Pecan Squares
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Like pecan pie in bar form, these indulgent pecan squares with a buttery shortbread crust and rich caramel-pecan topping are an irresistible (and easy!) holiday favorite.
If you’re a fan of my bourbon pecan pie and candied pecans, you’ll love these pecan squares. With a buttery shortbread crust and rich caramel-pecan topping, they’re an indulgent treat—the perfect hostess gift, office snack, or potluck dessert for the holidays. And the best part? They’re easy to make!
What You’ll Need To Make Pecan Squares
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin with the shortbread crust (which, by the way, is much easier than making a homemade pie crust). Combine the flour, cornstarch, confectioners sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until combined.
Toss in the pieces of butter.
Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size clumps of butter within.
Dump the mixture into a foil-lined pan.
Then press firmly with your fingers into an even layer.
Bake until set but not browned, about 17 minutes.
In the meantime, make the topping. Combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a saucepan.
Boil gently for a few minutes.
Then stir in the heavy cream and chopped pecans.
Spread the pecan mixture onto the baked crust.
Bake until bubbling and caramel-colored.
Cool completely, then transfer baked bar to cutting board.
Cut into squares with a sharp knife.
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Pecan Shortbread Squares
Like pecan pie in bar form, these indulgent pecan squares with a buttery shortbread crust and rich caramel-pecan topping are an irresistible (and easy!) holiday favorite.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup Confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Filling
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Generous pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Instructions
For the Crust
- Cover a 9-inch square baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Push foil neatly into corners and up sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure it overlaps all edges (the overhang will help removal from pan). Spray foiled pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the flour, cornstarch, confectioners sugar and salt in a bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size clumps of butter within. It will seem dry; that's okay. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer over the bottom. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. While the crust is in the refrigerator, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the crust until crust is set but not browned, about 17 minutes. Set on rack to cool. Leave oven on.
For the Filling
- In a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil gently for 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and chopped pecans.
To Assemble and Bake
- Pour pecan mixture over crust (it's fine if the crust is still warm). Bake until filling is bubbling and caramel in color, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on rack. To cut, use the foil overhang to lift baked square out of pan and onto cutting board. Loosen the foil from the edges, then cut with a sharp knife into 2-inch squares. Store finished pecan squares in air-tight container and serve at room temperature.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: These can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap with the layers separated by wax or parchment paper. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Calories: 357
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Sugar: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 88 mg
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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I don’t have a 9×9 pan. Will an 8×8 work?
Sure – they may take a few extra minutes to bake so keep a close eye on them.
Thanks, will do! I appreciate the response.
Should the pan be 8” or 9” square? Thank you
Hi Pat, the pan should be a 9 inch square. Hope that clarifies!
Excellent recipe that is easy and LOVED by everyone.
These were wonderful! Your recipe is excellent and the instructions were very helpful. I actually over processed the crust, but it was still superb. Thank you! What I liked especially was that your own syrupy taste was used – brown sugar, butter, etc rather than the store bought syrup version. Thank you!
What do I do if I don’t have a food processor?
Hi Missy, You can make this by hand. Place the flour, corn starch, confectioners sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter and use a pastry blender or two knives to “cut” the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size clumps of butter. Proceed with recipe. Enjoy!
Delicious!!! Way better than pecan pie. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I made this for dessert for Thanksgiving. So delicious with vanilla ice cream. Thank you.
Hi Jenn – I’m a big fan of your site and recipes. Which is why I’m making four of them this week. I don’t have any all purpose flour, just self rising. Can I use that as a substitute, and (if yes) does it change anything regarding cornstarch? Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Kate, I’m flattered that so many of my recipes will be on your Thanksgiving table! Unfortunately, I don’t think self-rising flour is a good idea here; for the best results, I’d stick with all-purpose. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
I made these for the first time in early Nov. My family has not stopped requesting them since. Today will be the 4th time in 8 weeks that I’ve made them. Soo good! Thank you!
Hi Jenn-
I would like to add a tbsp of molasses to the pecan mixture. Should I cut the the honey down to 2 tblsps. Would this harm the texture? I usually add 1 tblsp molasses + 2 tblsps bourbon to pecan pie. I wanted to recreate this in bar form & your recipe is the ideal one to try this on.
Thank you for your time & for all the wonderful recipes. I wish you and your family love & blessings on Thanksgiving.
Thanks for the nice words about the recipes – so glad you like them! What you are suggesting, regarding Ing, a tablespoon of honey, for the molasses should be fine and should not impact the texture. Hope you enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!
How should these be stored?
You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature.