These have been proclaimed the house favorite by all three of my roommates out of all the things I’ve baked so far while living here in the UK. They’re THAT good. These gluten free pecan pie bars aren’t just any old pecan pie bars, they’ve got a buttery shortbread crust, they’ve got bourbon, they’ve got chocolate, and they’ve got a so much richness that you may just fall asleep after eating one. I wanted to make a pecan pie for our belated house Thanksgiving + early Christmas dinner that we put together last Friday in our little row house here in Oxford, but after pondering making a pie crust (something I’m still terrified of so I rarely do it), I decided on the much easier and possibly even better, pecan pie bars. But why stop at just the normal pecan filling? Why not add a generous splash of bourbon (or brandy!) and a handful of chocolate chips while you’re at it. They’re some of the best things I’ve ever made and I highly recommend you make yourself a batch too.
Tips for Ultra Decadent Gluten Free Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars:
- Let your shortbread crust cool before pouring in the filling! Gluten free crust is a bit more fragile than “normal” crust, so let it cool/set before pouring on your filling!
- Let bars cool completely before slicing! This may be the biggest tip I have, especially if you’re serving these for a party or anywhere where dessert aesthetics are generally important. If you want really cleanly-sliced bars, make sure you use parchment paper in the pan so that you can lift the entire set of bars out AFTER they cool completely, then you can even freeze them (out of the pan) and slice with a heated knife (using a lighter or a pitcher of hot water) to slice them into perfect rectangles/squares!
- Don’t overthink it – these are some of the EASIEST treats on the entire blog, but they’re also the most decadent! You really don’t need any fancy tools or ingredients, and they always taste amazing even if you end up slicing them while warm and they get a little messy.
If you love pecans as much as we do, try making these browned butter pecan shortbread, or these cranberry orange pecan muffins, or this chocolate pecan tart!
Gluten Free Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 inch cake pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ¼ Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix that contains xanthan gum 205g if it doesn't contain xanthan gum add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum 2g
- ½ Cup cornstarch 70g cornflour in the UK
- ¼ Cup packed almond flour 40g
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar 20g
- 1 Tbsp white sugar 15g
- ¼ tsp salt 2g
- 1 cup salted butter room temp 227g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Cup light corn syrup or golden syrup
- 1 Cup packed brown sugar 212g
- 2 Tbsp bourbon 30ml
- ½ Cup melted salted butter 118ml
- ¼ tsp salt 2g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract 10ml
- 3 cups chopped pecan halves 363g
- ¾ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 148g
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper and grease the parchment, then set aside. Make the crust! In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, packed blanched almond flour, salt, powdered and white sugar. Cut the butter into cubes and then work the butter and vanilla into the flour mixture until it packs together and becomes smooth. Once it's smooth, press the shortbread crust mixture into the prepared pan until you've got an even crust. Bake for 15 minutes until just tinged golden, then remove and let cool while you make the filling!
- Make the filling! In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, and the light corn syrup (or golden syrup in the UK) until smooth. Add in the melted salted butter, bourbon (or brandy), vanilla, and salt and whisk until smooth again. Finally, fold in the chopped raw pecans and chocolate chips, then pour the mixture on top of the semi-cooled crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center barely moves when the pan is shifted, then remove and let cool completely before slicing and serving!
Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your bars!
Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber
One Comment
Debra S. Kingsley
These were very tasty, however, I think the instructions should include bringing the dough for the crust up the sides. The liquid filling got under the crust and ruined it. I should have seen this coming but didn’t. Next time I’ll bring the crust up the sides of the pan so that the liquid filling does not get under.