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If there was ever a nutty bar that screamed fall, it’s these ooey-gooey Brown Sugar Maple Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars. Made with brown sugar and sweet maple syrup, this sugar cookie base is soft, buttery, and has just the right amount of sweet maple flavor. But then, there’s the pecan pie topping. The topping is made sweet with maple syrup and a little brown sugar, plus eggs to keep everything extra gooey. There’s also a generous amount of nutty pecans, and of course, plenty of chocolate chips too. There’s really nothing not to love about these brown sugar maple pecan pie bars. Perfect for the weekend or even the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner. Or really…whenever you’re in need of a deliciously sweet and nutty chocolate pecan bar.
Not sure there’s a better way to welcome in the weekend than with these bars. These remind me so much of Thanksgiving, they’ve got me so excited. I’m not jumping ahead by any means, just excited for all that’s to come in the next couple of months.
The world has had a tough year, everyone can agree on that. But in my eyes, at least the holidays will end the year on a bright and happy note, you know? That means that this year I’m trying to make them even more special. I’ve already begun my planning, prep, and recipes…so excited!
Or at least I’m attempting to plan and prep. My organization skills these days are very poor, but I’m trying!
In all honesty, this recipe was pretty unplanned and happened at the last minute. And as often happens with last-minute recipes, it’s already one of my favorites. These sweet, nutty, chocolate bars combine two of my favorite desserts. They’re easy. And they’re delicious!
The Inspiration.
As I said above, these were unplanned. I was working on another recipe, one that I hope to share soon, but it just was not turning out how I had envisioned it in my head. As I was testing one recipe, I had this recipe brewing in my head.
I thought back to these glazed brown sugar maple cookies from a few weeks ago. Remembering just how much we all loved them, I thought…I’d love to use the recipe again in some way.
And then, I thought about Thanksgiving, and pie, and all the pies my family truly enjoys. Everyone’s favorite is my mom’s chocolate chip cookie pie. But for my mom, dad, and me, it’s a tie between chocolate chip cookie pie and pecan pie.
We love them both dearly.
So I began to think of marrying the two and suddenly I had a whole new recipe to test. I pretty much stopped what I was doing and started working on these. It was a good decision.
These bars are pretty easy, here are the steps.
Start with the base cookie layer. Instead of just a plain pie crust, I wanted to use a crust that actually enhanced the pecan pie filling. Enter the maple brown sugar cookie crust. Once baked, it’s soft, buttery, and hinted with just the right amount of maple.
And they’re simple. I’m talking really simple. Just beat the butter with sugar, add maple syrup, add an egg, add in the dry ingredients, press the dough into the pan, and bake. There is absolutely nothing fancy here and you don’t have to roll out any pie dough. Easy. Easy.
It’s important to pre-bake the crust before adding the pecan pie layer. So while the cookie crust bakes, make the filling.
And the filling is easy too. Mix everything together, add plenty of pecans and chocolate chips, then pour it over the pre-baked cookie crust. That’s it, simple as can be and turns out the gooiest, sweetest bars.
The key is all in the use of maple syrup. It keeps the bars sweet (with autumn flavor) and really gooey too. The chocolate chips end up melting into the maple syrup. The outcome is soft on the bottom, gooey on top…and so DELICIOUS!
Once the bars are out of the oven, let them cool a bit, then just slice and serve. Or if you’re like me…and have no patience at all, wait just a little bit, then cut while warm. They’re going to be a little messier, but that warm and gooey chocolate is so worth it.
I really shouldn’t recommend cutting the bars warm because it’s not the right thing to do…but I’m recommending it anyway. I’m also going to put it out there that a little flaky sea salt on top is not a bad idea either.
Buttery, sweet, hinted with brown sugar and maple, heavy on the pecans and chocolate. And extra gooey.
Pretty close to perfect. Also…if you bake these up this weekend, your house is going to smell a little bit like Thanksgiving. Yep, just a little teaser to get you excited for what’s to come.
Looking for other autumn pecan recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Slice n’ Bake Salted Chocolate Butter Pecan Cookies
Extra Sticky Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
Pecan Pie Cookies with Butter Pecan Frosting
Browned Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Butter Pecan Frosted Fudge Brownies
Lastly, if you make this Brown Sugar Maple Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Brown Sugar Maple Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 183 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 sticks (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pecan Filling
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
- 2 cups roughly chopped pecans
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2 In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the maple syrup and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, beat until combined and the dough forms a ball. If the dough feels too wet, add 2-4 tablespoons additional flour. Spread the dough out into the prepared dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden on top. 3. Meanwhile, make the pecan filling. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and bourbon (if using) beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. 4. Gently pour the pecan filling over the cookie crust, spreading the filling in an even layer. It will be thin. Return to the oven and bake another 20-25 minutes, until the bars are golden brown and just set in the center. They should wiggle a bit. Let cool, then cut into bars and enjoy!
