Pecan Pie Shortbread Crust Bars Without Corn Syrup

Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love. 

This recipe for Pecan Pie Shortbread Crust Bars without Corn Syrup came from my podcast guest, Nermine Mansour. Make sure you listen to her episode The Art of Forging Bonds Through Culinary Diplomacy while you make her Pecan Pie Shortbread Bars!

These Pecan Date Syrup Bars are a great Thanksgiving dessert! They combine unique flavors and an elegant presentation that will impress your guests while still offering the familiar taste of a traditional pecan pie.

Nermine created the bars by taking a classic Pecan Pie recipe and adding Parisian and Egyptian twists to elevate this delicious dessert. Her genius move was the addition of date syrup. Date molasses is fruitier and not quite as sweet as dark corn syrup, which is the staple of Southern Pecan Pie.

Instead of flaky pastry in a pecan pie, I love Nermine's thick, crumbly, and buttery shortbread crust on her pecan pie bars. Nermine's proportion of pastry to filling is about 1:1 and the pastry is delicately spiced with cloves and cinnamon, topped with a toasted pecan. Perfection!

Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Try this Pear and Pistachio Pie recipe from my guest, Eva Kosmas. Also check out my recipe round-up posts, International Harvest Celebrations Around The World, and 17 International Recipes for a Non-Traditional Thanksgiving to get even more inspiration for dishes you can serve for the biggest feast of the season!

Nermine's Memories of Making Date Bars

I created these Shortbread Pecan Bars “to declare a state of harmony and self-reconciliation that [she] reached as an immigrant and citizen of the world.”

-Nermine Mansour

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Nermine achieved a rare position for females at the time - an ambassador for the Egyptian Foreign Service. In her role, she met and married an American diplomat. She now travels the world for the American Foreign Service and speaks with us about her life, values, and the importance of culinary diplomacy. Read more about Nermine here.

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How To Make Date Syrup

If you'd prefer to make your own, it's not difficult. This is an easy recipe from Indian Healthy Recipes. Simply put, you'll boil dates until they're soft, mash and strain them, then boil the liquid until it thickens into syrup. Also, you can buy it from lots of places - that's what I did. 

Are Date Syrup and Date Molasses the Same? 

Yep, sure are!!

Is Date Syrup Healthy?

Date syrup is full of the vitamins and minerals naturally occurring in dates - iron, potassium magnesium, zinc, and phosphorous. 

On the other hand, date syrup is also high in fructose, so if sugars are something you seek to avoid, know that those are still in this.

Baking Pan or Baking Dish?

I would recommend using a baking pan for these pecan pie cookies since the metal of the pan will give you a more even bake. A glass banking dish doesn't conduct heat as well as a metal pan so if you are using glass you will probably need to increase the baking time when baking the crust and the pie filling.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Crust

• Unsalted butter (if you want your crust to be vegan, swap out for vegan butter)
• Powdered sugar
• Flour (I used All-Purpose Flour; if you are looking to swap this out with a gluten free flour, any 1-for-1 All-Purpose Flour should work)
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon, allspice, and cloves

Filling

• Eggs (for vegan filling, substitute for a flax egg -- flax seeds with water)
• Date molasses (or date syrup - same thing)
• Butter (again, swap out for vegan butter if making plant-based bars)
• Flour
• Pecans

Variations on Recipe

Syrup Substitutions

• If you don't have date syrup or can't get it, you could substitute it for pomegranate molasses for a similar outcome. 
• Alternatively, you could also use honey or maple syrup, but you would lose the floral notes and the outcome would be sweeter. 

Toppings

• On the top of the bars, Nermine puts one toasted pecan for a simple yet refined look, but you could also sprinkle chopped pecans or pecan halves for a more nutty flavor and texture with every bite.
• Adding a little bit of kosher salt to the tops of your bars in addition to the pecans will give the bars the perfect balance between salty and sweet, just don't overdo it!
• If you don't like the taste of pecans, you can swap them out for walnuts or cashews which have a similar texture.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

• If you want to make this recipe even more decadent, add chocolate chips to your gooey pecan pie filling, though the chocolate might overpower the lighter notes of the date syrup in your bars.

