If I had to pick of one flavor that reminds me of my childhood, it would probably be the flavor of orange slices. (The candy itself, and also this recipe for orange slice bars!) Hear me out: I grew up in the same small town where my parents both grew up, and my grandparents lived there, too. My grandmother always, always, always had a stash of orange slices in the house. And being the grandchild with the sweet tooth, I always knew where they were. Honestly, she might still keep a stash of orange slices in her house…I’ll have to check next time I’m there.
I’ll admit it, orange slices are a pretty old-fashioned candy to love, but I always have. I’m sure it has something to do with nostalgia…but they’re just delicious. Now, when I was a kid my mom used to make these orange slice bars. And I had completely forgotten about them until a few weeks ago when I was visiting home for the weekend. She and I stayed up way too late digging through all of her recipe boxes and cookbooks. I found a little paper folder from the local Junior Auxiliary tied with a red ribbon and there was the recipe for orange slice bars.
Since I hadn’t had orange slice bars in years, of course I had to try to make them myself! And yes, they do taste just like I remember them tasting. I know it sounds like an odd mix: brown sugar, pecans, and orange slices…but it’s really a treat, I promise. That brown sugar and butter crust is really good, too.
And tell me this: do you like orange slices? If you try these bars, let me know what you think!
Need more holiday inspiration? Head over to my Holiday page and you’ll find a whole bunch!
Orange Slice Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Flour
Topping
- 15 oz Orange Slice Candy
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Chopped Pecans
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Mix together butter, brown sugar, and flour with a pastry cutter until crumbly.
- Press into a 9/13 baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.
Orange Slices
- Cut the orange slices in half lengthwise.
- Cover the crust in the halved orange slices and set aside.
Topping
- Mix together the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder, and sift over the wet ingredients.
- Mix in the chopped pecans and spread the mixture evenly over the orange slices.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then let them sit overnight before cutting them into bars.
