Consider me seriously and hopelessly addicted.

And please consider these bars an apology for my absence over here last week, too! It’s been an incredibly busy fortnight, what with a new kitten-shaped addition to the household (who I’m utterly obsessed with – follow me on Instagram if you want to see some of his antics!), lots of exciting recipes to come, and fun new projects I’m working on at the moment! I thought these delicious salted caramel maple pecan pie bars with their soft, buttery pecan shortbread base with a gorgeously tender crumb, the nutty, fudgy, crunchy mixture stacked precociously on top, and the crisp, crackled, caramelised salted caramel sauce the pecans are slathered in might just make up for it, right?!

I keep going back and forth about which part is my favourite…

Hint: it’s everything.

And if you’re ever in need of salted-caramel-covered pecans within five minutes (who isn’t?!), just make the filling recipe and leave it at that… it’s so addictive I could’ve (and might well have) eaten it by the spoonful straight from the pan! Side effects may include dreaming about them for days on end afterwards, but when it comes to said salted-caramel-covered pecans, I’d gladly take that risk…

This recipe makes twelve small, bite-sized bars for your (and your waistline’s!) sake, but feel free to double the recipe below, cut the bars into bigger pieces, or take them to a party or share them with friends.. if you have them lying about you might just (read: will) eat them all in a matter of minutes!

salted caramel maple pecan pie bars by Alessandra Peters Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes 6067090 Ingredients (12 bars) For the Shortbread Crust 3/4 cup pecans

2 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut flour

1/4 cup arrowroot starch

pinch salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp maple syrup For the Salted Caramel Pecan Filling 1 1/2 cups pecans, roughly chopped

2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk

1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup coconut oil

3/4 cup coconut palm sugar

1 tsp arrowroot starch

3 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 325F/160C. 2. To make the shortbread dough, place the pecans in a food processor and process until very fine, 60-90 seconds. The result should look like almond flour. Add in the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes, until firm. 3. Roll the dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap until it is 1/4 inch thick. Trim until it measures 5×5 inches, then transfer it to a lined 5×5 inch baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. While it cools, make the filling. 4. To make the filling, spread the pecans on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 8 minutes, until fragrant. Remove from the oven, then place the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk constantly for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce is thick, smooth, and golden. Fold in the pecan chunks, then pour the mixture over the shortbread crust. 5. Bake for another 15 minutes, then let cool for at least half an hour before cutting up into bars and enjoying! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Powered by Recipage