Pecan pie bars are a happy accidental discovery. In March 2023, the month after I licensed my home bakery business, I baked a variety of cookies that displayed my abilities, wrote up an introduction letter, and took it to local small businesses that I hoped would be interested in carrying my baked goods. I received an encouraging response, especially at Papa Bears BBQ. The owner, Mike, came out and said he would like to carry mini pecan pies. At the time, state law did not allow my home bakery to make pecan pie, so I did some research and found the recipe for pecan pie bars, baked a batch, and took it in to Mike and his team. They all loved these bars, began selling them, and they have been very popular ever since. I decided to keep this product as an exclusive for Papa Bears out of appreciation for their support and to support their small business. I had other shops that wanted to carry them, but I will not trade my values for the pursuit of sales and money. When I scaled back my business, I hated to give up this account, but I gave Mike’s sister the recipe and details so she could bake them for the restaurant.
It felt good to have a successful business and I learned so much from the experience as a business owner. I was so nervous taking my baked goods around to get business, but I feel proud of myself that I did not let my fears hold me back. It was also brave to try a new recipe and sell a product that I never had even eaten. Eventually I made the bars gluten-free so I could taste them and I understood their popularity. The are rich but very addictive! The addition of honey bourbon was an idea to add a little more flavor and a subtle distinction.
Pecan Pie Bars
Crust:
- 254 grams butter, softened to ~ 65°F (18 tablespoons)
- 160 grams brown sugar (3/4 cups packed)
- 300 grams all-purpose flour or GF 1:1 flour (3 cups)
- ½ tsp. salt
- Filling
- 113 grams butter (8 tablespoons)
- 84 grams honey
- 80 grams light brown sugar (6 tablespoons)
- 28 grams heavy cream or milk (or 14g honey bourbon and 14g cream) (2 tablespoons)
- 25 grams granulated sugar (2 tablespoons)
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 227 grams chopped pecans (2 cups)
Filling:
- 113 grams butter (8 tablespoons)
- 84 grams honey
- 80 grams light brown sugar (6 tablespoons)
- 28 grams heavy cream or milk (or 14g honey bourbon and 14g cream) (2 tablespoons)
- 25 grams granulated sugar (2 tablespoons)
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 227 grams chopped pecans (2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a metal 9×13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
First, make the crust by beating the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. Add the flour and salt and mix well. Press the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan. Prick the dough all over. Bake until lightly golden, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
While the crust is baking, make the filling. Place all the filling ingredients except the pecans in a saucepan. Stir regularly over medium-high heat until the mixture is smooth and just starts to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pecans.
Gently pour the hot filling over the hot crust, spreading it to all the edges in an even layer. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake 15-20n minutes, until all of the filling is bubbling across the surface.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. If parchment paper was used, lift the bars out before cutting, remove the paper and use a cutting board to cut into 18 or 24 squares or 12 large rectangles.
Store leftovers airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, refrigerate up to 8 days, or freeze for longer storage.
