Salted Caramel Pecan Pie Bars | Ronnie Woo

For the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the milk solids begin to turn golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and whisk until the sugar has melted. Add the flour and salt, and mix until combined.

Transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan. Press into an even layer and bake until just set without any color, 10 to 15 minutes.

For the filling, in a medium pan, heat the granulated sugar and maple syrup over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cook until the sugar begins to caramelize and turn deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. When all the sugar has dissolved, immediately stir in the heavy cream, butter, vanilla, and salt. The mixture will bubble up when you add these ingredients, but keep stirring and the mixture will subside. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped pecans to evenly coat.

Pour the pecan mixture evenly over the parbaked crust and gently press into the crust. Bake until the crust melds with the filling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from pan. Slice and serve.