Kentucky Derby Chocolate-Pecan Cookie Bars
~ This incredibly easy, no-butter, bar cookie version of the always-popular Derby Pie is the perfect dessert for a weekday dinner or a party! Filled with whole grains, it’s fabulously decadent yet so nutritious! ~
This Recipe Is: • Make Ahead • Vegetarian •
I am a happy, happy food blogger when my taste-testing sessions go like this one did …
My son kinda closed his eyes in joyous delirium and said, “Best dessert. EVER.”
Hmmmmm …
Ok. Solid start.
Then he chirped through his mouthful of crumbs, “You know what I want for my birthday treat next year? That. And ice cream … if only you could make some healthy ice cream. Please??”
Ok, well. The ice cream is a whole ‘nother issue. But when a kid says something is worthy of being his birthday dessert … you know.
It seriously doesn’t get better than that.
But then it did!
Because then my husband tasted it and exclaimed, “I also want him to have that for his birthday!” (As he cut himself another piece … and another …)
And then my son, who is normally about the most genuinely compassionate, sharing child you could ever hope to meet, learned that I needed to pass along some of this creation to Gretchen’s family so they could try it. My previously oh-so-generous son didn’t even hesitate: “Only give them a little bit, ’cause we want it!”
No really, this is the kind of dessert you don’t want to share. Not even with good friends and people you like a whole lot. Even your besties just aren’t worth this.
Hide from them, and eat this all yourself.
I won’t tell. In fact, I encourage it. (Mostly because it will make me feel better about myself and my sweet little son!)
With the Kentucky Derby right around the corner, I wanted one thing: to concoct an utterly delicious yet much healthier nod to the famed Derby Pie.
I guess I succeeded.
I apparently also turned my son into a ruthless, un-generous little hoarder … but that seems a small price to pay, really.
Good Derby Pie isn’t crumbly or crunchy like a cookie, but rich and luxurious and ultra-moist. Kind of like if the best chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever tasted and a gloriously decadent pecan pie had a love child.
Created at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky, the original recipe for Derby Pie remains a closely guarded secret. But that hasn’t stopped it from becoming one of the most iconic foods of the Kentucky Derby (well, besides Mint Juleps … but that’s another story).
This THK version is dense and rich and chewy … bursting with chocolaty, brown-sugary, pecan-y goodness. Love child, indeed.
Yet with not one bit of butter or even oil anywhere in sight. The technique is cribbed from my beloved Pistachio-White Chocolate (No Butter!) Butter Cookies. They’re insanely good and, well … so are these.
Too good to share, sadly.
But that’s ok – the Derby only lasts for about two minutes, so there’s really no time to invite friends over, anyway.
Ah – problem solved, then.
You’re welcome.
Oh! And BTW … if you’ve read this far, I’m guessing you’re a fan of delicious bar cookies … and probably also caramel-y dates. AmIright?? If so, then you’ve also gotta check out our beloved Date Bar recipe. (Sharing totally optional there, too!)
Kentucky Derby Chocolate-Pecan Cookie Bars
An easy, no-butter, bar cookie version of the always-popular Derby Pie! Filled with whole grains, it's decadently delicious yet so much more nutritious!
• Make Ahead • Vegetarian •
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pecans
- 5 whole dried, pitted dates
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped or crushed
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a mini food processor (I use the smallest one from this set), pulse 3/4 cup pecans and dates until fairly smooth (pulsing for about 2-3 minutes), scraping sides of processor occasionally as needed. (The consistency will not be totally smooth and will be a thick, slightly grainy paste like very, very thick natural peanut butter.)
- Transfer pecan mixture to a large mixing bowl and add 3/4 cup brown sugar, egg, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until very well incorporated, scraping bowl once or twice as needed.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk to thoroughly combine.
- Add flour mixture to pecan mixture and beat on medium-low (as low as possible without stressing the motor of your mixer) just until combined, about 1 minute. (Dough will suddenly thicken, come together, and cling to beaters.) Do not over-mix. Dough will be sticky and very, very thick.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Press mixture into an 8x8 baking pan coated with cooking spray. (If you're having difficulty with the dough being too sticky, very slightly damp fingers will help.) Smooth top with a spatula or scraper.
- Lightly press remaining brown sugar and chopped pecans into top of dough.
- Bake for about 18-19 minutes. The bars will be only very slightly golden – do not over-bake by waiting until they are golden-brown or your bars will be dry (they should be ultra-moist and chewy, kind of like a fudgy brownie).
- Cool completely before cutting. (We usually cut these into 16 two-inch square bars, but you can make them smaller if you prefer.)
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Flour: If you don't have whole wheat pastry flour on hand, you can substitute 1/2 all-purpose flour and 1/2 regular whole wheat flour. However, we prefer the nutritional advantage of using all whole-wheat pastry flour, and our tasters also slightly preferred the taste of the version made with whole-wheat pastry flour.
