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Nutrition

Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 477IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

If you like this, check out more of my Traybake recipes!