It is true.
The world might be ending.
But I say that every time I share something with nuts—those crunchy little devils that often ruin brownies for me.
It’s a little early to talk Thanksgiving, but planning ahead never hurts. People post Thanksgiving recipes early, and I don’t like feeling left out. As a first-born Scorpio and chronic people-pleaser, exclusion is the worst.
So here I am: included.
Now—don’t even say you don’t like nuts. Pecan pie is an exception, and I’ll defend that stance fiercely.
I blame this blog for my obsession with pecan pie variations. And I call them “things” because I’m not fixated on pie itself—I want cheesecake, brownies, bars—anything but the traditional pie shell.
Remember way back when I made those bourbon pecan pie brownies? It feels like forever ago, when I thought photographing food on a diagonal was cool. Those brownies started this whole obsession.
Yes, I’m aware nuts can ruin many desserts—cookies and brownies included. But I became a hypocrite and made an entire dessert built around nuts because the sweet, gooey, crunchy pecan filling had worked its way into my heart.
Last year I made no-bake bourbon pecan pie cheesecakes with a full-on spoonable pecan filling. It’s teeth-rotten sweet in the best possible way—so good you could serve it in small bowls and be perfectly content.
This dessert is decadence defined—rich, indulgent, and ideal for holiday gatherings. It’s a great solution if you’re tired of pumpkin everything and secretly craving chocolate after Thanksgiving dinner. One bite—or four—will do the trick.
Even better: these bars freeze beautifully. Make a big pan, freeze extras, and enjoy them all holiday season long. That way you never have to feel left out.
I like it that way.
Salted Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
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Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces high-quality dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 cups unsalted pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt
Instructions
Crust
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil or parchment and spray with nonstick spray.
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Make the crust: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, flour and salt on low, then increase to medium until coarse crumbs form and the mixture is almost dough-like. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 30–35 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool 10–15 minutes.
Filling
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For the filling, whisk together the eggs, corn syrup and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the bourbon and vanilla. Fold in the chopped chocolate and pecans, then pour the filling over the warm crust. Bake 30–40 minutes, until the center is set (mine took closer to 40 minutes). Remove from the oven and sprinkle with flaked sea salt.
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Cool completely before cutting into squares. These are excellent chilled and they freeze well for make-ahead convenience.
Notes
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Somebody needs to hide the leftovers.