The Unlikely Baker

Easy and Delicious Recipes for the Home Baker!

Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust

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Bourbon pecan pie bars – your favourite pecan pie bite-sized! Enjoy the sweet, boozy, delicious flavours of pecan pie minus all the challenges of making one.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars

It’s November and the holiday baking season is in full swing. Technically however, the baking frenzy at our house started early because Canadian Thanksgiving happens in October (lots of people are surprised to know this!).

American Thanksgiving is coming up though and to celebrate with my American friends, from now until then I will share some amazing desserts that are not only delicious but also a breeze to make.

Let’s start with these bourbon pecan pie bars. The name says it all – boozy, sweet, nutty (i.e. tasting like nuts and not insane…though, can also mean insanely good)! And you can make them quicker than you can say pie.

Shortbread crust

Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars

The crust I used here is the same crust I used for my favourite lemon bars. It’s tender but sturdy enough to hold the filling on top. It’s also the right amount of sweetness to complement the bourbon pecan topping.

Related: Pumpkin Pecan Muffins with Pecan Streusel Topping

Scrumptious golden syrup

Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars

Next I used golden syrup instead of the usual corn syrup. Have you heard of it? I first tasted it when I made my treacle tart and oh my word I was hooked. It is fantastic. I think it’s more widely known in the U.K. and not so much in North America but it is available.

It has a very distinct taste. It’s sweet but doesn’t taste like honey or maple syrup. It’s a little hard to describe suffice it to say it is good. You can use corn syrup in this recipe but if you get the chance, grab a bottle of golden syrup you won’t regret it!

Bourbon or no bourbon?

You can also choose to leave out the bourbon here but it’s the holidays! I say go for it. It adds to the awesomeness of every bite. It won’t be so boozy that you’d get drunk but I promise it will be yummy. 

Related: Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone Cream & Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce

Bourbon pecan pie bars

Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars

And did I mention this is a breeze to make? You have no pie crust to worry about – no chilling, no rolling, no crimping. You can enjoy all the goodness of pecan pie without all the hassle.

So this Thanksgiving, serve some bourbon pecan pie bars and spend more time with your guests instead of in the kitchen!

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Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust

Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars

Bourbon pecan pie bars - your favourite pecan pie bite-sized! Enjoy the sweet, boozy, delicious flavours of pecan pie minus all the challenges of making one.

Ingredients

    For the Shortbread Crust:
  • 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups (256 grams) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    For the Bourbon Pecan Pie Topping:
  • 1/3 cup (43 grams) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (110 grams) tightly packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (250 ml) golden syrup (you can substitute corn syrup)
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon
  • 2 cups (200 grams) roughly chopped pecans

Instructions

    For the Shortbread Crust:
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper with a slight overhang on each side. Set aside.
  2. Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat all ingredients until it resembles a coarse meal. Do not over beat. You'll know you're done when no big chunks of butter remain.
  3. Press evenly and firmly onto the bottom of your pan (make sure the crust is packed tightly and evenly so you won't have to deal with a possible seeping situation later).
  4. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges start turning a light golden brown.
  5. Take out of the oven while you work on your filling. Do not turn oven off.
    For the Bourbon Pecan Pie Topping:
  1. Put all ingredients in a large bowl except the pecans. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add the pecans and stir.
  2. Transfer onto your prepared crust and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted close to the edge comes out with minimal crumbs. Cool in the pan before slicing into bars.
https://theunlikelybaker.com/bourbon-pecan-pie-bars-shortbread-crust/

Happy baking!

Did you make bourbon pecan pie bars? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

Here are easy pies and tarts you can add to your Thanksgiving spread:

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hi. I’ve read comments on several other recipes that complained about the edges coming out too hard. Does this recipe have that problem? If so, do you know how much to shorten the baking time?

    Reply

    • Hi Susan. This has crusty, but not burnt, edges. To avoid tough edges, I usually take the pan out of the oven when my toothpick tester comes out with minimal crumbs – not wet batter but not thoroughly clean either. I find that if a toothpick comes out clean then I’d overbaked it. And if I did, I just trim the edges a little and it looks like nothing happened 🙂 Hope this helps!

      Reply

  2. HI – thank you for this!!! Is there any way to make it without Corn Syrup? I have made Pecan pies with just eggs, butter and sugar…. I would rather not corn syrup if possible…

    Reply

  3. HI Jolina,

    the recipe is super easy with such a highly delicious payoff!!! thank you!

    i brought it to a Friendsgiving party and it was a hit!

    i do have a question, do you know why the crust was separating from the pecans when it cooled?

    thank you again for the great recipes and tips you provide us (especially me, the ill-bake-when-i feel-like-it lady )

    Reply

  4. Marvelous! However I reduced the brown sugar to 1/4 cup and increased pecan to 250g – I find 200g pecan cannot cover the whole surface.

    Reply

  7. Oh yum! Holiday baking is well underway around here and these would be lovely to add to the list!! Love how easy they are to make and the touch of bourbon! It’s like a cocktail and dessert in one 😉 Cheers to an awesome weekend! P.S. We watched more of Star Trek Discovery last night and absolutely love it!

    Reply

    • Cocktail and dessert in one – I love that! You always think of the best things 🙂 It’s a good show, eh? We’re totally hooked!

      Reply

  12. I love love love pecan pie. This looks heavenly! I was looking for a fall recipe to make this weekend, maybe I’ll give this a try.

