These caramel pecan shortbread bars feature a buttery shortbread base topped with a chewy combination of sweet caramel and toasted pecans. A bit of espresso powder in the caramel adds a layer of darker flavor and tempers the sweetness of the caramel. Sprinkled with flaky sea salt, these sweet, salty, nutty bars are very hard to resist.
I first made these caramel pecan shortbread bars a few years back, when taking a plate of food to share (with a gaggle of guests from different households, snugly packed together in one home) was the most normal thing in the world.
They were so good that they became my go-to housewarming fare, pleasing children and adults alike with their combination of nutty, sweet caramel and buttery, rich shortbread. While they're an excellent cookie for a festive table, they're too good to relegate just to the holiday months.
Caramel with pecan is a classic partnership of sweet and savory that can be enjoyed year round. Every time I eat these now, the flavors bring back the memory of those times, and I'm glad.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter allows you to control the total amount of salt in the recipe. With a simple shortbread recipe that only has 4 ingredients, each one really counts. Too much salt could throw off the final taste, so I always recommend using unsalted butter when specified.
Brown sugar - Adding brown sugar to the caramel sauce provides a dark, toffee, molasses taste.
Honey - The addition of honey (an invert sugar; so is corn syrup) helps prevent crystallization from occurring and turning the texture of the caramel layer grainy. The honey also provides a nice flavor. If you want to omit the honey, use corn syrup or glucose syrup (other invert sugars).
Espresso powder - In this caramel pecan recipe, you don't note an outright coffee taste, but it adds a darker edge to the caramel. The espresso's bitterness helps balance the caramel's sweetness.
While it's optional, I love the espresso powder addition. I've used it to add flavor to tiramisu sandwich cookies and this coffee chocolate mascarpone tart.
Espresso powder is NOT finely ground espresso coffee beans. It's made of instant coffee crystals that have been highly concentrated. It's great for adding a coffee flavor to cakes, frostings, and other recipes without introducing additional liquid that might impact the wet to dry ratio of the recipe.
Pecans - This recipe calls for two sizes of pecans - both whole and coarsely chopped. It gives a nice visual variety and allows more pecan to nestle into the caramel.
Purchase enough whole pecans for the entire recipe and then chop half yourself; they'll be fresher than pre-chopped pecans and you can better control the sizing.
Flaky salt is an optional finishing touch that I really enjoy, as the salt really brings out the caramel flavor (you'll know this if you're a fan of salted caramels.)
Shortbread tip
When making bars with shortbread crust, you'll need to gauge when the crust is finished baking. When first baking, the butter will begin to melt and give a sheen to the surface.
As it continues to bake, the top will lose its glossy sheen and look dull. The top of the shortbread should be a very light golden brown, and the edges of the shortbread should be slightly more golden brown.
Delicious smells are also a good clue - in this case, perfectly baked shortbread should smell like golden, toasted butter.
Caramel tips
When making caramel - whether for caramel bars like these, or any other purpose, there are a few things that you can do to help ensure your success.
Prepare your ingredients and tools in advance
Make sure your ingredients and kitchen tools are prepared ahead of time and within reach. Candy making is a very precise, time sensitive activity and you want to be ready to go when it's time for each step, rather than rushing around looking for tools or ingredients. Once the caramel begins to climb in temperature, it's best to stay in front of the stove and monitor it.
Add invert sugar to prevent crystallization
The addition of honey (an invert sugar with a high level of glucose; corn syrup also falls into this category) helps prevent crystallization, which would make the caramel grainy in texture. For the chemistry behind this, see this Cook's Illustrated article on caramel.
Use a candy thermometer to ensure correct temperature
A candy thermometer is an invaluable tool that makes a candy making much less intimidating. The thermometer has standard candy temperatures marked on the gauge so that you can easily see when your recipe has reached each of the seven stages.
These are thread, soft ball, hard ball, firm ball, soft crack, hard crack, and caramel stages. The candy thermometer takes the guesswork out of the recipe. This is key because different candy stages are often separated by only a few degrees.
