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Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

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These Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars feature a buttery shortbread crust with a bourbon-spiked, creamy filling. They’re topped with crunchy pecans and chocolate chips!

Easy Pecan Pie Bars

I didn’t really grow up eating pecan pie. I really wanted to experience those classic flavors. If you love pecan pie, you might also like Mini Pecan Tarts. They’re like a little bit of pecan pie!

These Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars were inspired by my husband’s grandmother’s recipe for Kahlua Pecan Pie. I decided to swap the Kahlua out for bourbon, then halve the recipe to turn it into bars.

These bars are made with buttery Walkers Shortbread cookies and bourbon-infused pie filling layered with chocolate chips and pecans.

overhead of a pecan pie bar next to a stack of two more and crumbled shortbread cookies

A Couple Important Ingredients

  • Shortbread Cookies – I use Walker Pure Butter Shortbread Triangle Cookies ground into a fine crumb for the crust.
  • Bourbon – bourbon adds a delicious warmth to the bars that complements the other flavors perfectly.
  • Evaporated Milk – make sure you get evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk. They look similar but are not the same.
  • Chocolate Chips – just use your favorite kind!

How to Make Pecan Pie Bars

These chocolate pecan pie bars take a quick 20 minutes to prep!

  1. Make the crust: Grind the cookies into a fine crumb using a food processor, then mix together with melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a parchment-lined baking pan. Bake at 400ºF for 10 minutes.
  2. Combine the filling: In a bowl, mix together butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour, Beat until fluffy, then add the egg and beat until combined. Mix in bourbon, corn syrup, and evaporated milk, then stir in pecans and chocolate chips.
  3. Assemble and bake: Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust, then bake the bars until the filling is no longer jiggly and a toothpick comes out clean.
  4. Chill and serve: Let the bars cool for 3 hours, then refrigerate before cutting. Once they’re chilled, slice them up and dig in!
four pecan pie bars stacked

How Do You Know When a Pecan Pie Bar is Done?

To check for doneness, give the baking dish a little shake. (Be gentle and wear oven mitts!) The filling should be soft, but it shouldn’t jiggle.

You can also check by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bars. If it comes out clean, they’re ready to go!

overhead of pecan pie bars on a counter laid out with shortbread cookies

Recipe Tips and Notes

  • Line the baking dish. You can line the 9×13″ baking dish with parchment paper or a silicone mat. This makes it so much easier to remove the bars when you’re ready to serve them.
  • Pre-bake the crust. Pre-baking the crust for just 10 minutes helps it firm up so it doesn’t get soggy when you add the filling.
  • Chill the bars completely. The baked pecan pie bars will need at least 3 hours to fully set up. I like to refrigerate mine to make sure they’re nice and firm.
  • Wait to slice. Wait until the bars are fully chilled before slicing. If they’re too gooey, you’ll just end up with a mess.
overhead closeup of a pecan pie bar sliced in half

How Do You Store Pecan Pie Bars?

I recommend storing leftover chocolate pecan pie bars in the fridge so they stay nice and firm. They will last in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

They can also be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve, just thaw in the fridge and enjoy.

I’ve partnered with Walkers Shortbread to bring you this recipe. All opinions are my own.

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closeup overhead of three stacked pecan pie bars

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 12-15 bars

Description

These Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars feature a buttery shortbread crust with a bourbon-spiked, creamy filling. They’re topped with crunchy pecans and chocolate chips!

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 4 boxes Walker Pure Butter Shortbread Triangle Cookies (5.3 oz)
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup bourbon
  • ¼ cup light corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 1/4 cup pecans
  • ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  2. Grind Walkers Shortbread into a fine crumb using a food processor or blender. Put crumbs in a microwave-safe bowl. Add butter and microwave for 45-60 seconds until butter is melted. Stir to coat shortbread cookies in butter. Press crust firmly into the bottom of the pan.
  3. Pre-bake crust for 10 minutes at 400°F.
  4. Combine butter, sugar, vanilla and flour in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy; 2-3 minutes. Add egg and continue beating until well combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  5. Add bourbon, corn syrup and evaporated milk and mix until all ingredients are blended. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour filling into pre-baked shortbread crust.
  6. Bake bars at 400° for 15-20 minutes until filling is set. Filling should not be jiggly but rather still a little soft. Use a toothpick to test the middle. If the toothpick is clean, the filling is baked through.
  7. Allow filling to set and cool for 3 hours and refrigerate before cutting.
  • Category: Bars
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

 

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