German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
I now have a three-way tie for the best ever dessert bar recipes on the planet. If there are any space aliens who bake out there, then I’d have to declare these bars the best in the universe!
If you are a fan of German chocolate cake, as I am, and love all things chocolate, chewy, gooey, and crunchy, then you are going to love these German chocolate pecan pie bars. As I mentioned, they are in a tie for first place with macadamia double decker brownie bars and traditional pecan pie bars. A common factor with all three bars is that they are chewy, gooey, and crunchy. Two out of the three have chocolate as a prime ingredient, but the lack of chocolate in the traditional pecan pie bars doesn’t take away from how fabulous they are. (If I may add a fourth bar recipe to the list of outstanding, must-make bars, it would be my pumpkin bars which are tender and moist cake-like bars. No chocolate, no nuts—no problem!)
Anyway, back to these German chocolate pecan pie bars…the first step is making a chocolate shortbread crust. Immediately after taking the crust out of the oven, you sprinkle semisweet chocolate chips evenly over it and let it sit. You do not have to spread the chocolate chips over the crust as they should remain whole which gives yet another texture to the bars as they provide a soft chocolate “crunch” along with the traditional crunch of the nuts. Next, you mix up the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter and stir in the coconut and nuts. Then you pour the mixture over the partially baked crust and do the final baking.
The hardest part of making these is waiting for the bars to cool off and then be refrigerated for maximum chewiness. Believe me when I say the wait will be worth it!
German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups pecan halves
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Arrange pecans in a single layer of a shallow baking pan. Bake 4 to 6 minutes or until lightly toasted. Stir halfway through baking. I used the pecan halves, but I found their size made the bars difficult to cut. Next time (and there will definitely be a next time!), I plan to cut the pecan halves in half.
Line the bottom and sides of a 9″x 13″x baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on two short sides. Grease foil.
Pulse flour, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and butter in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.*
*My kitchen was warm when I made these, and the butter for the crust softened too quickly which made it very difficult for me to press the dough into the pan bottom. If the dough for the crust is too soft, it should be refrigerated until it’s easier to handle.
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over crust. You do not need to spread the chocolate when it’s melted.
Allow to cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes.
Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat lightly. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter. Whisk together until smooth. Stir in the coconut and pecans.
Pour evenly over the partially baked crust.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the filling has set. Keep an eye on them—you may need to cover the pan with foil a few minutes prior to the 25-minute mark to prevent the top and sides from darkening too much before the filling has set.
Cool completely on a wire rack. Then, refrigerate for an hour.
Using foil overhang, lift the bars from the pan and place on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into bars. Bars are best when refrigerated.
Notes
Shortbread crusts like this one can be a bit tricky. The mixture will not hold together on its own, but it should hold together when pinched. Be sure your ingredient measurements are accurate and press the crust firmly into the bottom of the pan.
Source: A recipe from Bake or Break