Sweet Potato Bars with Pecan Oat Crumble
These Pecan Oat Sweet Potato Pie Bars have all the flavor of sweet potato pie, baked in a square pan so they’re easy to cut and share. The oats and pecans get ground together and pressed into the pan for the crust, so there’s no pie dough to roll out. A little of that mixture gets set aside and mixed with whole oats for the topping, which gives it more texture and a classic crumble look. Since the crust and topping use oats and pecans instead of flour, these bars are gluten-free. Roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time and toast the pecans while the oven is already on, just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Total Time02:05
- Yield9 servings
Ingredients
For Oat-Pecan Crumble:
- 1-½ cups (120 grams) old-fashioned oats, divided
- 1 cup (160 grams) pecans, toasted
- ⅓ cup packed (65 grams) dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (see note)
- ½ cup (112 grams) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the baking pan
For Filling:
- 2 medium to large sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total), roasted until tender
- ½ cup (112 grams) heavy cream
- ½ cup (160 grams) maple syrup
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- Pinch of ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon maple extract (optional)
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and place an oven rack in the lower-middle part of the oven. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line it with two pieces of parchment paper long enough to hang over the sides for easy removal.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse 1-¼ cups (100 grams) of the oats until finely ground. Add the pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse until the pecans are finely ground and the mixture resembles coarse sand. With the food processor running, pour in the melted butter and process until combined.
- Transfer ¾ cup of the oat-pecan mixture to a small bowl, stir in the remaining ¼ cup oats, and set aside for the topping. Press the remaining mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan in an even layer. Wipe out the food processor bowl and set it aside for the filling.
- Bake the crust until the edges are lightly golden and the surface looks matte, about 10 minutes.
Make the Filling:
- While the crust bakes, scoop the flesh from the sweet potatoes into the food processor bowl. Process until smooth, then add the cream, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and maple extract, if using. Process until completely smooth.
- Pour the filling over the baked crust and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved oat crumble evenly over the top.
- Return the baking pan to the oven and bake until the filling is set and puffed around the edges with a slight jiggle in the center, 40-45 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan, then use the parchment to lift the bars out and slice.
Notes
Since the pecans get finely ground, pecan pieces work just as well as halves and are often cheaper.
A portion of the oats stays whole for the topping. It’s a slightly fussy step, but it gives the crumble a better texture and a more classic look.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If using Morton’s kosher salt or fine salt, you’ll need less by volume, so start with half and adjust to taste.
Roasting takes longer than boiling, but it’s worth it because it concentrates the flavor and prevents the filling from becoming watery. I’ve tested this recipe with canned sweet potato, and the results were disappointing. It turned out thin and bland, missing that deep, creamy sweet potato flavor.
Originally published in 2018, these Sweet Potato Bars have been updated with a few minor adjustments to the ingredients to improve the texture and the directions streamlined.
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Roasting Sweet Potatoes: 00:60
- Cook Time: 00:50
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
Find it online: https://everydaypie.com/maple-sweet-potato-pie-bars/