Caramel Pecan Bars with Chocolate Drizzle are a delicious (somewhat) lighter dessert treat recipe!
These bars are absolutely delicious. They’re a bit gooey, but they’re worth every finger lick!
These are ooey-gooey and fantastic- a thin crust with pure melted caramel drizzled on top. The funny thing is that I adapted these from a Weight Watcher’s recipe, and I thought they were the best dessert of a trio of desserts I presented at a party. I had several requests for this super simple recipe!
The chocolate drizzle on top adds to the fun. Add as much or as little as you’d like. It looks pretty, and it adds some deliciousness too. You may also spy some pecans in that hot mess of a dessert bar.
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers diet, I have included a link to the recipe on the WW site so you can calculate the points according to your plan. It’s a pretty hefty point count for a single dessert, but some people might find it’s worth it if they have a low point total for the day.
Caramel Pecan Bars with Chocolate Drizzle
They look great stacked on a dessert platter. You can see that the caramel tends to ooze out a bit, which is a big draw for dessert lovers! Caramels and pecan make me think of fall. I’d like to believe that it’s going to feel like fall eventually where I live here in Arizona, but for now I’ll just turn on the air conditioning, eat caramel pecan bars and pretend.
These are perfect for a fall party. Add them to your dessert table, and watch them disappear.
If you’re looking for more recipes for bars, you might like to try my Best Lemon Bars or these Blueberry Lemon Crumb Bars. Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars, Blackberry Jam Shortbread Bars and S’mores Cookie Bars are also great bar recipes!
Caramel Pecan Bars with Chocolate Drizzle
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 30 invidual soft caramels, unwrapped
- 1 tablespoon skim milk
- ¼ cup pecans, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 ounce chopped dark chocolate
- 1 ounce chopped white chocolate
Instructions
PREPARE THE CRUST:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with enough foil to extend 2-inches over the sides; spray the foil with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until well mixed. Add the flour, beating until it is blended and the mixture is crumbly. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake until the crust is lightly browned at the edges, about 15 minutes.
PREPARE THE TOPPING:
- Combine the caramels and milk in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes until the mixture is hot, stirring once halfway through the cooking time. Stir again until the mixture is smooth. Pour the topping onto the hot baked crust and spread evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch border along the edge. Place the pecans on top.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake just until the topping is bubbling in the center, about 12 minutes longer. Melt the two chocolates separately in the microwave and scoop into individual plastic zip baggies. Snip a tiny corner of each zip bag and drizzle in a zigzag manner on top of the caramel topping. Cool completely on a rack.
- Using the foil overhang as handles, transfer to a cutting board. Gently peel away the foil and cut into 16 bars.
Notes
- White chocolate is sometimes tricky to melt. If yours isn't melted well, just add about 1/2 teaspoon shortening to the white chocolate and it should smooth it out and melt a little easier.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you sub almond milk? Truvia brown sugar? Light butter? Just was thinking of ways to make them even lighter!
I haven’t tried any of that, so I’m not sure!
These bars look so decadent and delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
It looks practical and very delicious. I will try. Thank you.
Oooo – these look absolutely sinful. I MUST TRY these!!!! Your website rocks!