German Pecan Bar Recipe – Oma's Nussecken

by: Gerhild Fulson  /  Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

This yummy pecan bar recipe comes from my German cousin, Ingrid. Once she immigrated to Canada, she found this easy method to try to recreate one of her favorite treats, Nussecken. 

I've experimented with her recipe and the one I'm sharing is what I now make since it's absolutely so good.

Is it the same? Sort of.

Is it delicious? Absolutely!

This is such a tasty and pretty addition to a cookie platter and when chocolate icing is drizzled over, this almost tastes like a scrumptious, chewy, gooey chocolate bar!

My Mutti also experimented with Nussecken. They were cut into triangles and then we would then dip two of the corners into the melted chocolate chips. I actually have her Nussecken recipe in my Christmas Cookies ecookbook.

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Using graham crackers makes this easy. With the butter and sugar soaking into the graham crackers, it almost tastes just like a shortbread crust.

So good! In fact, when I ask people what they taste when they first try these, NO ONE has ever said they taste graham wafers. They all say it tastes just like shortbread. So yummy!

And fun! Certainly there's less to go wrong with this recipe. It's so quick and easy. Just make sure to keep the kids away from the butter/sugar mixture. It's HOT and sticky. 

Make sure you keep stirring the simmering mixture, being careful to keep the temperature just at simmering. You don't want this mixture to brown.

For the photos here, I've actually used sliced almonds, since that's what I had on hand. Another option is to use a mix of nuts, especially if you have a favorite. 

I've usually used pecans for these. Walnuts can be substituted for the pecans, but pecans are usually sweeter. However, if cost is a factor, then either a mixture of walnuts and pecans, or just walnuts would work.

When you're pouring the nut mixture, be careful not to get this onto your hands. It's HOT!

Level out the nut mixture over the graham wafers, resisting the urge to lick this. It's hot!

Then, it's off to the oven. Don't expect it to get golden or browned. It'll have a bit of a color difference, but have more of a 'less-liquid' appearance.

Let it cool about 10 - 15 minutes before cutting with a very sharp knife. Be careful not to draw the knife through the cookies, or you'll disturb the nuts too much. It's more of a stabbing down with the length of the knife, lifting a bit and moving to the next section. 

Let the pecan bars (or in this case, almond bars), cool a bit before removing to a wire rack. The lighting, below, makes these look a bit darker than they really are. 

You could just serve them this way, but they are absolutely heavenly when they are either drizzled with chocolate (the darker, the better) or covered with chocolate and topped with salted nuts, as I did here below. Or, just use pecans, as my cousin Ingrid does.

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German Pecan Bar Recipe – Oma's Nussecken

This yummy pecan bar recipe comes from my German cousin, Ingrid. Once she immigrated to Canada, she found this easy method to try to recreate one of her favorite treats, Nussecken. Cover them with pecans, as Ingrid does. Or, use any variety of nuts (salted are best!) which is what Oma does!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook/Bake Time 12 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Servings:

Makes 20 - 24 servings

Ingredients:

• 24 graham crackers
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (120 g) pecans, chopped
• 2 cups (340 g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 24 pecan halves (or other nuts)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a rimmed 10x17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the graham crackers on the baking sheet in a single layer.
3. Carefully bring butter and sugar to boil. Gently simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add chopped pecans to the butter mixture and spread over crackers.
5. Bake about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to start cooling.
6. Cut into 24 bars while warm.
7. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave and spread over the bars. Top each one with one of the pecan halves or other nuts.

Notes/Hints:

• If you wish, you can spread the chocolate chips on top of the butter/pecan mixture once the 10-minute bake time is over. As the chips melt, spread the chocolate over the top, returning to the oven briefly if needed to help the chips melt. Then cut into bars while still warm and place one of the pecan halves on each bar.
  

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12.07.2022 revision update

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Ingrid's Pecan Bar Recipe (Nussecken) | Just like Oma



By Oma Gerhild Fulson





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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.