Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Enjoy the gooey, crunchy sweetness of pecan pie with the added decadence of chocolate in this bar recipe! They were a big hit with my soccer team this weekend!

Shortbread Crust Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup brown sugar

Pecan Pie Filling Ingredients:

3 large eggs

3/4 cup corn syrup

3/4 cup white sugar

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

1 and 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9"x13" baking pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

For the crust, combine the flour, butter, and brown sugar in a large bowl with a pastry blender or two butter knives until it is crumbly and no large chunks of butter remain. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.

For the filling, combine the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans. Pour evenly over the baked crust and return to the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is browned and the pecan pie layer is set.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about 20-30 minutes. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until the bars have completely cooled before cutting into small squares. Don't try to cut the bars before they have cooled because they are very gooey and sticky. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

*Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker