Chocolate Chip-Pecan Pie Bars
These pecan bars were the very first thing that I ever baked on my own. Like, EVER. Sure, I helped my mom make Christmas cookies when I was a kid, but I began baking on my own in high school with this very recipe. These bars showed up at a family party and given my affinity for pecan pie, it’s no surprise that I was totally and completely enamored with them. My grandma gave me the recipe and I found myself making them quite frequently. They quickly became my “signature” and were for a long time – I would take them to work potlucks, family parties, and anywhere else I thought people could use a little something sweet.
These bars are a breeze to throw together and don’t require much in the way of equipment or time. You can easily mix together the crust ingredients with a fork, a pastry blender, or your fingers – just make sure you get the mixture to a crumbly texture. The bars need to cool completely before you cut them or the filling and chocolate will smear and run a bit. I actually prefer these chilled in the refrigerator, but you can keep and serve them at room temperature if you’d like.
Ironically, I never made these bars around Thanksgiving, but it goes without saying that they are the perfect portable Thanksgiving dessert. They’re a great alternative for a full-blown pie, and you could easily omit the chocolate and add more pecans if you’d like. Although, I do think the combination of chocolate and pecans is something extra-special.
Do you remember the first thing you learned how to bake all on your own?
One year ago: Sweet Potato Scones with Maple Cream Glaze
Two years ago: Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
Four years ago: Pecan Pie
Five years ago: Lebkuchen
Chunky Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113.5 g) salted butter, at room temperature, (1 stick)
- ¼ cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
Filling:
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup (255.75 g) light corn syrup
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups (306.25 g) coarsely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, or chocolate chunks in a bag!
- 1½ cups (148.5 g) chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- For the crust, mix together the flour, butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Press into the baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown.
- For the filling, beat the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla extract with a wire whisk. Stir in the chunks and pecans. Pour evenly over the baked crust and bake for 25-30 minutes or until set.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the refrigerator if you live in a warm/humid area with no air conditioning).
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Made these last night. I had to use mini dark chocolate chips because that is what I had and they worked fine. (We keep those around to sprinkle over sherbet.) Great recipe! Yummy! Where have I been that I missed this recipe since 2009? Better late than never. Thank you!
Looks delicious
We’ve used your recipe for years now and it’s still my husband’s favorite! Such an easy and delicious recipe! Made some for our neighbor’s yesterday and they looked so pretty!
Will these freeze OK?
Yes!
Can I make this in a 8×8 or 9×9 pan? Would I need to halve the recipe?
You would want to halve the recipe for an 8×8 or 9×9 pan. Enjoy!
Made the 9×13 as directed, it was amazing! Only thing I did different was swap out 1/4 cup of the corn syrup for pure maple syrup. Great Thanksgiving dessert!
Very delicious, but too rich. I will make it again, but will only add half the chocolate next time.
I love salty sweet. Could you use salted roasted pecans in this recipe?
Hi Erin, Absolutely!
I have a couple of questions.
1) I always buy unsalted butter. Should I add salt to the crust? If so, how much?
2) If I want to omit the chocolate, should I substitute the same amount of pecans as chocolate?
Thanks!
Hi Charlotte, I would add a pinch of salt to the crust. Yes, you can add more pecans in lieu of the chocolate.
These look so nummy! I’m making these for the holidays for sure! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes. When I see your Pins on Pinterest, I know it’s going to be good.
Salted or unsalted butter?
Hi Carolyn, Salted!
Hi,
Do you use light or dark brown sugar in this recipe? I have both and I am not sure which one to use. Thanks!!!
Hi Melissa, Light brown sugar.
Can these delicious bars be frozen. I like to bake in quantity and it would be a big help if I could. Thanks a million
Hi Barbara, Yes, they definitely can be frozen!
kinda new here and i want to do this for a special day, but how do i “grease” the pan
Hi Shay, You can either rub butter or shortening over the surface of the pan, or spray it with a non-stick cooking spray, like Pam. Enjoy!
My preference would be to use Lyles Golden Syrup. It doesn’t have that gel factor. Would it have to be adjusted for more or less compared to the Karo syrup?
Hi Cheryl, I haven’t tried Lyle’s Golden Syrup, so I couldn’t say for sure if any alterations need to be made.
