Drunken Pecan Pie Bars

Slightly sweet and decadent pecan pie is spiked with bourbon over a buttery crust. Drunken Pecan Pie Bars are an amazing way to end your Thanksgiving feast.

Today is the day we end our Blogsgiving Dinner, as well as November’s Comfort in 1 date! Talk about a winning combination!

I’ve made us Drunken Pecan Pie Bars to finish off this week of Thanksgiving deliciousness. It’s a twist on a traditional Thanksgiving dessert, and I have to say, this treat is well-loved in our home because we’re major fans of pecans in anything… and when you add the bourbon, they just sing.

Since I am currently not drinking, I thought it might be fun to infuse dessert with a little booze. The bourbon cooks off as the bars bake and leaves a delicious and distinctive taste that’s hard not to love.

I have a feeling we’ll be making several more pans of these Drunken Pecan Pie Bars before the holiday season is up!

Now who’s ready for today’s Blogsgiving Dinner recipe line-up?

Thanksgiving is all about family, friends and delicious food. Luckily, the food blogging community is all about these things as well. To celebrate the holiday, Meghan from Cake ‘n’ Knife and Susannah from Feast + West are hosting Blogsgiving Dinner. And we’ve got a total of 20 awesome blogs sharing 52 recipes!

The idea behind our Blogsgiving Dinner is based on the old-fashioned progressive dinner party, in which you’d eat each course at a different guest’s home. Each blogger is bringing one or more dishes to the party on Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week, so be sure to stop by each one and get some ideas for your own Thanksgiving meal.

Today’s bloggers are sharing recipes for dessert and after-dinner drinks, as well as ideas for eating leftovers.

We’ll be posting to social media with the hashtag #blogsgivingdinner. We hope you can join us as we finish this progressive dinner strong today!

Blogsgiving Progressive Dinner Menu for Friday, November 14

Desserts

• Grandma’s Pecan Pie from The Wetherills Say I Do
• Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting from My Cooking Spot
• Gluten-Free Apple Berry Crumble from Twin Stripe
• Paleo Pumpkin Pudding from Wit Wisdom Food
• Cranberry Almond Coconut Bars from Love & Flour
• Torched Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie with Olive & Sinclair Chocolate from The Local Forkful
• Poached Pears with Salted Maple Caramel Syrup from Home at Six
• Sweet Potato Pie from Think Fruitful
• Nutella Pumpkin S’mores Tart from bethcakes
• Gluten-Free Acorn Squash Spice Bars from I Cook. I Eat. It’s Life.
• Drunken Pecan Pie Bars from The Speckled Palate

After-Dinner Drinks

• Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider from A Savory Feast
• Cranberry Bourbon Granita from Feast + West

Leftovers

• Cheesy Potato Croquettes from Hello Little Home
• Leftover Stuffed Egg Rolls with Cranberry Dipping Sauce from Cake ‘n’ Knife
• Freezer-Friendly Turkey and Rice Casserole from Betty Becca
• Turkey and Cranberry Quesadilla from Glamour Girl Gourmet
• Stuffed Crescents with Thanksgiving Leftovers from My Cooking Spot

… YUM. That’s all I’ve gotta say, y’all, and I truly hope you’ve enjoyed this Thanksgiving celebration as much as I have!

Be sure to head over to Rachel’s site to check out her Comfort in 1 selection, too. (And if you want more information on Comfort in 1, head on over here.)

And if you’re interested in trying out these Drunken Pecan Pie Bars, here’s how you can make ’em at home.

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Drunken Pecan Pie Bars

Slightly sweet and decadent pecan pie is spiked with bourbon over a buttery crust. Drunken Pecan Pie Bars are an amazing way to end your Thanksgiving feast.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Author Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

Ingredients

Butter Crust

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (not the instant kind)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Bourbon Pecan Pie Filling

• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup grade A dark amber maple syrup
• 1/3 cup local honey
• 4 tablespoons bourbon (just use your favorite because the flavor shines through!)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
• 1 1/3 cup pecan halves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8"x8" baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Make the butter crust: In a large bowl, combine the softened butter, applesauce and brown sugar. Cream together until smooth.
3. Measure in the flour, oats and salt. Mix until combined.
4. Spread the crust mixture onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. (You might need to use your hands because this stuff is sticky!)
5. When the crust is evenly spread out across the bottom of the baking dish, pop it in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. You don't want the crust to brown, but you do want it to firm up so it doesn't mix in with the filling.
6. When the crust has pre-baked, remove from the oven and set aside.
7. Make the Bourbon Pecan Pie Filling: In a large bowl, break the eggs and measure in the sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat together until the mixture is light yellow and creamy.
8. Measure in the salt, maple syrup, honey, bourbon, vanilla extract and melted butter. Beat the ingredients until incorporated.
9. Add the pecan halves to the mixture, and stir in by hand until just combined.
10. Pour the filling on top of the baked crust, and transfer to the oven.
11. Bake the bars for 45-55 minutes, or until the bars are set and no longer jiggly.
12. Remove the bars from the oven once baked, and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
13. Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite ice cream, and enjoy!

Do you have any special desserts or after dinner drinks planned for Thanksgiving this year? What will you do with your leftovers?

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The Fine Print: I received a 4-piece set of CW by Corningware, an additional piece of bakeware and a $100 gift card to host a Friendsgiving dinner. Though CW by Corningware provided the bakeware and funds to create the recipe in this post, all opinions are my own.