If you’re a fan of Brownies, you’re going to love these Brown Sugar Pecan Cookie Bars. These are easy to make using brown sugar for a caramelized taste and texture. A must make holiday treat this year.

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At a glance, these look just like Brownies. And as much as I love brownies (all kinds, have you checked out the Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies), these might have just become my new favourite. I’ve been playing around with this recipe for a while trying to get the texture just right. And friends, these will not disappoint!

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What Are These Cookie Bars Like

• Difficulty level – These sugar bars are really easy to make. They require minimal hands on time and don’t use too many ingredients. Just make sure to read the recipe carefully and follow all instructions.
• Taste – These are very sweet cookie bars, much like the Cranberry Orange Cookies. However, they are delicious with a caramel overtone taste stuffed with chopped pecans.
• Texture – Just like a chewy brownie!

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Ingredients

• Packed brown sugar – Brown sugar that is pressed into a measuring cup.
• Butter – Unsalted melted butter.
• Eggs – Large room temperature eggs are best for baking.
• Vanilla extract – Enhances flavour in baked goods.
• All purpose flour – This is the most common type of flour used for baking and can be referred to as plain flour.
• Baking powder – This is used as a rising agent for the cookie bars.
• Salt – Regular table salt.
• Pecans – Chopped pecans are used in these cookie bars.

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees f/180 degrees c. Grease and line with parchment paper a deep sided 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients – Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
3. Mix sugar, butter and eggs – In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and melted butter. Mix until just combined, about one minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
4. Finish cookie dough – Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in chopped pecans.
5. Bake – Pour into prepared baking pan and bake between 25 – 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center to check for doneness.
6. Cool – Remove from oven and place baking pan on a cooling rack. Leave to cool.
7. Cut and serve/store – Cut into squares when cooled and store in an airtight container.

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Recipe Tips

• Measure ingredients correctly – This recipe calls for packed brown sugar. This means that you fill it in your measuring cup and pack it down until you have filled it to the top. Alternatively, you can weigh the sugar. The recipe cards converts to metric with the click of a button.
• Don’t over mix the batter – To achieve a chewy texture, you don’t want to mix the batter too long. Just mix it long enough to combine the ingredients. Over mixing will result in a more cake like texture.
• Watch baking time – Baking time stated is 30 minutes. Your oven could bake them quicker or they may take a little longer. I recommend checking them at 25 minutes. These will be baked when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs.
• Allow to cool completely – These will have the best texture when they have cooled completely. They are even great cold from the fridge.

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Substitutions

These cookie bars are perfect just the way they are. I’m not recommending many changes if you would like to achieve the same results. Yes, these are high in sugar. That is what gives them their chewy texture. If you lessen or change the sugar, you will not have a chewy bar cookie. Here are some suggestions for modifying this recipe.

• Pan size – These were baked in an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. They can be baked in a 9 x 13 pan. Just keep in mind the bars will be thinner and the baking time will be reduced by 5 to 8 minutes.
• Pecans – Pecans add a great touch to these cookie bars. You can omit them all together or substitute with walnuts if you prefer.

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Serving & Storage

• Serving – These cookie bars are great just as they are. Alternatively, you could serve them with Homemade Caramel Sauce, fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• At room temperature – You can keep these cookie bars in an airtight container up to four days.
• In the fridge – Store these cookie bars in an airtight container and layer parchment paper between the layers. They will keep fresh for up to a week.
• Freeze from fresh – If you want to freeze these cookie bars, freeze them when they have cooled down. Just place them in a freezer proof container or bag. They will keep for about three months in the freezer.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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