Frosted Pecan Pie Bars

Frosted Pecan Pie Bars Recipe

Are you ready to change your life? If so, great, because I made frosted pecan pie bars.

Pecan pie…on top of a shortbread crust (the bars part)…with buttercream frosting.

[are you breathing?]

Frosted Pecan Pie Bars Recipe

Do you see that gooey caramel pecan pie filling? It’s proof that these teeny tiny squares are intensely rich and sticky-sweet.

I found the inspiration for this recipe deep within the pages of My Nepenthe, a new and beautifully-photographed book of recipes from the famous Nepenthe  restaurant in Big Sur, California. In the book, these frosted pecan pie bars are called “Passion Cookies,” and they were made time and time again for the legendary actor Richard Burton, who frequented the restaurant while filming The Sandpiper with Elizabeth Taylor. He couldn’t get enough of them and I completely understand. They’re irresistible.

The only thing that could beat the best pecan pie recipe is frosted pecan pie bars! One of our favorite Thanksgiving desserts is now mini and portable!

One bite through the three melting layers and I was a smiling fool. They’re extravagant, luxurious, over the top in decadence. All the flavors of toasted pecan and deep dark caramel and coconut and and…what’s that thing that makes the world continue to spin around on its axis? Right, butter.

Bake them for the holidays; bring them to a party; package them up in cookie sampler gifts; have one this afternoon with a mug of tea. Whatever you do, my advice is to cut them small. Like a rich chocolate truffle, they’re intense enough that two perfect bites will do you just fine.

Frosted Pecan Pie Bars RecipeThe only thing that could beat the best pecan pie recipe is frosted pecan pie bars! One of our favorite Thanksgiving desserts is now mini and portable!

How to Make this Frosted Pecan Pie Bars Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Begin by greasing a 9×12″ pan (or 9×13″, which is more standard) with melted butter. You want to really coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well, so that the bars don’t stick after baking.

Make the crust: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the flour and stir until just combined (the dough will be crumbly). **A note about the recipe: I decided, after baking the bars according to recipe instructions, to add more butter to the crust, because I just didn’t feel the amount called for was enough because my bars *made as directed) turned out very crumbly and this shortbread crust didn’t hold together as well as I think it could with the addition of a few tablespoons more butter. I’ve added more butter to my ingredient list below.

Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan. Set it in the oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until it’s just beginning to turn golden.

While the crust is baking, make the filling. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until well combined.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. **A note about the recipe: I added a bit of salt here, but the recipe called for none. As a rule, I add salt to my baked goods because it tends to heighten the sweetness of things, and really round out flavors well. You can omit it if you’d like.

Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Stir in the shredded coconut and pecans. **A note about the recipe: I used sweetened coconut flakes, rather than unsweetened as the recipe called for, because I never have unsweetened on hand, and because I absolutely adore the sweetened variety.

Now pull your crust out of the oven. It should be a very faint golden brown. Pour the pecan-coconut filling over the top of the warm crust and bake the whole thing for another 20 minutes.

While the bars cool in the pan set on top of a wire rack, make the frosting. Beat the butter for a few seconds, just until creamy. Then add the sugar and the vanilla and beat for about 2 minutes on medium-high, until the mixture is fluffy and light.

Now spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled bars. I suggest you tent the bars with aluminum foil and refrigerate them for about 20 minutes before cutting, so that the frosting will firm up a bit and be easier to neatly slice.

The only thing that could beat the best pecan pie recipe is frosted pecan pie bars! One of our favorite Thanksgiving desserts is now mini and portable!

Frosted Pecan Pie Bars Recipe

Servings: 24 bars

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups chopped toasted pecans
  • 2/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • chopped pecans for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch pan with butter.
  • Make the crust: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the flour and stir until just combined. The dough will be crumbly. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until it's just beginning to turn golden.
  • While the crust is baking, make the filling. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar and eggs until well combined.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in the vanilla, shredded coconut, and pecans.
  • Pour the pecan-coconut filling over the top of the warm crust and bake for 20 minutes more. Let the bars cool in the pan on top of a wire rack.
  • Make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, cream the butter for a few seconds, just until smooth. Add the sugar and the vanilla and beat for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed, until fluffy and light.
  • Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled bars. I suggest you tent the bars with aluminum foil and refrigerate them for about 20 minutes before cutting, so that the frosting will firm up a bit and be easier to neatly slice. Cut into 24 small squares and garnish each one with either a sprinkling of chopped pecans or set 1 pecan in the middle of the top of each bar.

Notes

adapted from My Nepenthe by Romney Steele

Share:

Subscribe!

28 thoughts on “Frosted Pecan Pie Bars

  1. Leah @ Why Deprive?

    I SAY PEE-CANS too!! lol

    Seriously, I would like to live in your kitchen. I imagine it as this wonderful fairy land that is full of nothing but deliciousness. I promise not to take up very much space. :)

    Reply
  2. spabettie

    oooh, these look AMAZING !! (I am starting to feel like I say that Every Time… )

    …and can I be Leah / Why Deprive’s kitchen room-mate? :) I wont take up much space either, and I’ll taste test everything!! :D

    Reply
  3. KatieG

    Alas, you are not alone. I also pronounce it PEE-can. I don’t know why, but I just can’t bring myself to say pe-CAHN. But then again, I’m from New Jersey and I transplanted to Florida, where I’m naturally resistant to any type of southern phrases or pronunciations.

    Reply
  4. Peggie

    Do you know how well these freeze? They look so good I would want to make enough to put in all my holiday gift packs so I would want to make them ahead of time and be able to freeze them until I make up the packages.

    Reply
    1. Can You Stay for Dinner

      Hmmm, good question Peggie! I really don’t know that they’d freeze too well because of the frosting layer. Maybe freeze the crust and filling layers (wrapped tightly) and then let thaw and frost them just before you’re ready to package them? That’s all I can figure. Best of luck if you do freeze them! Let me know what happens!

      Reply
  5. jterrill

    I am so excited to have found your blog. Your recipes and your photographs are amazing. I have been sharing your recipes with my facebook friends. I am looking forward to putting a spin on some of our traditional favorites with your help.

    Reply
  6. Megan (Braise The Roof)

    Ooh I can’t wait for Thanksgiving baked goods!! And I love that this recipe has a history! I think I pronounce pecans differently every time I say it- my Southern boyfriend gets very annoyed by it. What can I say?

    Reply
  7. Pingback: Thanksgiving Dessert Remix « Can You Stay for Dinner?

  8. Pingback: Delicious Holiday Desserts to Give as Gifts | Can You Stay For Dinner?

Leave a Reply to Can You Stay for Dinner Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.