MEXICAN STYLE PECAN CHOCOLATE SQUARES
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Enjoy these Mexican style Pecan Chocolate Squares (Pecan Chocolate Squares) that are packed with pecans. They’re easy to make, easy to transport, and great for year around noshing.
If chocolate and pecans are your favorites, you should give this recipe a try! They taste similar too, but better than pecan pie without needing a fork and knife!
Seriously, this is an amazing tasting dessert. It’s got sweet, salty, crunchy, and gooey so it hits all the flavor and comfort notes.
Mexican style Pecan Chocolate Squares
These bars have three layers. The base is a shortbread crust. This press-in crust is effortless to make in the food processor. Bittersweet chocolate between the crust and pecan layers adds an unexpected but delightful flavor. Pecans are the top and star of this dessert. They are toasted then mixed with a slightly sweet sugar, honey, and cinnamon mixture.
HOW TO MAKE THE CRUST
The easiest way to make this crust is to use a food processor. Add the five crust ingredients to the food processor bowl and pulse to combine. It will take 15 to 20 quick pulses. The mixture will look like wet sand.
Dump the mixture into a greased 9×9-inch baking pan and press so that’s it’s even and smooth.
Bake approximately 15 minutes. You’ll want the crust to be light brown.
After you remove the crust from the oven and while it’s still hot, sprinkle the chocolate over the crust. It will melt and form your second layer.
Mexican style Pecan Chocolate Squares
HOW TO MAKE THE FILLING
For the pecans, you can use pecan halves or pecan pieces. As well, chopped ones are usually cheaper.
I like to toast the pecans but it isn’t absolutely necessary.
Next, combine the five filling ingredients in a heavy bottom saucepan. Simmer for a minute and pour it over the crust. It’s that simple.
To finish, you’ll cook the bars until they’re nice and bubbly. Isn’t that easy?
More deliciousness
More pecan recipes
- Old-fashioned Chocolate Pecan Pie Squares
- Pecan Cobbler
- Pecan Pie Bread Pudding
- You can also find great recipes here
Mexican-style Pecan-Chocolate Squares
Items in blue & underlined below can be clicked for more detail or to purchase.
Ingredients
For the cookie base:
- 3/4 cup cold butter unsalted, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate grated
For the pecan topping:
- 3 cups pecans toasted
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the cookie base
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper.
- Pulse butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until the mixture is well combined about 20 pulses.
- Scatter the dough into a 9×9-inch baking pan and press it evenly over the bottom.
- Bake the base until firm and lightly browned, about 2 min. When the cookie base comes out of the oven, sprinkle the grated chocolate evenly over the top.
- Don’t bother washing the food processor… and don’t turn off the oven
Make the pecan topping
- As the cookie base bakes, pulse the pecans in the food processor until coarsely chopped.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar, honey, cream, and salt. Simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the pecans.
- Pour this pecan mixture over the chocolate on the cookie base. Spread evenly.
- Bake until much of the filling is bubbling in the center, not just the around the edges, 16 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Cut into 16 squares and serve.
- Stir in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
Recipe doesn’t say how much brown sugar to add to the filling mixture. Help!
1 cup
These look delicious! They look like a gourmet Rice Krispie treat. We are always looking for a great pecan recipe and this one caught me eye. I wonder if we can swap out some or all of the all-purpose flour with pecan meal/flour to cut back on the gluten. We have a daughter that is gluten intolerant and have had pretty good luck with swapping it out on other recipes.
Regretfully, I am not good with going gluten free. The few recipes I have are the only ones I’ve tried that turned out.