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Best Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars: Easy Holiday Dessert

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These maple bourbon pecan pie bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, a gooey maple-bourbon filling, and crunchy pecans. They’re the perfect easy holiday dessert that tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (240ml) pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup (100g) brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (200g) pecan halves
  • Optional: flaky sea salt for finishing

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on the long sides.
  2. Make the shortbread crust: In a food processor, combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Pulse to mix. Add cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
  3. Press the crust into the pan: Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and press it evenly into the bottom. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it down. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Prepare the maple bourbon filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together maple syrup, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and well combined.
  5. Toast the pecans: Spread pecan halves on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop, leaving some halves whole.
  6. Assemble the bars: Sprinkle toasted pecans evenly over the warm shortbread crust. Pour the maple bourbon filling over the pecans, spreading evenly.
  7. Bake: Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The filling should be set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center.
  8. Cool completely: Let the bars cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. Once cool, use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan.
  9. Slice and serve: Use a sharp knife to cut into squares. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt right before serving.

Notes

Keep butter cold for the crust. Don’t over-bake the filling—it should be slightly jiggly in the center. Let bars cool completely before cutting. Use good quality bourbon for best flavor. Toast pecans for added depth. Bars taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: maple bourbon pecan pie bars, pecan pie bars, holiday dessert, easy pecan bars, maple bourbon dessert

Find it online: https://yumbelle.com/best-maple-bourbon-pecan-pie-bars-easy-holiday-dessert/