Make Pecan Pie For A Thanksgiving Crowd With Less Prep And More Time To Eat

Thanksgiving dinner is the main event of the holiday, but it's not just about turkey, dressing, and savory sides. This meal is not quite complete until pies march from kitchen to table, bringing a sweet finale before heading to sofas and football. Pumpkin pie almost always makes the cut, but homemade pecan pie is a close second with its buttery crust, sweet filling, and crunchy, roasty nuts. However, this pie is undoubtedly more time-consuming to make, especially when feeding a crowd of folks — so we're offering here a version with less prep time and more freedom for enjoying the day with your clan, whoever they may be.  

Instead of full-sized round pecan pies, this version from Tasting Table recipe developer Taylor Murray creates a rectangular slab that can be sliced into individual squares of bourbon pecan pie bars. Baking this dessert in a sheet pan ditches the step of carefully shaping and crimping a round pie crust, while also delivering more servings for Thanksgiving family and guests. An extra benefit is that the filling is more shallow, so it cooks more evenly. 

The original recipe includes instructions for making the pastry from scratch, but that's not crucial when stretched for time. Store-bought pie crusts or dough works just fine, eliminating most of the prep work. Simply thaw the dough if necessary, roll it out, and position into the rectangular pan. Use trimmed pieces to fill in any gaps. After chilling the crust, you're ready to roll with the filling. 

Once you've prepared the crust, the rest easily comes together. The filling is primarily melted butter, eggs, sugar, dark corn syrup, vanilla, and bourbon. The crust gets partially baked before adding the pecans and sweet filling, and then the entire concoction goes back into the oven until set. After cooling, a knife smoothly transforms the slab into about 12 tasty squares for easy serving. 

One of the namesake ingredients, bourbon, imparts a noticeable layer of flavor that jives well with toasted nuts and caramel-like sweetness. However, the four tablespoons in this recipe may feel a bit much for some palates. If that's the case, Murray recommends cutting that amount in half. You could also sprinkle with flaky sea salt for sweet-and-salty contrast. 

Another big plus is that these bars can be prepared well before the madness of Thanksgiving Day; just cool and refrigerate up to four days or freeze up to four months. Even better, prepare the crust ahead of time and freeze in the same pan you'll later be baking in. When the big day arrives, place these bourbon pecan pie bars on a platter for easy snagging, or serve with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream. Throughout the year, try enhancing other pecan-dessert recipes with bourbon, including banana pecan brownies and pecan sandies. 

For an easy visual, check out this Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars Recipe on YouTube.