Caramel Pecan Shortbread Bars is a simple, sweet, and salty dessert. With caramel, pecans, and shortbread underneath, it is a candy bar in the making.
Here in our home, pecans are a staple. Pecans in yogurt, on bread, over ice cream, in no-bake cookies, pancakes, anything. You name it, we add pecans. Need a pick me up? We got it for you – pecans, with peanut butter and pure maple syrup. But that’s for another time. With the number of pecans in it, this bar meets the requirements for all 7 of us, making it a coveted and favorite dessert.
The best part is that it’s easy! I love easy recipes, especially easy dessert recipes (although they’ll probably be the literal death of me).
This simple, sweet, and salty dessert is ready to serve in less than 45 minutes and is a guaranteed pleaser.
Enjoy! XOXO San
How do you make Caramel Pecan Shortbread Bars?
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper with 3 inches hanging over each side.
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Combine flour and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Cut in chilled butter with pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.
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Press into the prepared 9×13 pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
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Heat caramel and whipping cream together in a microwaveable bowl for 1 minute. Stir and repeat until it is completely mixed and smooth. Pour in pecans and stir until coated completely. Spread on top of shortbread.
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Return to oven and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. While cooling, sprinkle with coarse sea salt (optional).
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Once cooled, remove from pan by picking up the edges of the wax paper. Cut into squares. I like to make them smaller like candy bars. Enjoy!
Love the caramel and pecan combo? Check these recipes out: Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Caramel Pecan Rolls, Caramel Pecan Turtle Fudge, and Toasted Coconut Pecan Caramel Sauce.
Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later!
Caramel Pecan Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter chilled
- 11 ounce bag caramels
- 1/4 whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups pecans
- coarse sea salt sprinkle to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper with 3 inches hanging over each side.
- Combine flour and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Cut in chilled butter with pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press into the prepared 9x13 pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
- Heat caramel and whipping cream together in a microwaveable bowl for 1 minute. Stir and repeat until it is completely mixed and smooth. Pour in pecans and stir until coated completely. Spread on top of shortbread.
- Return to oven and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. While cooling, sprinkle with coarse sea salt (optional).
- Once cooled, remove from pan by picking up the edges of the wax paper. Cut into squares. I like to make them smaller like candy bars. Enjoy!
Kids Review: They love these!
Yummy. Big pecan fan myself, and add caramel and you have my heart. I love a good treat that comes together fast. Can’t wait to try this one out.
Thanks and LOVE your blog name!!! xo San
These look delish! I love caramel and pecans…always looking for cookie bar recipes to bake for our community theatre. These are perfect…pinned!
Mmmm. These look so good! We always have pecans on hand at our house too. Ill have to put them to good use and make these soon!
Oh, wow. These look delicious and totally decadent! I just might eat the whole pan if I make them! I love the short ingredient list, too. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
These look amazing – definitely something our family would love. 🙂 Thank you for posting. Gentle Joy
Yum…sweet and salty is my favorite anything…lol. I already know these are terrific. Pinned.
Hi Sandra- I love your shortbread cookies! Last year I bought an enormous bag of pecans on our way home from Florida. I still have a lot left and hoping you’ll give me another pecan idea soon. Us northerners don’t use them too often. I used mine in a cake box hack involving caramel too. Have a great weekend. Pinning to my group *best desserts* board to help get your recipe out there.
Hi Sandra,
I am just dreaming about that caramel and pecan topping on this yummy shortbread! Happy St. Patrick’s Day to Ya and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday!
Come Back Soon,
Miz Helen
holy moly!! This has a bit of everything I love! salty sweet goodness! pinned! Thanks so much for sharing at The Wednesday Roundup! ~ Angela @ LeMoine Family Kitchen
These sound amazing. Definitely going to have to try a gluten-free version! 🙂
I need to make bars more; yours look so yummy! And my family’s like yours; we’re pecan fiends!
“1/4 whipping cream”
i’d love to make these. can you please specify the measure? (tsp, tbs, cup) thanks!
Caramel Pecan Shortbread Bars….YUM!!!!….These are sure to be fantastic….Decadent, creamy caramel, Pecans another favorite of mine, en-casing beautiful shortbread…..This will be DELIGHTFUL, many thanks for sharing, much appreciated.
Looking out for a caramel recipe so that I can make this today, I can’t wait…..
Reading other comments, I can see that another must try is your Shortbread Cookies….
I’m going to have a good look through your recipe lists to see if I can find anything else that’s quick & easy to make for evening meal & for over the weekend.
Love reading your posts, many thanks,
Odelle Smith x (UK)
I assume it’s 1/4 CUP of whipping cream? Also what about the vanilla? It’s in the ingredients list, but not in the directions.