Rich, gooey brown butter pecan pie bars with a tender shortbread crust and deep caramel flavor. An easy, no-crust holiday dessert that slices beautifully and disappears fast. Perfect for make-ahead gatherings or a cozy treat at home.
make the crust
1 Heat the oven to 350°F.
2 Line a 13×9-inch pan with parchment or foil, leaving an overhang so you can lift the bars out later. Lightly grease the lining.
Brown the butter.
4 Add the butter to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it turns golden, smells toasty, and the milk solids deepen in color — about 6–8 minutes. Pour into a mixing bowl to stop the cooking.
Mix the crust.
6 Whisk in the sugar and salt. Add the flour and stir until everything is evenly moistened. The dough will be soft — that’s perfect.
7 Press into the pan.
8 Pat the crust mixture into an even layer, nudging it into the corners.
9 Bake for 15 minutes.
10 When it comes out, gently tap down any puffed areas so the filling sits evenly.
make the filling
13 In a large bowl, whisk together the browned butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
14 Add the pecans.
15 Stir in the pecan halves so they’re fully coated.
16 Pour over the crust.
17 Spread into an even layer and sprinkle with smoked salt.
bake the bars
19 Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, until the filling is puffed, set, and no longer jiggles in the center.
20 Cool completely.
21 Let the pan sit until the bars are fully cooled, then use the parchment overhang to lift the whole slab out. Cut into squares and try not to eat half the pan while “taste testing.”