    Reply

  13. Love this idea! I love pecan pie, but as someone who is trying to eat healthier, I didn’t know how I was going to enjoy it without diving in ( I’m not the type of person to be able to turn down desserts lol). When things are bite-sized, I tend to stop myself at one, maybe two, so I think this will be the “healthier” option for me and the family!

    Reply

  22. Oh these look so perfect Jolina. I made some pecan tarts today too! Don’t you just love pecans and a good spice mix this time of the year. I cannot wait to try this next. Looks so delish.

    Reply

  24. Yours recipes always leave me with a watery mouth! these look really delicious and you make everything seem easy to make! Thank you ^^

    Reply

  26. Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars with Shortbread look tasty, I have tried some of your recipes and the results were amazing, I loved the food I made with the help of your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing these recipes with us.

    Reply

  29. Yummy! It looks so tasty! I was always thinking that making a pie is hard, but with your detailed instrucions I think I will be able to make it myself, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  31. Absolutely delectable, and i wish it would pop out on my screen so I could eat them all. Hahaha.
    Can I grab your recipe?

    Reply

  32. These sound so interesting! I never usually like bourbon on its own but having said that – I’m really curious to try these! I’m sure they don’t have an overwhelming bourbon flavour

    Reply

  33. Omg how yummy!!! Pecan Pie is one of my all time favorites. I will have to give this bar recipe a try!!! Delicious

    Reply

  34. ooh wow these look and sound so delicious! I’ve never tried pecan bars before. We had our Thanksgiving in Canada in October, hope you have an amazing Thanksgiving later this month!

    Reply

  37. I like your recipe. It is easy and quick. I am going to make this for the next potluck coming soon. Lucky, I didn’t have to look around for a thanksgiving themed dessert recipe!

    Reply

  38. I don’t have to tell you your photographs are awesome! They make me want to reach and have a piece of this delicacy!

    Reply

  40. I love shortbread crusts! They are my favorite kind to make, I never would have thought to add bourbon to a recipe like this. I do something similar just without the bourbon and nuts.

    Reply

  42. I believe this would make a great substitute for pecan pie. It makes more and it certainly is easier to cut. I like how the pecans and sugar make a nice crunchy top. This will be a fantastic recipe during the holidays.

    Reply

  44. Wow, this sounds soooo good. I only allow myself to eat pecan pie once a year, at Thanksgiving. It is so rich and sinful, and I try hard to watch my calories. But it is hard to resist on a holiday were it is kind of a tradition. This is a different take on the regular pecan pie, I will have to try it one day.

    Reply

  45. yum these look and sound DELICIOUS! I am a huge fan of both pecan and shortbread so this sounds like the combo for me! I must give these a try!

    Reply

    • I love baking with alcohol. I don’t what it is about it lol…and yes, these would make your kitchen smell wonderful. Hope you’re having a lovely Sunday Gloria!

      Reply

  48. These look great! So you think the bourbon is worth trying huh? I’m very interested in cooking with bourbon lately. I have tried the golden syrup when I lived in England for a year. I have never seen it here in Pittsburgh but I bet Amazon has it. I think I’m going to try these for Thanksgiving….I’m terrified to make a pie!

    Reply

    • Hi Denise! My default answer to boozy desserts is always a yes lol 🙂 Did you like golden syrup? When I see them at our local supermarket I always grab more than I need thinking they will all of a sudden disappear haha. I’m sure you’ll make a lovely pie!

      Reply

  49. Pecan pie bars sound nice. I have the biggest sweet tooth and have seen cook-books before lying around, but just don’t bake. I wish I did, is it time-consuming? I love treats & cupcakes, the whole thing lol.

    Reply

    • Not at all. And it’s easy and simple to do too 🙂 Hope you give it a shot. You’ll be enjoying yummy bars in no time 🙂

      Reply

  50. I agree with you. Why leave out the bourbon…live a little. Since I’m a fan of both bourbon and pecan pie, I have a sneaky feeling I’d really enjoy these.

    Reply

  52. These remind me so much of the pecan squares the church ladies made when I was a kid. Looking through our old church cookbook, their recipes required more than a box of brown sugar, a teddy bear+ full of honey, two pounds of pecans, and nine sticks of butter. Nowadays we’d think they were clearly trying to kill us. They made a chocolate caramel cheesecake look like a Weight Watchers 2-point popicle. But you know what? They were incredibly delicious and no holiday meal could be without one! x

    Reply

  54. These look delicious and really not as difficult as I would have thought they would be to make! I didn’t realize syrup was an ingredient in these and I love pecans. This is something I definitely need to try for Thanksgiving. It will be perfect along with Pumpkin Pie of course!

    Reply

  55. Oh yes I love Golden Syrup although you might be right in saying that it is more widely known here in the UK than in North America. Also I love the sound of the shortbread crust and how although it is sturdy it complements the pecan perfectly. It sounds like a slice of heaven x

    Reply

  56. You have so much great recipes on your blog and this one is no exception. I love baking and I am always searching for simple recipes that results with something divine. I am going to try this one for sure.

    Reply

  61. You had me at pecan pie! This is my favorite dessert of all time. Yes, I’ve a soft spot for desserts. I usually buy from the bakery store but this recipe looks simple for me to follow. I’m going to try this for sure. Thanks!

    Reply

  62. These bars sound so good. I was actually looking for something like this to make for dessert on Thanksgiving, so I am glad I found your recipe.

    Reply

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