For this recipe, you will heat the caramel to 245 degrees F, which corresponds to the firm ball stage. Make sure that the tip of the candy thermometer is completely submerged in the caramel throughout the heating process to ensure an accurate reading. Also make sure that the thermometer tip does not touch the bottom of the pan.
Slicing tip
The bars must completely cool before being sliced and served. This will take several hours given the initial temperature of the caramel. Make sure to factor in this extra resting time prior to serving.
If they're cut while still warm, the caramel will not be firm enough to maintain a clean bar shape and will droop (or worse, run) off the shortbread. Patience here is challenging, but key.
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating. ★★★★★ Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!
📖 Recipe
Caramel Pecan Shortbread Bars
INGREDIENTS
SHORTBREAD BASE
- 170 grams (¾ cup, 6 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
- 67 grams (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
- 180 grams (1½ cups) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
CARAMEL PECAN TOPPING
- 84 grams (6 Tablespoons, 3 ounces) unsalted butter, to melt - temperature doesn't matter
- 85 grams (60 mL, ¼ cup) honey
- 75 grams (¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons) brown sugar, dark
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 62 grams (60 mL, ¼ cup) heavy cream, room temperature
- 60 grams (½ cup) pecans, whole
- 60 grams (½ cup) pecans, coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, flakes such as Maldon
INSTRUCTIONS
SHORTBREAD BASE
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 C, gas mark 4).
- Line an 8" square (20 cm square) pan with parchment paper, extending a flap of parchment over opposite sides as a handle to aid in removing the bars later.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, flour, and salt and mix until the dough begins to come together with a lumpy, sandy texture.170 grams (¾ cup, 6 ounces) unsalted butter, 67 grams (⅓ cup) granulated sugar, 180 grams (1½ cups) all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Dump dough into the prepared pan and press with your fingers until it is spread evenly into all areas of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and use the bottom of a measuring cup to press down the dough and smooth the top. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Bake shortbread for 24-26 minutes, until top has gone from shiny to dull, shortbread is baked through, just barely beginning to turn golden brown, and beginning to smell like toasted butter. Remove from oven and set aside to cool on a baking rack.
Caramel Pecan Topping
- In a heavy 3 quart pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
- Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot to monitor caramel temperature.
- Add the honey, brown sugar, espresso powder, vanilla and salt and stir minimally just to incorporate. Without further stirring, continue cooking over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches 225 degrees F.84 grams (6 Tablespoons, 3 ounces) unsalted butter, 85 grams (60 mL, ¼ cup) honey, 75 grams (¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons) brown sugar, 2 teaspoons espresso powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Carefully add the room temperature heavy cream (it might bubble) and stir just to incorporate. Continue to cook on medium without stirring until the mixture reaches 240 degrees.62 grams (60 mL, ¼ cup) heavy cream
- Immediately add both sizes of pecans, stirring to coat. You might need to stir gently every little while to make sure the pecans don't burn. Cook until thermometer reads 245 degrees. Immediately remove the caramel from the heat.60 grams (½ cup) pecans, 60 grams (½ cup) pecans
- Quickly and carefully pour the hot caramel pecan mixture onto the cooked shortbread layer, using a silicone spatula to scrape all the caramel out of the pan.
- Distribute the pecans evenly (with the spatula - too hot for fingers!) and make sure the caramel reaches the edges and into the corners of the pan.
- If you're feeling particularly enthusiastic, use a toothpick or knife to flip the whole pecans so they are flat side down. Completely optional.
- Cool completely and sprinkle with salt flakes if desired.½ teaspoon sea salt
- Once cooled, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into squares and serve.
EQUIPMENT
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Honey Walnut Bars by Mindy Segal in her book Cookie Love.
- I changed pan sizes (hers was 9 x 13 - I used an 8" square pan) to end up with a smaller batch, but doubled the original ratio of shortbread to caramel. The espresso addition is mine as well.
- After a few attempts, I ended up cooking the caramel to a higher final temperature to ensure that it firms up enough to slice and maintain its shape.
Megan says
This was a really great recipe! I didn’t have pecans, but I used macadamia nuts and it was fantastic! The caramel was the perfect texture and the overall recipe came together much easier than I expected. The touch of espresso powder was a delight! I’d definitely make this again.