Maple Custard with Pecans, Yes Please!

My Maple Custard Bars with pecan cookie crust are a delicious combination of a buttery pecan cookie crust with a creamy maple custard topping that is the perfect addition to any cookie platter.

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In my typical fashion for recipes here on the blog, these bars are simple to make and they keep well in the fridge.

You may remember that a while back I shared a recipe I recreated from a very old full-sugar cookbook called Chocolate Walnut Cookie Bars.

Those bars are amazing and have been a bit hit on the blog for a good while now. I love a good cookie bar and they one of my best I believe.  

So I knew I couldn’t just stop at one cookie bar after the chocolate ones turned out so well.  Now that we are in the midst of fall and holidays it was time to try a maple-flavored custard bar!

Let’s Talk Ingredients

Sometimes simple ingredients come together to create amazing recipes and that is most definitely the case for my Maple Custard Bars.  

There are a couple of ingredients listed in the recipe that I order online from the Trim Healthy Mama product store so I’ll share my affiliate links to those so you can check them out.

However, if you don’t want to order them don’t worry I’ll list some alternatives you can find at your local Walmart.

Simple ingredients like these listed below and just a few simple steps make this recipe an easy dessert for even the most novice baker.

If you aren’t a big baker or if you are super busy and need easy recipes then these cookie bars are the perfect match for your baking needs.

Here’s a Shopping List for this Recipe 

• THM Super Sweet 
• THM Maple Extract 
• THM Baking Blend
• Organic Heavy Cream
• Vanilla
• Eggs
• Chopped Pecans
• Molasses
• Butter

Now, for those that do not have access to special ingredients here are the brands I recommend from your local grocery store: Pyure Eyrtithritol Sweetener from WalMat can be used to replace the Super Sweet.

McCormick Maple Extract is a nice alternative also and as for the baking blend, you can simply substitute that with almond flour and coconut flour.

See the recommendations for that in the recipe card notes!

Let’s Get to Baking Maple Pecan Bars

To begin the Maple Custard Bar recipe down let’s start by saying there are two major pieces of this recipe.

There’s the pecan cookie base that needs to be prepared and par-baked first, and then we have the rich maple custard that is prepared and poured over the crust. 

First, let’s dive into the crust of the bars. I make mine with the wonderful baking blend called Trim Healthy Baking Blend which is a great low-carb and gluten-free blend of ingredients like almond flour, oat fiber, flax, and coconut flour.

If you do not have this product you can easily use your favorite crust recipe and just add in the pecans. However, the baking blend is super absorbent so if you don’t use this start with half the amount of melted butter and work your way up.

The cookie crust in this recipe is so good it could almost work as a stand-alone recipe without the topping. The best thing about it is that the only processes involved in the crust are mixing up the ingredients for the pecan base and baking it for 10 minutes before adding the filling.

This step helps set the crust before the filling is added. It helps prevent a soggy base also.  I’m sure none of us are fans of “soggy bottoms”!

While the crust is baking the first time it’s time to start step two, the maple custard topping. The topping is first mixed over low heat on the stove, then left to cool slightly.

When the filling is ready the only thing left to do is to pour the creamy maple topping over the pecan crust and returned it to the oven for the last 20 minutes of baking.

After the bars are completely baked it is important to let them cool and then chill them for a couple of hours. It is hard to wait if you are impatient like me, but not chilling the bars makes them harder to cut and serve.

It also lets the flavors develop longer which gives you one tasty bar of perfection!

Let me know when you have tried these Maple Pecan Bars and don’t forget to go back and check out my Chocolate Walnut Cookie Bars too.

Both recipes are worthy of your fall cookie platters or those fun holiday cookie exchanges! 

Continue to Content

Yield: 14 Bars

Maple Custard Bars || Low Carb & THM

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

A toasted pecan crust topped with a rich and creamy maple custard. These Maple Bars make a great fall and holiday dessert!

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Ingredients

Pecan Cookie Crust

• 1 cup THM Baking Blend
• 1/2 cup of melted butter*
• 3 tablespoon of Eyrithritol Sweetener
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon of Molasses (optional)

Maple Topping

• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Pyure Brand Sweetener (or your favorite)
• 1/2 teaspoon Maple Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 3 extra-large eggs, beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray. Set the pan aside and prepare the pecan cookie base.
3. Add the dry ingredients and the pecans for the cookie base to your mixing bowl and add the melted butter and molasses.
4. Mix in the butter until the mixture comes together and stays together when pinched between fingers. *Note on the butter: if the mixture is a little dry still try adding an additional tablespoon or two of melted butter,
5. Next press the cookie crust mixture into the bottom of your paper-lined baking pan. Make sure you spread the mixture evenly and press it into the pan well. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
6. Add the eggs, vanilla, and maple extract to a mixing bowl and beat well. Set aside.
7. Next, as the base is baking add the heavy cream and sweetener to a saucepan and warm over low heat.
8. Cook the mixture whisking until the sweetener is dissolved and the cream is hot to touch but not boiling. Then remove the mixture off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
9. After the cream has cooled slightly gradually add it to the beaten eggs slowly whisking the whole time. If you do it too fast the eggs will curdle and it will ruin the texture of your custard.
10. Remove the cookie base from the oven after it is baked and pour the maple mixture slowly over the base and return it to the oven to finish baking for another 20 minutes.
11. When the Maple Custard Bars are done, remove them from the oven and cool them on a wire rack.
12. Place the cooled bars into the refrigerator where they need to chill for at least 2 hours. Trust me here, they are amazing chilled!
13. After they are finished chilling slice the bars into 12 to 14 pieces. Store extra bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

If you do not have the THM baking blend for the crust you can use 3/4 cups of almond flour and 1/4 cup of oat fiber or coconut flour. Another option would be to add pecans to your favorite low carb crust recipe and use that for the bars.

Nutrition Information

Yield

14

Serving Size

1
Amount Per ServingCalories 207Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 113mgSodium 119mgCarbohydrates 5gNet Carbohydrates 2gFiber 3gSugar 1gSugar Alcohols 5gProtein 4g

I am not a nutritionist. If you have strict dietary needs I always recommend using an online nutrition calculator to calculate your totals using your exact brands you're using in this recipe as values may vary per brand.

Keri Bucci

I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!