Nutty, chocolatey, fruity—this pecan bar recipe has it all. Nosh on a pecan bar cookie at snack time or serve a platter of these tantalizing treats at Thanksgiving.
Pecan Pie Pre-Portioned
This year discover the flavors of pecan pie made easier in a cookie that doubles as an easy dessert to bake and take. Rather than a flaky pie crust that has to be par-baked and cooled before being filled and garnished to bake again, this pecan bar recipe focuses on a shortbread cookie crust. It’s perfectly sandy and a great foundation for the toppings.
Treat Yourself Year-Round to a Pecan Bar Cookie
For the pecan bar cookies, we use Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Dried Mission Figs which give it a jammy familiar flavor from another bar cookie reminiscent of childhood. The black mission figs are a natural pairing for semisweet chocolate as their flavors meld together. You could also use our California Dried Golden Figs and if you decide to go that route, try swapping in white chocolate or even a dulcey-style feve for the semisweet.
Without pecans, there is no pecan bar recipe. They are the hero of this dessert which is a pecan lover’s dream. Did you know pecans are the official nut of Texas, Alabama, and other states? This beloved nut is a great featured ingredient year-round, not just at the big November feast. Make sure to use fresh pecans for the recipe. To store pecans and extend their shelf-life, keep them in the freezer.
Chocolate-California Fig Pecan Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cups sugar divided
- 10 tbsp butter or margarine
- 8 ounces Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs chopped
- 3/4 cups pecans chopped
- 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
- 3 eggs large
- 3/4 cups light corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, stir together flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Add butter, cut into small pieces. With pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Mixture will be dry.)
- Press crust in bottom of lightly greased 13-x-9-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Sprinkle figs, pecans and chocolate morsels over crust. Lightly beat eggs, gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, corn syrup and vanilla until well blended. Pour over crust. Return to oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until filling is firm around edges and slightly soft at center. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars.