I want to leave out the corn syrup. Can I use just brown sugar instead?
Hi Donna, Unfortunately, I would not recommend doing this, as the bars will not turn out correctly.
We do not really care for pecan pie, but oh my gosh…I made these last week and they were gone so fast! So, so good! I am going to be making some this Christmas to gift different people! :) Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!!
I made these (twice!) over the Thxgiving wknd. They are fabulous! SO GOOD!!! When I pressed the dough for the crust into my 9×13 pan, it barely covered the bottom. I didn’t think the crust would be thick enough to hold up the bars (so people could eat w/o a fork) so I doubled the crust ingredients, & they were perfect! These are going to be a Thxgiving tradition at our house from now on.
Drop dead scrumptious. I threw in Ghirardellis semi-sweet chips, the entire bag, and yes, it was overwhelming chocolate ecstasy, since it probably exceeded by 1/2 cup, but who cares? It’s pinned as a complete WINNER, and tomorrow, my guests will be reeling from the ecstasy. Thanks beb!
i made your chunky pecan pie bars today. oh my god! they are fabulous! thanks. i always get the best desserts from you! my family & friends thank you too!
I noticed the pictures have changed… please tell me the recipe is still the same! I have been making these the last two years for Thanksgiving and my family will kill me if they’ve changed.
Hi! Thank you so much for your blog and all your recipes! You’re a guarantee! ;) I have some trouble finding corn syrup in Italy … What can I use as a replacement? I thought about molasses …
Thanks a lot! Best wishes!
Chocolate Pecan Pie is my MOST FAVORITE PIE EVER! But I hate making pie! I think these bars are the perfect solution! I am totally making them for Thanksgiving this year!
Super excited to try these for the next staff meeting treats I take to work. Portability is defiantly appreciated here.
As far as remember the first thing you baked on your own mine was a black forest layer cake. Probably a bit too ambitious for a first timer. Its a wonder that I stuck with baking LOL.
Thank you! I was just looking for a pecan pie recipe and think these bars will fit the bill…cooking alittle thanksgiving meal for my hub’s class he teaches on base..the guys love homemade goodies..and nothing is as Texas as pecans..;)
I love taking one dish and turning it into a whole new treat. Pecan pie to me is not very appetizing, but seeing it used in a different way makes me interested. I love the addition of the chocolate chips and the pictures make me hungry for sweets. Very great recipe to follow and Thanksgiving is coming up, just in time!!
To be honest, I have never had Pecan pie and the ones I have seen did not look appetizing. However, this recipe definitely caught my eye because of the chocolate chips added. I would eat this anytime of day and I could say that I’ve had pecan pie!!! Thank you for also capturing a great picture!
anybody tried without chocolate chips? not a big fan
Made them today and they were a real hit. I shared with my mailman and my neighbors too and the consensus was unanimous-they have been added to my holiday and all year baking list!!
As much as I love chocolate, I don’t think I would be as interested in including it here. Do you think the recipe will still work out fine without the chocolate chunks?
Hi Katerine, Yes, but I would increase the pecans to make up the difference.
Michelle,
These bars look amazing. I will definitely give them a try.
Annamaria
Looks super yummy! I love pecan pie flavored things, but not really a huge fan of actual pecan pie (odd, I know)…add a little chocolate? Yes!
My first baking was jam tarts with home made pie crust at about 9 years old. I became the family “crust” person after that and didn’t do pie fillings until I was out on my own.
Have you used both light and dark corn syrup and if so, which one do you prefer? I’m leaning towards light, but that’s only because it’s what is in my pantry!
Hi Sandy, No, I’ve only used light corn syrup in these.
Not sure if my first email came through, but just wondering if these can be frozen? Thanks
Hi Mo, Yes, these can be frozen.
First thing I baked? Hmm, I think it was chocolate marble squares.
Yummmm! My first recipe was either banana bread or my mom’s brownies, I can’t remember which was first!
I love dessert and I am so glad this recipe is easily assembled! Brownies were the first thing I ever learned to bake. Happy Thursday, Michelle :)
I love that this is the first thing you ever baked! Such a simple and awesome recipe. Pecan and chocolate is such a dynamite combination!
