Gooey Church Pecan Bars

Gooey Church Pecan Bars are a classic Southern church-cookbook dessert. They taste like pecan pie in bar form with a buttery crust and a sweet, gooey pecan topping. These are perfect for potlucks, holidays, and bake sales.

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📝 Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Pecan Filling

• 3 large eggs

• 1½ cups light corn syrup

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed

• 2 tablespoons melted butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups chopped pecans

• ¼ teaspoon salt

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👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Preheat oven

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

• Grease or line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

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2. Make the crust

1. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.

2. Mix in flour and salt until a soft dough forms.

3. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan.

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3. Bake the crust

• Bake for 15–18 minutes until lightly golden.

• Remove from oven but keep the oven on.

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4. Prepare the filling

In a large bowl whisk together:

• Eggs

• Corn syrup

• Brown sugar

• Melted butter

• Vanilla

• Salt

Stir in the chopped pecans.

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5. Add filling

• Pour the pecan mixture over the warm crust.

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6. Bake

• Return pan to the oven and bake 25–30 minutes until the center is set but still slightly gooey.

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7. Cool

• Let bars cool completely before cutting.

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🍰 Serving

• Cut into squares or bars.

• Optional: dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with caramel sauce.

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✅ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🔥 Bake Time: 40–45 minutes total
🍪 Yield: About 24 bars

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💡 Tips

• Toast the pecans for extra flavor.

• Refrigerate bars for cleaner slices.

• Add ½ cup chocolate chips for a chocolate-pecan version.

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If you want, I can also show you:

• ⭐ The famous “Neiman Marcus Gooey Bars” recipe

• 🍫 Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

• 🥧 5-ingredient super easy pecan bars.