Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars

It makes me so happy to share recipes like this one, that taste just as good (if not better!) than the old-school corn syrup and margarine-laden versions. Recipes that are seemingly indulgent and could fool any die-hard health food critic into believing they are the original, despite being full of better-for-you ingredients. If Bourbon Maple Pecan Pie Bars can’t get you to fall in love with eating healthier, I don’t know what will. (Except maybe go check my recipes archive. There are SO MANY good recipes, if I do say so myself). 

So, here we are. Thanksgiving is ONE DAY AWAY (!!), and I’m guessing everyone could use another dessert recipe for tomorrow (ha). While I have your undivided Thanksgiving attention, let’s take a little walk down memory lane and check out all the other recipes from this impromptu Thanksgiving Week here on Baked Greens. 

First there was Whole Wheat Butternut Spice Cake. Then came Healthy Pecan Pie Truffles, DIY Pumpkin Puree, Maple-Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Cranberry-Pear Tart with Cinnamon Whole Wheat Crust. Oh, and Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal and Rosemary Browned Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes. 

They’re not part of Thanksgiving Week, but my Sweet Potato Hummus, Ultimate Apple Pie Guide and Fall Kale Salad all deserve honorable mentions: your Thanksgiving guests will thank you. 

I am terrible at choosing favorites, but these pecan pie bars might be the best of them all. I know I already posted Pecan Pie Truffles, which are, like, THE BEST (wait, didn’t I just say these bars are the best? Ugh), but sometimes you need the real deal. Luckily, these bars are very much the real deal. 

It all starts with a shortbread crust loaded with butter, maple syrup, whole wheat flour, and oats. The oats give it a little extra texture, and the abundance of butter makes sure no one could mistake this for anything other than pie. Instead of a pecan pie filling that sounds something like this: extra corn syrup, plenty of sugar, barely any pecans, and nightmares, these bars get and updated (and healthier!) twist of bourbon-barrel aged maple syrup and a hefty dose of pecans. They’re still a little gooey and sticky, but in a way that doesn’t make your dentist’s cavity senses tingle from across the country. 

You all know I am obsessed with maple syrup, but this one was new to me. I bought a jar of bourbon-barrel aged maple syrup on my way home from New Hampshire this summer, and only just now opened it. Spoiler alert: it tastes like someone swirled bourbon into maple syrup and I might be in heaven right now as I’m typing this. Now that I’m obsessed, I realized Trader Joe’s has been carrying it all along. And it comes in a cute little bottle. If you haven’t tried it before, you might want to go out and buy yourself a jar RIGHT NOW. Don’t worry, I’ll be here waiting. Just pick up a few extra jars to give as gifts this holiday season, because everyone in your life is going to need some. Trust me.

I hope you love these pecan pie bars. They are buttery, bourbon-infused, and perfectly sweet. The pecans are extra crunchy and toasty, and the crust is sturdy enough for these to be a hand-held treat. If you don’t have bourbon maple syrup on hand, don’t freak out- just use regular maple and add a tablespoon of bourbon to the batter. Problem solved. As always, I want to know how this recipe turns out for you! Leave a comment below or take a picture and share it on Instagram with #bakedgreens. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope it’s full of so much love. 

Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars

Chelsea Colbath

Classic pecan pie gets updated with a whole wheat + oat shortbread crust, and a bourbon-maple filling.

Print Pin It

Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

Crust

• 1/4 cup 4T room temperature butter
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of salt

Filling

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup or sub regular maple
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup toasted pecans chopped

Instructions

 

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper. Dump all crust ingredients into the bowl of a standing mixer and mix on medium speed until combined (or mix well by hand with a wooden spoon). Scoop dough into the loaf pan, and flatten to cover the bottom of the pan. Put crust in the freezer to chill while you make the filling.
• 2. Whisk all filling ingredients, except pecans, until fully combined. Add in pecans and stir to combine. Remove crust from the freezer and pour filling on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until filling is no longer jiggly. Let cool completely, then cut into 8 squares. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

This recipe yields 8 bars. If you're feeding a crowd, double the recipe and bake it in an 8x8 square pan and increase the baking time to 35-40 minutes.

Want one? I’ll share 🙂