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Best Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars – Easy Holiday Dessert

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These Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars are a quick and easy holiday dessert with a buttery shortbread crust, a rich maple-bourbon pecan filling, and a perfect balance of sweet and smoky flavors. They’re ideal for entertaining and can be made ahead.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks / 226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (320g) pure maple syrup
  • 3/4 cup (165g) packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick / 57g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (200g) pecan halves, toasted and roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides. Lightly spray with non-stick spray or brush with melted butter.
  2. Make the shortbread crust: In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup softened butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mixing on low until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
  3. Press dough evenly into the prepared pan. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden around edges and set in center. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Keep oven on.
  4. While crust cools, spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop. Reserve 1/4 cup for topping.
  5. Make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Stir in 1 3/4 cups chopped pecans.
  6. Pour filling over par-baked crust. Sprinkle reserved pecans on top. Bake for 22-28 minutes until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly. A knife inserted in center should come out clean or with a little sticky filling.
  7. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (at least 2 hours, or refrigerate 1 hour). Use parchment handles to lift bars out. Slice into 24 squares (6×4) or 16 larger bars. For clean slices, chill 30 minutes before cutting.

Notes

For best results, use real maple syrup (Grade A Dark Amber) and a good-quality bourbon like Bulleit or Maker’s Mark. Toast pecans for deeper flavor. Let bars cool completely before slicing to avoid a gooey mess. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. For dairy-free, use vegan butter. For alcohol-free, replace bourbon with 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 1 tbsp apple cider or water.

Nutrition

Keywords: pecan pie bars, maple bourbon, holiday dessert, easy pecan bars, shortbread crust, Thanksgiving dessert, Christmas dessert

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