These decadent chocolate pecan pie bars combine everything you love about a classic pecan pie with the richness of chocolate and the ease of bar form. A buttery shortbread crust gets topped with gooey, chocolatey pecan pie filling that bakes up chewy on the edges and soft in the center.
Perfect for the holidays or anytime you want a decadent dessert that's easy to serve, these bars are less fussy than pie (though we do love this maple bourbon pecan pie) but just as satisfying!
Each bite delivers a mix of chewy and crunchy shrotbread, toasty pecans, and rich chocolate that make for a true crowd pleaser to grace your holiday table.
Chocolate and nuts are a classic flavor combination. Try some variations in our dark chocolate almond cookies, ferrero rocher brownies, chocolate granola, chocolate walnut cake, chocolate hazelnut cake, and chocolate lava cakes!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
A dessert mashup - pecan pie meets chocolate fudge in the best possible way!
Easy crust - whip up the shortbread crust and press it into the pan! No rolling pin needed.
Gooey filling - sweet, nutty, and the perfect chew in every single bite.
Make-ahead friendly - these store perfectly in the fridge for days, so you can make them well in advance of any holiday party or gathering.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour. The main base to the shortbread crust, creating both a chewy and crisp texture.
- Unsalted butter. Binds the shortbread crust to provide that classic shortbread flavor.
- Brown sugar. Used in both the crust and filling for an underlying molasses flavor.
- Light corn syrup. Gives the bars that classic pecan pie sweetness and chew.
- Heavy whipping cream. Gives the bars an extra silky texture and prevents crystallization.
- Eggs. These bind up the filling and help it bake evenly.
- Cocoa powder. Helps to stabilize the filling while adding extra chocolate flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate. Bring the actual chocolate to these chocolate pecan pie bars.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap dark chocolate for semi-sweet chocolate for a slightly more bitter variation with a deeper cocoa profile.
- Add up to 2oz of bourbon to the filling for a boozy twist.
- Use honey or maple syrup in place of corn syrup for a slightly different flavor profile.
- Try walnuts or even almonds instead of pecans.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the flour and salt until crumbly.
Two: Dollop pieces of dough all around the prepared pan, this makes it easier to get an even layer!
Three: Use a combination of fingertips and an offset spatula to press the dough in evenly. Bake while you prep the filling.
Four: Whisk together all of the filling ingredients until a smooth, thick batter forms.
Five: Add almost all of the toasted pecans to the baked crust and scatter into an even layer.
Six: Pour over the chocolate filling.
Seven: Sprinkle on the rest of the pecans, then bake and cool completely.
Eight: Slice the bars once fully cool, then top with a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt before serving.
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Expert Tips
- Toast and cool the chopped pecans for and extra depth of flavor.
- Don't over-bake! The center should have a slight jiggle when the pan is tapped (but not sloshy). Overbaking will cause the bars to curdle.
- Chill fully before slicing into the bars. The filling will fall out if they're not fully chilled.
- Run a knife under hot water or wipe it completely clean in between slices for clean, bakery style squares.
Testing Notes
- I went with a slightly higher ratio of flour to butter in the shortbread crust so that the base got extra crispy, but it still stayed chewy next to the filling. This was the textural contrast I was aiming for!
- Some pecan pies fall apart when slicing, and that couldn't be the case for the bars. I chose to add cocoa powder to stabilize the filling, while adding to the rich chocolate flavor.
- For the above reason, I also chose to use corn syrup. I know this can be a controversial ingredient, but it really does produce the best filling (in my opinion). You can use honey or maple syrup instead, but the filling will turn out slightly softer and less stable.
- I'm telling you, TOAST THOSE PECANS! The tested versions with toasted vs untoasted had a stark difference in taste, with the untoasted version lacking depth and crunch.
Recipe FAQs
No, but I highly recommend it as there is a noticeable flavor difference without toasting.
Yes. Bake the bars in a 9x13" pan with a very similar bake time. Check for doneness as listed in the recipe card.
This is highly recommended so you can easily lift the chilled bars out of the pan to slice them. Slicing the bars directly in the pan will be more difficult and can also ruin your pan.
Storage
Store the bars covered in the fridge for one week.
Freeze tightly wrapped bars in the freezer for up to two months. Unwrap completely and thaw in the fridge before serving.
What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Equipment
- 8x8" pan
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- Whisk
Ingredients
Shortbread crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Chocolate Pecan Pie Filling
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate melted
- 2 cups chopped pecans toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.
Crust
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy, then scrape down the sides.½ cup unsalted butter
- Add in the sugar and vanilla and mix until combined, then add in the flour and salt and mix until a clump of dough forms.¼ cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Press the dough into the prepared pan (get it the whole way to the corners and edges) and bake for 15 minutes.
Filling
- While the shortbread is baking, mix together the brown sugar and cocoa powder to get rid of any cocoa clumps.¾ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- Mix in the eggs, butter, heavy cream, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and melted chocolate until a smooth mixture forms.2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, ¾ cup light corn syrup, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
Assembly
- Remove the crust from the oven and top evenly with almost all of the pecans. Pour over the chocolate mixture and spread evenly.2 cups chopped pecans
- Sprinkle with the remaining pecans.
- Return to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until set around the edges and has a slight jiggle in the center (but not sloshy). Gently place a piece of foil on top to prevent too much browning, if needed.
- Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for 2-3 hours before cutting and serving.
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