Pecan Pie Bars with Graham Cracker Crust – Recipe!

Pecan Pie says “Holidays”almost as much as those Christmas Carols we hear in stores everywhere.  This nutty pie is a fairly simple one to create, just a mixture of pecans, corn syrup or cane syrup, and plenty of eggs to thicken up the filling, while its being baked.

Bars are a nice alternative to pie because they slice up easy, you can make them days ahead, and they seem to go further at larger gatherings.  Usually the crust of a Pecan Pie is a traditional dough, but creating a graham cracker crust is a splendid alternative because of its simplicity and taste.  The crumbs adhere inside a pan quickly, right before the filling enters into the picture, and they seem to toast up into a uniform manner, leaving a crunchy yet, buttery crumb.

My filling in these bars is somewhere between chewy and gooey – a dessert paradise, so to speak.  I love the portability of these squares because you can tote them for miles without the worry of them making it to their final destination, whether it be Grandma’s house or Miami Beach.

Ingredients

Crust

1 package graham crackers, about 16

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Filling

3 large eggs

1 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 cup light brown sugar

4 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups whole pecans, toasted

(Makes 16 Squares)

To Prepare:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, pulse graham crackers, until coarse crumbs.  Add in butter and sugar and pulse again, until mixture begins to come together, about 10 pulses.

2.  Coat a 9 x 9 pan with cooking spray or brush with oil, and add graham cracker mixture.  Press into pan evenly.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven.

3.  In a stand mixer on medium speed, mix eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, flour and salt, until creamy smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add in pecans and stir by hand, until combined.

4.  Pour filling over warm crust and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly puffed and golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 1 hour. Slice into squares and serve, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.  Enjoy!