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Maple Pecan Bars

These Maple Pecan Bars have a buttery brown sugar shortbread crust topped with a gooey maple pecan filling made with real maple syrup. They're everything you love about pecan pie in an easy-to-slice bar—sweet, buttery, nutty, and just begging for a tiny sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Yield: 16 bars Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 35–40 minutes Cooling Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes–1 hour 55 minutes Category: Dessert Method: Baking
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • For the Crust
  • 1 cup 226 g unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup 110 g packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups 240 g all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • For the Maple Pecan Filling
  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup 110 g packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons 15 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • For Serving Optional
  • Flaky sea salt

Method
 

  1. Prepare the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
  2. Make the crust. In a medium bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt until the mixture resembles crumbly cookie dough.
  3. Press the crust mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. We're going for firm handshake here, not death grip.
  4. Bake the crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to turn lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool slightly while you prepare the filling. Keep the oven set to 350°F.
  5. Make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt until smooth and well combined.
  6. Whisk in the flour until no lumps remain. Fold in the chopped pecans.
  7. Assemble the bars. Pour the maple pecan filling over the warm crust and spread the pecans evenly over the surface.
  8. Bake. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 20–25 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has just a slight jiggle.
  9. Cool. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the bars to cool completely, about 1 hour. Don't rush this part! The filling needs time to set or you'll have delicious—but mildly tragic—pecan lava.
  10. Slice and serve. Once completely cooled, use the parchment overhang to lift the bars from the pan. Cut into 16 squares and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.

Notes

Use real maple syrup: This is one of those times when pure maple syrup really matters. Pancake syrup won't give the filling the same maple flavor or consistency.
Toast the pecans: Toasting the pecans isn't required, but it's worth the extra few minutes. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 5–7 minutes, or until fragrant. Keep an eye on them because nuts can go from beautifully toasted to tiny charcoal nuggets surprisingly quickly.
For clean slices: Let the bars cool completely before cutting. For especially tidy squares, you can chill them briefly before slicing and wipe your knife clean between cuts.
Storage: Store the bars covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Freezing: These bars freeze well. Once completely cooled, wrap individual bars tightly and place them in a freezer-safe container. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Sharing: Technically possible. Entirely optional.