Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bars
Valentine’s Day is less than a week away and what better way to celebrate than with chocolate?
The inspiration for these Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bars came from my Mashed Butternut Squash with Maple Pecans recipe, oddly enough. What these two recipes have in common is the presence of delicious maple pecans, but that is where the similarities end. I took the best part of my mashed squash dish and combined it with chocolate to create a magically delicious and indulgent bar.
Recipe Details
These Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bars come together in under an hour and don’t even require you to turn on your oven. Combining crunchy pecans, sweet maple syrup, aromatic vanilla, cozy cinnamon, and rich dark chocolate, these bars create the perfect chocolatey treat! I used the Lindt Madagascar 70% Cacao chocolate, but any dark chocolate will do. Let’s dive into the details a bit more.
Make the Pecan Toffee
The first step is to prepare the pecan toffee, which will serve as the base of the bars. Line a 8×8 inch brownie pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on the edges of the pan. Set this aside for later.
In a small saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over low heat. Once it begins to simmer, whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon.
Once the maple syrup comes to a bubbling boil, pour in the chopped pecan halves, stirring to coat in the maple syrup. Stir continuously until the maple syrup has cooked down. This will take approximately 5 minutes.
Transfer the hot pecan toffee to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Place the pan in the freezer to chill while you prepare the chocolate layer.
Make the Chocolate Layer
In a double boiler, melt the chopped dark chocolate over medium heat until it is completely liquid.
Remove the chilled pecan toffee layer from the freezer and pour over the liquid chocolate. Use a baking spatula to spread the chocolate evenly to cover the pecan layer.
Return the bars to the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.
Slice and Enjoy!
Remove the chilled bars from the freezer. Grab a hold of the parchment paper overhang and use this to life the bars out of the pan.
Use a sharp knife to cut the bars into 12 (mostly) even pieces, or more if you prefer smaller bars.
Store the bars in a container in the fridge for up to five days.
More Delicious Chocolate Recipes
Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Cups with toasted Buckwheat
Strawberry & Pistachio Bark with Flaky Salt
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this post and that you make my Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bars! As always, please feel free to leave a recipe rating or a comment. I love to hear from you! And if you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram 🙂
xx
Ashley
Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bars
Equipment
- Double Boiler
Ingredients
- 250 grams dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup pecan halves, chopped
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- a pinch of flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 inch brownie pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang of parchment along the edges. Set aside.
Pecan Toffee
- In a small sauce pan, bring the maple syrup to a gentle boil over low heat. Once boiling, whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon.
- Add the chopped pecan halves, stirring to coat in the maple syrup. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes or until the maple syrup has cooked down to coat the pecans.
- Pour the hot pecan toffee into the prepared pan. Use a baking spatula to spread the toffee in an even layer, ensuring it goes right to the edges of the pan. Pop the pan into the freezer to chill while you make the chocolate layer.
Chocolate Layer
- Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler over medium low heat until it becomes completely liquid. Remove from the heat.
Assembling the Bars
- Pour the liquid chocolate over the pecan toffee, using a baking spatula to spread the chocolate evenly. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt, then return the pan to the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chilled bars from the freezer. Grab hold of the parchment paper hanging over the pan's edges to lift the bars out of the pan.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the bars into 12 (mostly) even pieces. Store the bars in a container in the fridge for up to five days.