Pecan Pie Bark (Printer-friendly)
Caramel-coated pecans over crisp graham crackers, baked golden and broken into sharable pieces.
# What You'll Need:
→ Base
01 - 40 graham crackers or digestive biscuits (about 8 oz)
→ Topping
02 - 6 oz unsalted butter
03 - 1 cup light brown sugar
04 - ¼ cup maple syrup or corn syrup
05 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
06 - ½ tsp fine sea salt
07 - 7 oz pecan halves, roughly chopped
→ Optional Finishing
08 - 2 oz dark or milk chocolate, melted (for drizzling)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Arrange graham crackers in a single layer to completely cover the bottom of the pan.
03 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
04 - Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla extract and chopped pecans until evenly combined.
05 - Pour the hot pecan mixture evenly over the graham crackers, spreading gently with a spatula to coat.
06 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the topping is bubbling and golden brown.
07 - Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle melted chocolate over the bark if desired.
08 - Allow to set completely, refrigerating for faster setting, then break or cut into serving pieces.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- It captures every bit of that gooey pecan pie flavor without the stress of making an actual pie crust from scratch.
- The contrast between the crisp cracker base and the chewy caramel pecan topping is genuinely addictive and disappears within hours at any gathering.
02 -
- The caramel topping will look deceptively loose when you pour it but it firms up dramatically during baking and cooling, so resist the urge to cook it longer on the stove or you will end up with jaw breaking toffee.
- Letting the bark cool completely before breaking is not optional because warm pieces will not hold their shape and you will end up with a pile of delicious but messy crumbs.
03 -
- Watch the caramel like a hawk during those 2 to 3 simmering minutes because the line between perfectly chewy and regretfully hard is surprisingly thin and moves fast once it starts.
- Pulling the bark from the oven when the edges are just starting to darken slightly deeper than the center guarantees a chewy center and crispy edges that everyone fights over.