Maple Pecan Shortbread Bars (paleo & gluten free)
Almond flour shortbread gets topped with a caramel-like topping featuring vanilla bean paste, maple syrup, butter, coconut sugar, and pecans. These are sweet, salty, crunchy, gooey, and darn delicious!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 4 tbsp salted butter (I prefer Kerrygold)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Maple Pecan Topping
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans, chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 (or 8x8) pan with parchment paper and spray with a non-stick spray. Set aside.
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Once oven is heated, put pecans on ungreased baking sheet and heat until toasted and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside.
For Shortbread Crust:
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Combine all crust ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until a dough-like texture forms. Press the crust into the pan, evenly distributing. Place in the oven and bake for 12 mins. Set aside to cool. Leave oven on.
For Gooey Pecan Topping:
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In a medium saucepan, heat butter, coconut sugar, and maple syrup over medium low heat. Mixture should begin to bubble, let simmer for 2-3 minutes while whisking (careful not to let it burn). Remove from heat.
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Stir in vanilla bean paste and cinnamon. Once mixture has cooled slightly, mix in egg until completely combined. Finally, stir in toasted pecans and sea salt. Then pour on top of cooled crust, spreading evenly.
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Bake for 27-30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars (or it will be a delicious and gooey mess!). These will keep in the fridge for 1 week, but also taste amazing straight from the freezer. ;)