Make-Ahead Option: These freeze beautifully. Wrap each bar in plastic and store in a zipper-bag in the freezer, then thaw individually when you want a quick dessert.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 servings Serving Size: 1 two-inch barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 98mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 3gSugar: 13gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
Just printed out this recipe. I have all of my “go to now” favorites in a handy folder for quick reference.
We will be eating these cookie bars before and maybe during and definitely after the Kentucky Derby!
We’re so honored to have made it into the “go to now” folder! And so excited that these bars will be part of your Derby festivities! Hope you’ll stop back and let us know what you think! 😀 ~G&S
Hmm.. i wonder if it will still be as good if i remove some sugar as well. Is there cookies with no butter and sugar? 🙂 I know.. Have never tried baking with dates, but i think i am ready for it. Have not seen Whole Wheat Pastry flour, but maybe i have not been looking?
For birthdays we do big extravagant cartoon-character cakes like Big Thomas cake or McQueen. This year it’s going to be Spiderman Cake and Power Rangers cake. But i cheat, try to make it as healthy as i can– apple sauce instead of oil, 1/2 sugar then in regular recipes. Kids eat it up and ask for seconds 🙂
Hi, Nikki! Thanks so much for the great questions!
Actually, I can tell you that these cookie bars definitely will still be good with even a little less sugar. We test all of our recipes pretty extensively, and are always looking for ways to bump up the nutrition while minimizing things like unnecessary sugar. In one of my test batches, I cut the brown sugar back from 3/4 cup to 2/3 cup. Were they still good? Yep – still pretty darn good. Were they AS good – no. Honestly, not quite. And that’s why our final version has 3/4 cup – we’re always looking for the exact spot (the “sweet spot” – haha 😀 ) where really healthy meets super-delicious. In our opinion, 3/4 cup is that “sweet spot” for this recipe. It’s only about an additional 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar for the entire pan of cookies if you stick with our recommended 3/4 cup, but that little additional sweetness makes a difference. However, if you’re working hard to reduce your sugar intake, then I definitely think you should try this recipe with 2/3 cup. I think you’ll still enjoy the final product for sure!
Oh – and about those dates! Yes, yes, yes! Try them! Dates add a lot of sweetness, and can really augment a chewy texture and caramel-y, brown sugar flavor. If you’re careful in how many you use, you’ll never even taste the date flavor at all! Pssst … looking for more ideas for using dates in baking? Check out our recipe for Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins with Caramel Swirl (hint hint … the caramel flavor is largely created by healthy dates!).
And, about the whole wheat pastry flour – we held off on using it in too many of our recipes until we felt that it was common enough that most of our readers could easily track it down. Of the four very typical, mainstream grocery stores near us, all but one stock it. So, I think you’ll find it easily if you take a peek. We commonly find Bob’s Red Mill brand on our local shelves. If you’re having trouble finding it, though – then definitely just take our suggestion of using 1/2 regular whole wheat flour and 1/2 white, all-purpose flour. Not quite as healthy, and we actually didn’t like the final product quite as well as with the whole-wheat pastry flour (surprising, huh?) – but they’re still terrific and definitely worth making with the 50/50 blend until you find the whole wheat pastry flour.
And hey – love your descriptions of those character cakes! I used to spend hours (hours!!!!) decorating cakes like that when my kiddos were littler. So worth it when you see how their faces light up at the final “work of art”! High-five for all the healthy subs in those cakes! Amazing how little changes can really add up – without anyone even realizing it! That’s so awesome!
Thanks again for stopping by and for so many really great questions! Hope I was able to help! 😀 ~Shelley
great looking bars! love the pecans!
Thanks so much, guys! Gotta have some sort of pecan bars or Derby Pie with the Kentucky Derby right around the corner, and these are such a deliciously healthful way to do it! Hope you love ’em every bit as much as our families do! 😀 ~G&S
Oh I love that these are rich and ultra moist, exactly how I love my cookie bars! I really love cooking/baking with dates. They add a subtle sweetness and enhance the flavor of the other ingredients. I hope you had a wonderful weekend, ladies!
Ashley – you are dead-on with your description! Rich and ultra moist, for sure! Yep – we just love dates, too! Their flavor has that magical hint of caramel that just elevates baked goods. And as long as we don’t over-do it, we find that nobody even realizes they’re in there! Especially great since they also lend a healthier boost of sweetness and so much wonderfully chewy moisture to any item you bake them in! Yum! 😀 ~G&S
I am with your husband and son – I also want these for my birthday! They look soo good! My mouth is actually watering! I love pecan anything and I love how you managed to make these healthier by making a cookie crust with dates (I can’t get enough of them!). Pinned!!!
You’re so hilarious, Ceara! And hey – that’s a super-easy birthday wish to grant! You’re just gonna loooove these, especially if you love pecans! And the dates really are kinda magical here, but no one will ever guess your secret! Thanks a million for the pin, girlfriend! Have an awesome week! 😀 ~G&S