Instructions

Crust

• Preheat the oven to 200F°/93.3C°
• Butter a baking pan (can be a square baking pan or whatever shape you want, I used 20x30cm). Cut a length of parchment paper long enough to line the bottom of the pan with extra hanging over the sides.
• Cream the butter and the sugar.
• Fold in the flour in two portions.
• Gently mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Evenly press the crust onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden brown.
• Cool for 10 minutes.
• Lower the oven temperature to 180°/82.2C°

Filling

• In a heat-resistant pan, melt the butter, then add the date molasses, sugar, and flour. Mix well, then add the eggs and mix again until the filling is mixed well.
• Transfer the mixture on top of the baked crust in an even layer and place the pecans on top.
• Bake it for 25 minutes or until the molasses layer is set.
• For the best results, let it cool completely, and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours before cutting it into small squares.
• Optional: Serve with ice cream!

Pecan Pie Bars vs Pecan Pie vs Caramel Pecan Shortbread Bars

Pecan Pie

• The fundamental difference between Pecan Pie and this Pecan Bar recipe is the use of date syrup instead of corn syrup or molasses. It still has the gooey pecan filling like in a homemade pecan pie filling, just with date molasses. 
• Of course, another difference is the base for a pecan pie is a pie crust and these are made from shortbread dough.
• Plus, unlike a traditional pie, these smaller portion pecan squares are convenient grab-and-go desserts for any festive holiday dessert table! 

Carmel Pecan Shortbread Bars

• I saw a lot of recipes that were called their Pecan Pie Bars that are more caramel-y and less like a traditional take on pecan pie.
• The caramel pecan bars recipe usually has a caramel sauce made from the addition of honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and/or heavy cream.

Equipment

• 20x30 cm baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Stand mixer OR hand mixer
• Large bowl

Storage

Due to the eggs in the filling, you will need to refrigerate your bars in an airtight container if you are not planning on serving them right away. If you are planning on eating them after a Thanksgiving dinner, it will be fine to leave them at room temperature for up to 4 hours just like you would a pecan pie.

More Middle Eastern Recipes

More Thanksgiving Recipes

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Recipe

Pecan Pie Shortbread Crust Bars Without Corn Syrup

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5 from 3 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 36 servings 1x

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Description

A tastier, healthier alternative to Pecan Pie, this Pecan Date bar recipe pulls from Middle Eastern, Parisian, and American influences.

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Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

Crust

• 125 grams butter (softened)
• 55 grams powdered sugar
• 184 grams all-purpose flour (sifted)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
• Pinch of salt

Filling

• 2 eggs
• 175 grams date molasses
• 75 grams light brown sugar
• 60 grams butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, sifted
• 250 grams pecans, toasted

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Instructions

Cue Up The Episode!

Listen to Nermine's episode The Art of Forging Bonds Through Culinary Diplomacy while you make her Egyptian-American Pecan Pie Shortcrust Bars.

Make The Recipe

Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F / 95 °.
2. Butter a 20×30 cm baking pan. Cut a length of parchment paper long enough to line the bottom of the pan with extra hanging over the sides.
3. Using a stand or hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream the butter and the sugar until it becomes airy, light and creamy.
4. Fold in the flour in two portions.
5. Gently mix with a spatula or the paddle attachment until all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Press the crust mixture evenly onto the bottom of the baking pan.
7. Bake it for 10 minutes.
8. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
9. Lower the temperature to 180°F / 82°C

Filling

1. In a heat-resistant pan, melt the butter, then add the date molasses, sugar, and flour. Mix well, then add the eggs and mix again until the filling reaches a homogenous consistency.
2. Add the molasses mixture to the mold and arrange the pecans on top in one layer.
3. Bake it for 25 minutes or until the molasses layer is set.
4. Let it cool completely, and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours before cutting in small bites.

Notes

• These bites could be served at tea time, as cocktail finger food, or as dessert if sliced in squares instead of bites.
• Date Molasses is available at Middle Eastern grocery stores and online. It makes a healthier and tastier substitute for regular molasses and dark corn syrup.
• Listen to Nermine's episode "The Art of Forging Bonds Through Culinary Diplomacy" while you make her Egyptian-American Pecan Date Bars.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Baking
• Cuisine: Egyptian, Middle Eastern, Parisian

Nutrition

• Calories: 135
• Sugar: 7
• Sodium: 42
• Fat: 9
• Saturated Fat: 3
• Carbohydrates: 12
• Fiber: 1
• Protein: 2
• Cholesterol: 20