Maple Pecan Cookie Bars
Description
This cool, dark weather calls for one thing: a fresh pot of coffee and a warm, sweet treat to go with it. My new Maple Pecan Cookie Bars are the ultimate easy-to-bake comfort food. These chewy Maple flavored bars with maple chips and a golden brown crust are a dream next to a hot mug. Baking these will instantly make your house feel like a warm hug.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease 18"x 13" stoneware bar pan with coconut oil or cooking spray.
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In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil and sugars with a hand or stand mixer until well combined. Add eggs, vanilla, and maple extract and mix well.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. Add to sugar mixture and mix until well combined. Add pecans and maple chips until evenly incorporated.
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Evenly press the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the pan around after 15 minutes to ensure even baking. After the initial bake time, look for the edges to be set and golden brown. If the center is still liquid or overly jiggly, bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Do not overbake; the bars will continue to firm up as they cool. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool fully before cutting.
Note
We're using coconut oil in these bars because it yields an incredibly rich, moist texture that simply can't be beat. If you don't keep coconut oil stocked in your pantry, you can easily substitute it with equal parts butter—the results will still be delicious!
I ordered maple baking chips from Target. Try using toffee bits, or other baking chips if you are not able to find the maple chips. You could also make them into chocolate chip cookie bars by omitting the maple extract and using chocolate chips instead!
This recipe used a stoneware baking pan. If you are using a metal sheet pan, your cooking time may be shorter, I would suggest checking after 20 minutes.
