Cheesecake Pecan Bars

You may notice a theme here: fall treats laden with hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds…autumn seems to be the perfect season to celebrate the brilliance of the nut. Buttery and rich, a touch sweet, and with an earthy variance in flavors as subtle as the gradient in fall colors. These cheesecake pecan bars simply jump on that nutty bandwagon, with the added bonus of a creamy, vanilla-packed layer of cheesecake to balance out the sticky sweetness of corn syrup and brown sugar caramelized around the pecans. What’s extra fun about this recipe is the magical switch that seems to happen after popping them in the oven: when you pour all of the layers into the pan, the cheesecake layer goes first, followed by the heaps of pecans and pecan pie filling. When the bars make their post-oven appearance, the pecan pie filling layer has miraculously drifted to the bottom, the cheesecake has floated to the middle, and the syrupy pecans have stayed perfectly on top. Who knows what happens in that oven, but somehow this new concoction emerges and is exactly what you need to make for your Friendsgiving or just for a coworker potluck.

Pecan pie, as you’ll know from our previous post (Classic Pecan Pie Bars) is one of our favorite fall/Thanksgiving treats. Add in cheesecake, and you’ve got another winner. This was an experiment, by special request of a colleague, and turned out remarkably well. The shortbread crust is not too dry and not too thick (gluten free crusts are notoriously finicky), and the layers of smooth, barely sweet cheesecake, overwhelmingly caramelized custardy filling, and crisp, sugar-dipped-fall pecans are simply lovely together. It helps that this recipe is simple (not too many ingredients) and so so easy to toss together. The baking time is the only hold up, though if you pop them in the oven just after dinner, they’ll be ready to cool and reserve in the fridge overnight for any next-day activities. Or just make them in the morning and enjoy them all day.

Another great perk of pecan pie bars, and cheesecake pecan pie bars, is that they’re dangerously easy to eat, giving them an edge on other more traditional pie shapes and slices. You can easily grab a square of these and hold it in one hand, munching away, while typing up an email or stirring up the next batch of goodies. As with all recipes, figure out your favorite – if one ingredient seems too much or too little, experiment until you find your perfect version of these gluten free cheesecake pecan pie bars. Do what tastes good!

Print Recipe

Gluten Free Cheesecake Pecan Pie Bars

Creamy plus pecan pie in bar form

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: bars, cheesecake, pecan, pecan pie, pie

Servings: 20 people

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• 9×13 inch pan

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 1/4  Cup gluten free flour 1-1 mix with xanthan gum
• 1/2 Cup arrowroot starch
• 1/4 white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 Cup salted butter cold and cubed
• 1 large egg

For the cheesecake layer:

• 2 8-oz packs of cream cheese room temperature
• 1/3 Cup white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs

For the pecan layer:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 3/4 Cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/3 Cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup melted salted butter
• 2 1/2 Cups pecan halves

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Prep a 9×13 inch pan: grease with butter or cooking spray then line with parchment paper, and grease again then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients for the crust, then add the cold cubed butter and knead into the dry ingredients until crumbly and sandy. Add the egg and water and knead into the dough. Once combined, press crust into the bottom of the pan and set aside.
• In a clean large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the room temp cream cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth and combined. Pour the cheesecake batter into the unbaked crust and use a spatula to smooth until evenly distributed.
• In the same large bowl, cleaned, whisk all filling ingredients except pecans until combined and thick. Pour in the pecans and stir with a spatula. Pour filling on top of the cheesecake layer and spread until pecans are evenly distributed. Bake for 50-60 minutes until center is nearly solid but edges aren’t too dark. Let cool before lifting out and slicing.

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your bars!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber