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maple bacon pecan pie bars - featured image

Fall Maple Bacon Pecan Pie Bars

  • Author: Thea
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 16 servings 1x

Description

Rich, chewy, and salty-sweet holiday bars featuring a buttery shortbread crust, a gooey maple-pecan filling, and crispy bacon topping.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) 100% pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (100g) chopped pecans, toasted
  • 6–8 slices thick-cut bacon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease lightly.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix softened butter, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla until creamy. Add flour and mix until a cohesive dough forms.
  3. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Prick with a fork.
  4. Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes until lightly golden around edges. Remove and leave oven on.
  5. While crust bakes, toast pecans in a dry skillet for 3-4 minutes until fragrant, then chop coarsely.
  6. Cook bacon in the same skillet until just starting to crisp but still flexible. Drain on paper towels, cool, and chop into small pieces.
  7. In a large bowl, whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt vigorously for 1-2 minutes until emulsified.
  8. Stir in chopped pecans and half of the chopped bacon.
  9. Pour filling over the partially baked crust. Sprinkle remaining bacon evenly over the top.
  10. Bake for 35-40 minutes until edges are bubbly and center is set but has a slight jiggle. Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
  11. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours (or refrigerate for an hour) before cutting.

Notes

Toast pecans to enhance flavor. Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Thick-cut bacon is essential to prevent burning. Cool completely before cutting for clean squares. Can be made gluten-free by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Can be made dairy-free by using dairy-free butter.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bar
  • Calories: 280
  • Sugar: 24
  • Sodium: 220
  • Fat: 16
  • Saturated Fat: 7
  • Carbohydrates: 32
  • Fiber: 2
  • Protein: 4

Keywords: pecan pie bars, maple bacon bars, holiday dessert, shortbread crust, fall baking, easy dessert, make-ahead dessert

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Find it online: https://rootrecipes.online/fall-maple-bacon-pecan-pie-bars-15-easy-holiday-bars/