Pecan Cinnamon Squares
on Oct 29, 2024
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Finished with a generous topping of chopped nuts, these pecan cinnamon squares are an easy bar cookie recipe. They have just 10 ingredients and turn out like thick spiced shortbread with a nutty top. I love cookies where you don’t have to portion out the dough because they are so much faster. All you have to do is patiently wait for the pan to cool after you take it out of the oven. Then you can cut the cookie into individual squares (or rectangles).
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is a simple recipe that has the expected cookie components, but it turns out very special. There’s a good chance you might already have some of the 10 ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator. Maybe you only have to run out and get a bag of pecans.
You can cut them whatever size you want. Squares is in the name of the recipe, but they also look great cut into rectangles. Keep in mind how many people you are trying to serve. Cut them smaller if you need to stretch your batch. A metal ruler is handy for cutting.
This is a family recipe. These cookies come from my Grandma P. I have been making them for years with a few tweaks here and there to get to this version, which doesn’t stray far from the original. Grandma would still love them.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Ground cinnamon is responsible for the main flavor in these bars. It is only enhanced with butter and vanilla extract.
- Pecans say fall and holiday time to me. I buy a bag of pecan halves and then chop them myself. Do not buy bagged chopped pecans because the pieces are too small. You want the nuts to be roughly chopped.
- Flour: The recipe calls for all-purpose flour. I have not tested it with an alternative flour that’s gluten-free.
- Cocoa powder adds depth and complexity to the flavors. These bars do not turn out chocolaty. They are definitely cinnamon-forward.
- Vanilla extract rounds out the bars. Much like the cocoa powder, they don’t distinctly taste like vanilla, but good cookies are all about subtly layering in aromatic ingredients.
- Butter: Give the unsalted butter time to sit at room temperature, so it will cream easily with the sugar.
- Egg: Separate the egg. The yolk goes into the dough. You whisk the white and brush it on top of the dough after you spread it into the pan. Then sprinkle on the pecans.
- Granulated sugar sweetens these bar cookies.
- Kosher salt: Even in sweet baked goods, adding a little salt is like the on-switch for all the flavors and ingredients.
How To Make Cinnamon Squares
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
1. Combine the dry ingredients. Stir the flour, cinnamon, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Do this with an electric mixer. Give the butter and sugar 4 minutes on medium speed to get light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.
4. Mix the the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do this on low speed until the dough is just combined.
5. Spread the dough into the pan and top with pecans. Make sure the dough is smoothed into an even layer. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl and brush on the dough and sprinkle on the pecans and gently press them in. (You won’t need all the egg white. It acts like the glue for the nuts.)
6. Bake the squares. Give them 30-35 minutes. The edges will pull away from the sides of the pan. The cookie you can see between the nuts will browned slightly darker than the color of the dough. Allow enough time for it to cool before removing it from the pan and cutting into squares.
Serving
You can eat these cinnamon squares on their own, but they are good with vanilla ice cream or salted caramel ice cream. They are also worthy of a cookie exchange or even another dessert option to have for Thanksgiving.
Storage & Freezing
Keep the cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. The longer you keep them, the more likely they are to dry out. It helps if you only cut the squares you are planning to eat at one time. You can revive the bars in a 325-degree-F oven for 3-4 minutes.
To save them longer, store them in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven as desired.
Recipe Tips
- Only cream the butter and sugar when the butter is nice and soft. That’s the best way to beat them into the light and fluffy consistency you’re looking for. On the other hand, you don’t want the butter to be so soft that it’s sticky and messy. If you want to speed up softening the butter, cut it into smaller pieces by grating it on the large holes of a box grater. Never microwave it.
- A rubber spatula or an offset spatula helps to spread the dough in the pan. You can even start by pressing it in with your hands, and then smoothing it out.
- Before you cut the cookies, let them cool completely. They will cut much more cleanly, and you won’t squash down the edges. You can rewarm cut cookies in a 325-degree F oven for a few minutes.
More Bar Cookie Recipes
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Candy Bar Blondies
Milk Chocolate Almond Brownies
Salted Fudge Brownies
Cream Cheese Brownies
Pecan Cinnamon Squares
Ingredients
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, cocoa powder and salt.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until the dough is just combined.
- Spread the dough into an even layer into the prepared baking pan. Lightly whisk the egg white, then brush it over the dough. (You will not need all of it.) Sprinkle the pecans on top, gently pressing them in.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges pull away from the sides of the pan and the cookie that you can see between the nuts is slightly darker than before you baked it.
- Let it cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting in 16 squares or your desired size.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
they look yummy!
they taste wonderful, not to sweet. remind of a Dutch cookie called jan Hagel. I question the cook time tho, it may be longer than 25 min. I had in for 33 and still not sure if they are properly cooked for that shortbread texture.