Notes
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Storing: these bars keep well for up to 1 week at room temperature or in the fridge.
We had the same issues that everyone else has mentioned below (literally all of them). The bars didn’t turn out as we’d hoped. I would echo the sentiment that with the cost of these ingredients being what it is, I wouldn’t make these again. At least not until the recipe has been tweaked in order to successfully achieve proper results. I would imagine others below are not all brand new to baking (I certainly am not), so must assume the recipe itself is flawed and this is not a case of baker’s error!
Hi Cassidy! I am really sorry you had trouble with these… What problems did you have? I would love to help! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, do you think I can bake this without parchment paper? I don’t have have any, and I’m not sure if I need it. What is the parchment paper used for?
Hey Mariam,
Yes you can do this without parchment paper, just be sure your pan is well greased. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Hi! Just made these for a lovely thanksgiving and can attest – it smells wonderful! Once I cut them open, I noticed the maple syrup had sunk to the bottom of the pie crust part. Is that normal? Want to make sure I am not using old/bad syrup 🙂 Thank you!! Love all your recipes
Hey Mary,
Yes that us normal. Thanks so much for trying the recipe! xTieghan
Do you recommend pre-toasting the pecans at all or better to use raw ones?
Hey Jessica,
Either one is fine to use. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
HI! Making these for thanksgiving- can I prepare the base ahead and store the dough in the fridge until I am ready to bake?
Hey Brittany,
Yes, that will be fine to do. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
I followed the recipe exactly and came out perfect. I usually reduce the amount of sugar in most recipes but I used what was recommended. Everyone in my family agreed it had the right amount of sweetness.
Thank you Alexandra!! xTieghan
These were not great, especially given the cost of the ingredients (pecans and real maple syrup). The problem is that the cake-like bottom, which in typical recipes like this is made of shortbread, did not provide any crunch or taste. Rather it was sort of like a soft cardboard. I would suggest a more shortbread type bottom for more contrast and taste. Oh well.
Hi Fiona! I am sorry these did not turn out well for you. Is there anything I can help with? xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
This is my first time commenting but I’ve been following your blog for a while and made quite a few of your recipes. My personal faves are the Healthier crockpot butter chicken and these bars!
I made them as bars and they were perfect, but I’m wondering what suggestions you might have for how to make them transportable and easy to share while being Covid-friendly? As in, would it be possible to make these as cupcakes? Or some other single-serving format? Thanks in advance!
Hey Jessica,
Thanks so much for following along and making the recipes! Personally I think these are great to use for single serving if you slice and wrap individually. Here are some other ideas:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chocolate-bourbon-pecan-pie-cupcakes-butter-pecan-frosting/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/bourbon-caramel-pretzel-cookies/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/crinkly-caramel-stuffed-brownie-cookies/
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could you freeze these bars? I’ve made them several times to much success (and they don’t last long at my house) but was thinking I might make ahead and freeze for Thanksgiving. What are your thoughts?
Hey Rachel,
I think that would be fine to do! Thanks so much for trying the recipe:) xTieghan
Thr first thing my husband said after he tasted these were, ‘never make these again!’ They are sooooooooo addictive, delicious and not too sweet. Simple to make. Thank you for the recipe?
I am so happy you loved these, Ashley!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Hello, one question, is it 1 cup plus 1/2 half of chocolate chips? Or 2 cups and one half?
Hey Beatriz,
You will want to use 1 cup or if you like them extra chocolatey you can use 1 1/2 cups. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, would like to make these, but I am the only one in my family who will eat them. Can I freeze them?
Hey Elysse,
Yes that is fine to do:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made these last week and the lasted only 3 days in my house! Do you think I could keep all the measurements the same and make this in pie form? Wanting to do this for Thanksgiving – thanks!
Hey Kerrie,
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! If you wanted to do pie form I would just follow this recipe: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/salted-bourbon-pecan-pumpkin-pie/
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I ended up adding 3 tbsp of extra flour to form the “ball” of dough, but it was still a bit hard to spread since it was so sticky. Next time, when I pour the pecan pie filling over the crust, I’m going to try avoiding pouring it near the end she’s, because it leaked over the sides and made all the perimeter pieces goopy underneath. All the middle pieces were fine and had a nice, crunchy bottom, but all the edge pieces were wet and slimy. My mom said the taste was amazing though!
I am really glad this turned out well for you, Beth! I am sorry you had some trouble.. I would love to help if you have any questions! xTieghan
The taste is really great- thank you! I however had similar issues as many of the others- the dough was quite sticky (using the 1/4 c maple syrup) and even with the addition of 4 tbsp flour- it was no where near a ball and was not easy to spread. I ended up baking first for another few min just to make sure it set. Then let it cool for 15 min to make sure it wasn’t undercooked before I added the topping and put it back in the oven. It’s a tiny bit dry and definitely more cake like texture – however still really tasty!
I am really glad you enjoyed these bars! Thank you so much for trying them! xTieghan