Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Something about pecan pie has always seemed so intimidating to me. I don't know if its because I'm from the south and the south has a reputation for THE best pecan pie (pronounced "pee-can", by the way). But then I saw this bar version and it had chocolate chips in it, and that was it. I took one look at that title and new this was a pecan pie I could do.

 

It was a crumbly (and ridiculously easy) shortbread base that isn't too sweet; perfect for the decadent topping. And it all comes together so easy! Use your fingers to make the crust and while it browns in the oven, mix all the ingredients for the filling in one bowl and pour over the warm crust. The only hard part is allowing it to cool after baking!

Note: The first time I made these, I used light corn syrup and chocolate chips. The second time I used half light and half dark corn syrup and left out the chocolate chips and now I'm in a dilemma as to which version I liked better!

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars


For the Crust:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
¼ cup packed brown sugar

Filling:
3 large eggs
¾ cup corn syrup
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¾ cups coarsely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (or chocolate chunks in a bag!)
1½ cups chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

2. For the crust, mix together the flour, butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Press into the baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown.

3. For the filling, beat the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla extract with a wire whisk. Stir in the chunks and pecans. Pour evenly over the baked crust and bake for 25-30 minutes or until set.

4. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the refrigerator if you live in a warm/humid area with no air conditioning).