Those look really delish! Have you ever encountered anything remotely close from an artisanal producer so we can, well buy them and eat them when we’re too lazy to make them…like me! :)
These look wonderful! I love pecan pie and going to make these bars this weekend!
Yum, definitely making these this weekend as dessert after I make your Sausage/Mozzerela/ Basil stuffed peppers which have become a signature dish of mine. You have completely changed my view of baking and cooking and have helped me become quite the chef this past year- I was keeping your site a secret but so many people have asked where I came up with my dishes that I finally shared- thanks for all of your wonderful recipes! You are my hero!!
I’ve made pecan pie bars before, wasn’t in love with the recipe…this one looks really good; the balance of nuts to filling to crust to chocolate looks perfect!
These are like pecan pie, to-go! Dangerous in the best possible way :)
These look so good, I’m drooling. Does anyone know a good UK replacement for corn syrup?
Hi Charlotte – You can get Karo syrup on the Ocado website!
I don’t even like pecan pie, but those look yummy enough to try! :) The first thing I ever baked all on my own were M&M cookies when I was 11. I didn’t understand the difference between self-rising flour and all-purpose flour at the time, so I used self-rising flour in the recipe along with salt & baking soda. Needless to say, the cookies spread across the entire sheet as one giant, thin cookie and were super, super salty! :D
Since this is a pressed crust, I may try this with the Gluten Free flour blend I found. I’ve been trying to think of a Thanksgiving dessert I will actually be able to eat! Thanks!
These look great! I love your recipe for pecan pie. In fact, I’m actually going to make it today! My family is very excited!!
I should be focussing on baking cookies now, as I have a cookie swap coming up, but I couldn’t ignore this recipe. It looks so delicious and yet easy to bake. Love it! (But I will save it for later, when the cookies are finished)
Would it be ok to use white chocolate chips instead? Also I think they might be better with more pecans and less chocolate. As long as the total amount of chocolate and nuts is the same as the recipe, does the ratio matter? Thanks!
Absolutely! Just substitute the white chips for the chocolate chunks.
As to Chocolate requests, just a note: people with IBS generally love chocolate but it does NOT love them. IT triggers horrible responses in the gut. I’m sure that I’m not the only person out there who loves LOVES chocolate but the price I pay is too high to have it. Very sad. Anyway, thought you would want to know that for the very many of us who struggle with IBS.
If I want to leave out the chocolate chunks in the recipe…can I?
Will that change the consistency of the bars?
Do I need to sub the chocolate with more pecans or something else? Thx!
You can omit the chocolate without a problem. You can add more pecans if you’d like.
About how many more pecans would you add? I also want to try these without chocolate.
As much more as you’d like. You can replace all of the chocolate amount, or less, just depends on how many pecans you want to include!
Awesome thanks! My husband volunteers at a prison rehabilitation program in Texas where we live and I make the guys “treats” once a month. I’ve made several of your recipes so far and they love them.
Just made these, look delicious, but haven’t tried yet! Thanks!!!! Love that they are so easy!!!
These were a huge hit, especially with my pecan pie loving friend!
Hi Michelle,
These look perfect for a long weekend, when I have no time to make a real pie crust! Can the chocolate be omitted? (I hope you were sitting down when you read that!)
Thanks a lot…best of luck moving in to your new house.
Sorry for another question…I’m just curious as to why you use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.
It’s an old recipe from my grandma that I always loved, so I just rolled with what she did :)
Haha! Yes, you can omit :)
Just what I’m looking for to bring to a Kentucky Derby party. If I add two or three tablespoons of bourbon in Derby tradition, should I decrease the corn syrup accordingly?
Hi Linda, I think you could add the bourbon without adjusting anything else in the recipe. I would not decrease the corn syrup.
Hi Michelle,
I’ve made these and they were awesome, thank you!! Do you think this recipe could be used to make a pie instead of bars? It’s just so much simpler to me and requires less dirty pots ;)
I have never tried to use this filling for a pie, but if you do it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
these were good, but there was definitely too much chocolate in them (if that’s possible). All I could really taste was chocolate, if I had used maybe half I think these would be much better. However my mom was all over them and they were really tasty nevertheless.
HOLY CRAP these were amazing/now my new favorite recipe. I plan on adding some (1 cup) pumpkin to them next time I bake them (ahem probably this week!) because pumpkin pecan pie is my fav!
