These are the best Vegan Pecan Bars, with a caramel pecan filling and melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust. Better than pecan pie and made without corn syrup!
I have even more vegan dessert bar recipes that taste just like pie, like these Salted Caramel Apple Bars, these Pumpkin Crumble Bars, and these Blueberry Pie Bars!
These Vegan Pecan Pie Bars are perhaps my favorite dessert of all time. Somehow, they taste even BETTER than pecan pie. It’s probably their gooey, caramel-y pecan topping and the amazing shortbread crust that’s even faster to make than my Vegan Pie Crust.
I tested and retested this recipe to keep the steps as simple and fuss-free as possible. Just 1 bowl and 15 minutes of hands-on prep! The only hard part is waiting for them to cool and set so you can eat them.
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“I made these instead of pie this year. OMG. Extremely easy, dangerously delicious. 20/10” – Amber
Why you’ll love these pecan squares
- Just like pecan pie – If you want all the goodness of my Amazing Vegan Pecan Pie without actually baking a pie, then these pecan pie bars are for you.
- Very easy! Both the shortbread crust and pecan pie filling are a breeze to make in one bowl. Even better, there’s no corn syrup!
- Make-ahead holiday dessert – Oven space is precious around the holidays. Luckily, these pecan bars can be made days or weeks ahead of time, taking one more thing off your to-do list.
How to make vegan pecan bars
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
To make the shortbread crust, start by combining the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold vegan butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Dump the mixture into a parchment-lined pan and press it into an even layer. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside.
Make the pecan topping: In the now-empty bowl, stir together the brown sugar, brown rice syrup, milk, melted butter, cornstarch, and vanilla. Fold in the pecans.
Pour the topping over the crust and spread it out to the edges of the pan. Bake the pecan bars until the top is bubbling.
Let cool at room temperature for a few hours to set. You may also transfer them to the fridge to set faster.
Slice and serve the bars: Lift the bars out of the pan and slice them into 16 large bars. Enjoy!
Soften before serving
These bars firm up really well in the fridge, which means they could be a bit too hard to eat right away. For the best texture, set them on the kitchen counter for 10 to 20 minutes before serving so they can soften.
Frequently asked questions
A few of my readers have used an equal amount of corn syrup or maple syrup as substitutes with good results.
I haven’t tested it myself, but a quality gluten-free all-purpose flour should work instead of regular flour.
The sliced pecan squares will keep for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I’m lucky if they last this long in my house!
They do! Keep the bars in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Just keep in mind they will be really hard straight out of the freezer, so let them soften before biting into one!
Vegan Pecan Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup vegan butter, cold
Pecan Topping
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 2/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 3 tablespoons melted vegan butter
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
- optional: coarse salt, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the vegan butter with a pastry cutter, or two knives. The mixture will look like fine crumbs. Place in the prepared pan and press down evenly with your hands to form the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside while you make the topping.
- Make the topping: In the same large bowl you made the crust in, stir together the brown sugar, brown rice syrup, non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, cornstarch and vanilla until well combined and smooth. Fold in the pecans, then pour over the crust. Use a spatula to spread it out as evenly as possible.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pecan topping is bubbling. Remove from the oven, and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then let them cool at room temperature for a few hours to set. You can set them faster in the refrigerator, but let them come to room temperature before serving or they will be hard to bite into.
- Carefully lift the parchment paper with the bars out of the pan and slice into bars with a large sharp knife. I like to cut off the edges as well because they can get very hard. Store leftover bars in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.
Notes
- For Salted Caramel Pecan Bars, sprinkle with coarse salt right after they come out of the oven.
- For gluten-free, use a gluten-free all purpose flour instead of regular flour.
- The pecan bars freeze well in a covered container.
- This recipe makes 16 large bars, but you can cut them smaller if you’d like. For a party, I might cut them into 32 squares. Nutritional information is for 1 large bar (16 total.)
These are delicious! Instead of the brown rice syrup, I used a maple syrup aged in bourbon barrels. A huge hit! Definitely will make again. Thank you for an amazing recipe!
This is so easy to make & very popular with my non-vegan friends. I often substitute the pecan nuts with mixed nuts when the supermarket is out of stock. I also use the base to make other things – I sometimes cook the base longer (about 30 mins) & when cool, I top it with a jam (raspberry or blackcurrant) & some tinned vegan custard and some desiccated coconut which is also a great success.
Hi Sara. Thank you for sharing your awesome review and recipe ideas and experience! I’m so glad that you are enjoying the pecan bar recipe! These are so fun and delicious to make! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hi, I am not vegan but cook a lot of your recipes for family members , Vegan and non vegan say they are a hit. Not familiar with Brown rice syrup . What could I use in place of. Many thanks for your hard work Audrey
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Hi there! I haven’t tried it myself, but folks have reported using pure maple syrup instead with success. I’m not sure if corn syrup would work, but probably. Hope that helps!
Do they freeze well? I made this at Thanksgiving and everyone, vegan and non-vegan fought over who got to take the leftovers home. I decided to make them for our granddaughters cookie wedding table, but need to make them ahead, so wondering how they freeze.
Hi Dottie. I’m so glad that the pecan bars were a hit! Every time I make them, they are always a favorite! What a fun item to have on a cookie wedding table! The pecan bars do freeze well in a covered container. I appreciate the fantastic review! Happy celebrating, and happy baking!