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Brown Butter Pecan Pie Bars (Easy Holiday Baking)

Brown Butter Pecan Pie Bars

Decadent, chewy pecan pie bars featuring a flaky press-in shortbread crust and a rich brown butter maple caramel filling loaded with toasted pecans.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Southern
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

Shortbread Crust
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter
  • 0.5 tsp sea salt
Brown Butter Pecan Filling
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 0.5 cup maple syrup
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2.5 cups pecans
  • 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt

Method
 

Baking Shortbread Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
  2. In a bowl, mix flour, powdered sugar, salt, and melted butter until a crumbly dough forms. Press firmly and evenly into the prepared pan.
  3. Par-bake the shortbread crust for 15 minutes until lightly golden around the edges.
Browning Butter & Assembling
  1. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling until foam subsides and golden brown specks appear with a nutty aroma. Remove and cool 5 minutes.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the browned butter, dark brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until glossy and smooth. Fold in chopped pecans.
  3. Pour filling over the warm crust. Bake 22 to 25 minutes until the center is gently set. Cool completely, chill 2 hours, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, slice into 16 bars, and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 4gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 125mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22g

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