PS – my experience: I love chocolate, so I also put chunks of a broken chocolate bar on top of the bars before baking – which honestly was a mistake! These bars are so rich and chocolatey already that the extra chocolate was too much and I lost the good ole pecan pie taste. Stick to the recipe peeps!
Hi, I’m from Europe and corn syrup isn’t widely available here, neither is agave nectar (I’ve never seen it before). Would any sweet syrup work? There’s Lyle’s golden syrup or the Dutch rietsuikerstroop which is a bit like light molasses I guess. Also, how do you determine if the filling is set?
I grew up in Canada and definitely know Lyle’s Golden Syrup — would very much work in replacement. It is a bit thinner (as I remember) so you might want to add a tablespoon of flour in with the filling to tighten it.
These are so delicious! Everybody in my office loved them. One question: the filling was a little too liquidy. Did I not cook it long enough? It seemed set when I took it out of the oven. (I followed the recipe exactly.)
Hi Diane, It sounds like they either weren’t cooked long enough or weren’t allowed enough time to set before cutting into them. If your house is a little warm or humid it may have affected them setting up. I would pop them in the refrigerator next time to ensure that they set. Also, I always recommend using an oven thermometer to ensure the oven temperature is correct. You could have had them in there for the correct amount of time, but if the oven temperature was off it won’t matter.
Michelle, am finally going to make these this weekend. Do you use dark corn syrup or light? Thanks so much!!! Can’t tell you how much I love your blog!
For this recipe, I use light corn syrup. Enjoy the bars!
Michelle, what brand of chocolate do you like to use for these?
I know that Nestle makes a “chocolate chunks” product that I’ve used in the past, but lately I’ve been rough-chopping Ghiradelli baking bars. I think they taste much better!
Thanks! And sorry for additional questions but do you like ghirardelli semi-sweet or ghirardelli bittersweet for these? Finally, do you use unsalted butter or salted? (I see no additional salt in the recipe so wasn’t sure.)
You’re welcome! For these I like the semi-sweet. As for the butter, you can use salted butter and no additional salt, or you can use unsalted and add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt, whichever you have on hand.
These look sinful! I will be making them to take to work for our Christmas party!
I adapted this amazing recipe & posted the results on my blog. Huge success!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/2011/09/48.html
I made these yesterday and they are insanely delicious! I love your site and your recipes. I even bought a scale to weigh my dry ingredients (would love to know how to convert cups to grams/ounces) and I would LOVE more of your bar recipes if you have more?! I love making bar desserts, so delicious and easy! Actually, I made your coconut and chocolate blondies yesterday. I think I’m going to make something else this weekend, I can’t get enough of your recipes! I take them to the trainers at the gym that I go to and they eat them in minutes :)
Hi Naomi, So glad you liked these! You can find more bars and brownies listed in my recipe index here: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/recipe-index/
These are in the oven right now…..looks like I will be using many of your recipes. i have also shared them on FB.
I am needing a recipe to make for my brother as a gift…I want to use this one b/c he LOVES pecan pie but I will be shipping it to him from nc to fl…I need to know if these can be shipped without having to be refrigerated and how long they will last…
Hi Shay, Yes, these can be shipped without refrigeration (I store them at room temperature in the house). I would say they last a good 3 to 5 days, maybe a couple days longer.
I have a Christmas potluck at my work this week and couldn’t decide what dessert I wanted to bring. Thank you for solving that dilemma for me. Pecan Pie is such a traditional dessert and these bars will be something a little different that I think everyone will enjoy!
What a fun way to enjoy pecan pie without the hassle of making a pie crust!
Wow, these look absolutely delicious!
These look wonderful! Makes me wish I could eat pecans!
Yum! I love pecan pie, and especially in the form of a bar! Delish!
Hi Kim,
I’m not sure what blurb you saw, but when I Google this recipe, the blurb that shows up is the beginning of the recipe starting with the ingredients for the crust.
When I Googled pecan bars the Google blurb for this recipe says that “strangely enough there is cocoanut it it but you can’t taste the cocoanut.” I do NOT see that there is coconut in this at all ~~ STRANGE!
