These Toffee Pecan Pie Bars are an amazing dessert that can be made whenever you crave something delicious. Adding English Toffee Bits makes these bars super delicious and decadent.
These pecan pie bars are part of my collection of bars you can find on my blog. Among many others, these Walnut and Rose Hip Jam Bars are worth a try, together with my Austrian Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars or Super Easy Lemon Bars.
And if the weather is cold and great for baking, try these Best Pumpkin Pie Bars With Pecan Crumble or Apricot Oat Bars Recipe. All these recipes are easy to make and ready to impress your family and friends.
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Why I like this recipe
No Corn Syrup: This recipe offers a version of pecan pie bars made without corn syrup. For those who prefer or need to avoid corn syrup due to dietary choices or concerns about processed sugars, this provides a healthier alternative while still delivering flavor and texture.
Tradition with a Twist: Pecan pie is a beloved classic, especially around holidays and family gatherings. Turning them into bars offers a fresh take on this traditional dessert.
Additional Flavors: My recipe introduces English toffee baking bits, which aren't standard in classic pecan pies but undoubtedly add extra depth and flavor.
Perfect for Sharing: Due to their bar form, they are much easier to serve and share than a traditional pie. Whether you're hosting a party, attending a potluck, or simply enjoying a family dinner, these bars can be portioned out effortlessly. They're also more portable and perfect for traveling with them.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour: This is the primary ingredient for the crust, giving structure to the bars. It's versatile and easily accessible.
If you are looking for gluten-free options, use gluten-free flour blends or almond flour.
Powdered sugar: Adds sweetness to the crust and ensures a smooth texture. You can replace it with granulated sugar.
Cold butter: Provides richness, moisture, and a flaky texture to the crust.
Sweetened condensed milk: This thick, sweet milk adds creaminess to the filling and acts as a binding agent. If you do not consume dairy, find a dairy-free sweetened condensed milk option.
Large egg: It acts as a binding agent in the filling, ensuring everything holds together. Don't skip it.
English Toffee Baking Bits: Introduces a sweet, buttery, and slightly crunchy element to the filling. If you don't have them, you can replace them with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or caramel bits.
Pecans: These nuts are the star of the bars, offering a rich, buttery, and slightly bitter flavor. However, you could use walnuts instead (for a similar texture and taste) or almonds (for a crunchier texture).
How to make these classic pecan pie bars
Step 1. Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350F. If you use a glass dish, the recipe tells you to preheat the oven to 325F instead. (pretty clever, right?)
Step 2. Make the crust. You can choose to make it in a food processor, which takes only a few seconds.
Place the flour, powdered sugar, and cold butter in the food processor and pulse a few times until you get a mixture that resembles coarse cornmeal.
OR, you can do this in a mixing bowl using your hands or a pastry tool.
Step 3. Place the mixture into a 9x13-inch baking pan and press it firmly on the bottom of the pan to create a smooth surface.
Bake for about 15 minutes.
While the crust is partially baking, make the filling.
Step 4. This is an easy process, as you just have to mix the condensed milk, egg, and vanilla and add the English Toffee Bits and the pecans.
Step 5. When the crust is baked, spread the filling over and return the pan to the oven for another 25 minutes.
Cool the pan completely before you cut the bars. You should have about 36 bars.
As you can see, there is not much to explain about this recipe because it is straightforward to put together. However, there are a few questions you might have.
Recipe faqs
Yes. To get a delicious flaky crust, you need to use very but very cold butter.
If you do not have a food processor or a pastry tool, work the dough with your hands really fast, and don't let your palms warm up the butter too much.
If you are going to do a lot of baking, it is best to keep unsalted butter on hand. I never bake with salted butter because I like to control the salt in my recipes.
This recipe doesn't require salt; therefore, I would say no, you need to use unsalted butter for the crust.
However, if you are in the middle of the jungle (just kidding) and the ONLY butter available is salty, then, yes, go ahead and use what you have.
You really want these bars.
If you find the bars too sweet, consider reducing the amount of powdered sugar in the crust slightly.
Expert Tip
Before pressing the crust into the baking pan, line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides.
This not only makes for easier cleanup but also allows you to lift out the entire slab of baked bars effortlessly once they're cooled.
Related: Try these Butterscotch Pecan Pie Bars for a different flavor.
How To Store These Bars
Room Temperature:
Before storing, ensure the bars have cooled to room temperature. Place them in an airtight container. If you choose to stack them, put some parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent sticking. Pecan Pie Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to two days.
In the refrigerator: Place them in an airtight container, and again, if you stack them, use parchment paper. the bars can be stored for up to one week.
In the freezer: I would slice the bars and freeze individually pieces so they don't stick together. The bars will keep their taste and texture for up to three months.
When you're ready to enjoy a bar, you can thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. If you like them cold, let them sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before you stick your teeth into them. 🙂
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📖 Recipe
Toffee Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup cold butter (2 sticks of butter), cut into small pieces
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk , one can
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 ounces English Toffee Baking Bits
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.(325F/160C- if you use a glass dish)
- In a medium mixing bowl combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse corn meal.(you can also do the same in a food processor, by pulsing the ingredients few times).
- Press the crust firmly on the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, beat condensed milk, egg and vanilla.
- Stir in English Toffee Baking Bits and pecans.
- Spread evenly over prepared crust.
- Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Chill thoroughly.
- Cut into bars and store covered in refrigerator.
Paul Fleckenstein says
Hi Gabriela,
I printed out this recipe from your site about 2 years ago, and have made the bars a few times - to rave reviews. Why are the butterscotch chips no longer part of the recipe? I thought they added a nice touch.
Gabriela says
Hi Paul,
Thank you so much for reaching out, and I'm thrilled to hear that you've enjoyed the pecan pie bars recipe in the past!
I recently revisited that recipe to simplify it and focus on certain flavors. While the butterscotch chips were indeed a tasty addition, I decided to remove them in favor of a more streamlined approach.
However, I completely understand your love for the butterscotch flavor, and I have good news! I've created a new recipe, Butterscotch Pecan Pie Bars, where the butterscotch chips shine as a star ingredient. I believe this new recipe captures better the combination of butterscotch and pecans that you enjoyed previously.
I hope you'll give it a try! However, if you decide to make the same recipe as you always made, try to replace half of the toffee bits with butterscotch chips.
Wishing you happy baking,
Sincerely,
Gabriela
Paul Fleckenstein says
Thank you Gabriela; that all sounds good. 👍