The Ultimate Pick-Up Bar ~ Perfect for the Holidays!
A press-in shortbread crust with a pour-on-top filling enriched with a crunchy pecan topping. Delish!
These bars have it all! Quicker to bake than pecan pie with a high, creamy rich filling that’s sweet, but not cloyingly sweet.
The Secret Ingredient: Lyle’s Golden Syrup from England. Typically sold in a beautiful green and gold can, some shops sell it in an easy plastic bottle.
It seems like all pecan pie/bar recipes call for corn syrup. So try Lyle’s instead – a pure, clean taste with all natural ingredients (no GMOs!)
I also add a little pure maple syrup in the recipe – I love the flavor it lends to the bar’s filling.
- My bars have a buttery shortbread press-in crust which is simple to make – you partially bake it. Add an extended sheet of parchment paper on the bottom for easy cutting.
- The filling is made on the stovetop; Lyle’s Golden Syrup, Coconut Palm Sugar, Butter and Maple Syrup are combined and warmed until the sugar has dissolved. Beat in Eggs, Vanilla, Sea Salt and Flour, then Pecan Pieces and pour over the partially baked crust.
- Bake until set, cool then cut into even squares. You’ll have about 28 of them.
- These bars freeze very well!! Wrap well, then add to a container with a tight seal.
- Golden syrup or light treacle is a thick amber-colored sugar syrup – not to be confused with corn syrup. Find it at better grocers, or online. I would substitute only a non GMO dark corn syrup.
- I do not use corn syrup, unless it has been non GMO certified.
- You can find Wholesome brand corn syrup in better grocers, but at a high price tag, I use Lyle’s Golden Syrup, made without a corn product – all natural, with no preservatives.
A Little History:
Since 1881 Abraham Lyle built a sugar refinery on the Thames in East London, and as part of the cane sugar refining he produces a rich golden and smooth treacly syrup. Calling it “goldie” he starts selling it from wooden casks.
Recognized by Guinness Wold Records as having the world’s oldest branding and packaging.
Also See: 2024 Holiday Cookies and Desserts that are Crave Worthy!
Enjoy!
Karen
Pecan Pie Bars (with a Secret Ingredient)
Equipment
- 1 9" x 13" pan
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust:
- 1 3/4 cups flour, (can use gluten free flour blend)
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (12 tablespoons), cold, I use organic
- 1/3 cup pure cane sugar, I use organic
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pecan Filling:
- 1 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup*, (not the same but can use organic dark corn syrup)
- 1 cup coconut palm sugar, organic (can use light brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, I use organic
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons flour, (can use gluten free flour blend)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature, I use pasture raised
- 2 cups pecans, medium chop
Instructions
Shortbread Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Add a piece of parchment paper to a 13" x 9" pan, lightly grease bottom and sides.
- Add flour, sugar and sea salt in a medium sized bowl. Add butter in tablespoons and cut with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Bring together the dough quickly with your hands and add to the prepared pan. Bake until lightly golden 22 – 25 minutes.
- In a medium sized saucepan, add golden syrup, coconut palm sugar, butter and maple syrup. Heat, stirring to dissolve sugar – when bubbles, take off heat. Add sea salt and vanilla. Let stand 10 minutes.
- Beat eggs in a small bowl. Add 1/4 of the eggs to the saucepan, mix with a wire whisk. Then, add remaining eggs and flour, mix until emulsified. Add chopped pecans; mix in.Pour over the partially baked crust. Bake for 26 – 28 minutes until set.
- Cool the bars well, cut into even sized squares. HINT: For perfect squares, freeze the cooled bars in the pan until firm, but not too hard. Take out of the pan to a cutting board; cut into squares.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made these bars last year for Thanksgiving and all gobbled them up. Quite simple to make with great flavor, maybe the maple syrup? I did find the lyle syrup and really like it, better than corn syrup. Easy to make, now a staple when I bake.
I really liked these bars. My pecan pie never comes out great, so I tried this recipe. Learned about this syrup and much better quality than corn syrup I have used. The bars took some time, although the shortbread crust was easy to make, and I have now used it for other bars.
Everyone gobbled them up, and leftovers went in the freezer. Surprisingly they defrosted well. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I have made them twice already.