Kim- You’re seeing one of the comments that recommended a different pecan pie bar recipe with coconut by Paistry Queen. Did your search query include the word coconut? Google tailors the blurb to the search.
These bars are pretty sensational. I included them as a dessert option for Thanksgiving this year and they were a total hit! Thanks for the recipe. Keep them coming!
I tried the recipe with 1/3 cup of agave nectar and the corn syrup was not missed. Thanks for the recipe, they were NUM!!! Wish I hadn’t found them since they’re so addicting
Hi Anne,
I actually weigh all of my baking ingredients, but I would suggest using the liquid measuring cup for corn syrup. I hope you enjoy the pecan bars!
Hello, I intend to make these delicious looking bars. WOuld like to know when measuring the corn syrup, do you use the liquid measuring cup or the dry ings measuring cup?
I could eat those right now! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Sara – No problem at all, thank you for featuring me on your blog! :)
Contemporary Confections – I did a little research on substituting agave for corn syrup and found that you can indeed substitute, but that it should be used in a 1:2 ratio to the corn syrup. Since the recipe calls for 3/4 cup of corn syrup, I would recommend using about 1/3 cup agave in its place. The notes I read said that the other liquids in the recipe should be increased by about 1/3 cup. However, there are no other liquids in this recipe. The corn syrup helps to bind the “filling” in this recipe, so using less agave may cause it to be a bit drier, but I can’t be totally sure. Since I have never made the substitution I can’t guarantee how it will turn out, but would love for you to let me know if you try it!
Did you ever think to add 1/8 tsp of cayenne? Just gives a great recipe a little twist.
Spice Miser
Those look amazing! Beautiful photography. I hope you dont mind, I linked this post on my blog…they just looked so good. If you do mind, just shoot me an email, and I’ll remove it.
Those bars look so good!
Thank you Mathilde! :)
CONGRATS for the Top 9 on Foodbuzz
You have wonderful recipes but I have to make this one tomorrow. It looks delicious and I want something delicious.
These bars look divine; actually picture perfect.
Do you think I could use agave as a substitute for corn syrup in this recipe?
guff, Hubby would love these!
http://www.alovefornewrecipes.blogspot.com
I think I will be making these very soon! Thanks so much!
Yumm this looks soo good :) Great to see what got you baking all this awesome stuff!
These bars look absolutely amazing! This recipe is definitely going on my to-do list!
Oh yeah! These looks amazing. These would go so well with a cup of tea.
They look amazing–almost too good to eat, however, they will taste even better than they look I am sure, hope you had fun!
Aww, your first bar cookie – they look delicious :) These are the ones I made for years as my speciality: http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=10082
And they inspired my BakeOff recipe!
BigSis – I have not tried the Pastry Queen’s pecan pie bars yet – that book is on my wish list, but I’ve been seeing a lot of her stuff lately, so I think I need to buy it ASAP! Thanks for the nudge :)
These look incredible. Have you tried the Pecan Pie Bars from the Pastry Queen cookbook? Strangely enough, they have coconut in them, but you don’t taste coconut. You just taste yumminess!
So easy and delicious!I cant wait to make them!I’d sure love to guide our readers to your site if you won’t mind.Just add your choice of foodista widget to this post and it’s all set to go, Thanks!
Too good to be true!
They look awesome! I can’t wait to make them for a family event! :D
Elle – nope, no excuse :)
Pecan Pie is one of my favorites, and we hardly ever have it! But these look so easy, that I have no excuse, do I? Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Hi TammyJo – I would classify these as easier than making a pie, given that you are making the pie crust from scratch. If it is a pre-made pie crust you’re using, then I would give these a similar level of preparation. Hope that helps! :)
These look very much like I expect from pecan pie but in the bar form. Do you find them easier, more difficult or the same level of preparation as making a pie?
This look great! We have family coming in this weekend. Guess what they are getting :)
Yum! I always need easy dessert recipes because in my cooking group we alternate each course and i freak out when it’s my turn for dessert because I just suck so bad at baking!
Oh my, this looks like a keeper. especially for the Holidays…we are saving it. Thanks, s
Yum! Those look moist and delish!
I always have a hard time waiting for things to cool. I want to taste them right out of the oven. They look great!
That is the devil food… but still the best one! Well done!