Salted Caramel Pecan Bars
Featuring a buttery shortbread crust, chewy caramel, and crunchy pecans, there's so much to love about these salted caramel pecan bars! Easier to make than pecan pie, you'll love these pecan pie bars for any holiday gathering.
Equipment
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 9 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp all-purpose flour *see notes below for measuring*
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Pecan Topping
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Salted Caramel
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅛ cup + 1 tbsp honey
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Flaky sea salt for after baking
Instructions
- Line a square 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until it forms pea-sized crumbles. Then press the shortbread dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Set the crust aside until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, combine the pecans, vanilla, flour, and salt. Set aside.
- To make the caramel, combine the sugar, cream, honey, and butter in a heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes or until the caramel reaches a golden brown color (about 250-255 F). Immediately pour the caramel into the bowl of pecans and fold quickly to combine.
- Immediately spread the caramel mixture on top of the shortbread base. Use a spatula to push and spread it around so it evenly covers the top. It’s okay if the edges or corners are bare they will fill in when it bakes!
- Bake for 10-13 minutes or until the top of the bar has little bubbles over the top. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt. Then let cool completely on a wire cooling rack before cutting. Enjoy!
Notes
*Measure your flour properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Line the pan. Caramel pecan bars can be very gooey and sticky, making it impossible to remove if you don't line the pan well with parchment paper!
Watch the caramel. Stove temperatures can vary. Watch the caramel and check for the temperature to be 250 F- 255 F and a golden brown color. Any higher than this will result in pecan bars that are crunchy and not chewy!
Wait for them to cool completely before cutting. Otherwise, the caramel will stick to the knife. If you are having trouble, chill the pan in the freezer for 15-20 minutes which should firm up the caramel and make it easier to cut.
Reheat your caramel pecan bars to soften the caramel before serving!