Hey, y'all! Many readers write to me regarding the perfect dessert to serve at a dinner party, at a meeting, or to take to someone's house. My philosophy on cooking is that food should be both delicious and easy - and in the dessert realm, that means one thing: my homemade Kentucky Derby Bars! Your neighbor, your family, and the neighborhood food critic will be impressed by these; I'm excited to share them with you today!
This post is in partnership with Happy Egg. Thank you all for supporting those that make JCP Eats possible. All opinions expressed are my own. Originally posted February 2020, updated July 2021.
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Kentucky Derby Bars: A Southern Dessert Made With Happy Eggs
With one bite of a Kentucky Derby Bar, you'll be transported to Churchill Downs and have a Mint Julep in hand. You'll probably hear "My Old Kentucky Home" playing through your head, your accent will be a little thicker, and you might write your MeeMaw about them. In all seriousness, this is a signature flavor profile here in Kentucky and it's easy to see why we are famous for it after trying it.
When constructing the perfect dish, it comes down to one thing: choosing the right ingredients. As someone with farming roots, that means that I want ingredients that are produced with care, love, and the highest of standards. For all of my baking needs, there's no other choice than Happy Egg, which I purchase from my local Kroger.
Enjoy "Kentucky Derby Bars: A Southern Dessert Made With Happy Eggs"? Check out my other blog posts here!
Happy Egg
Happy Egg Free Range Eggs™ are the key ingredient to many of my desserts. Desserts innately make people happy; thus, why wouldn't I use eggs that come from happy hens?! By choosing Happy Egg Free Range Eggs™, you are choosing a product of the highest quality, taste, and trust level.
The large brown, Grade A eggs come from hens that roam free on over 8 acres of pasture and enjoy a nutrient-rich, vegetarian diet; did you know that most eggs found in the supermarket are from hens that never go outside?
As someone that is actively invested in both the agriculture and culinary industries, I try to be overly cognizant of what I put into my body - and I implore that you do the same. That said, with full confidence, I assert this: Happy Eggs are both good for the hen (humanely produced) and good for you!
Enjoy "Kentucky Derby Bars: A Southern Dessert Made With Happy Eggs"? Check out my other blog posts here!
Two-Part Recipe
My Kentucky Derby Bars require a bipartite recipe. The first part is making a delicious, homemade graham cracker crust that is oh-so-simple. Secondly, and most importantly: the delicious topping. Buckle up, y'all -- it's good.
Kentucky Derby Bars
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 3 c. honey graham crackers crushed
- ½ c. butter melted
- ½ c. sugar white
- 1 Happy Egg Free Range Egg White
- 1.5 tsp. vanilla extract
Topping
- 3 Happy Egg Free Range Eggs™
- 2 c. pecans chopped
- 1 c. brown sugar tightly packed
- 1 c. light corn syrup
- 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ c. butter melted
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1.5 tbsp. cornstarch
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
For The Crust
- Liberally grease/spray a 13×9 baking pan.
- In mixing bowl, combine honey graham cracker crumbs, a Happy Egg White, melted butter, vanilla extract, and sugar. Stir/mix until well-combined. Press crumb mixture into the greased baking pan, making sure that it is evenly distributed.
- Bake crust for 10 minutes, allowing it to completely cool before adding the topping.
For The Topping/To Complete The Recipe
- In a second mixing bowl, combine brown sugar and corn syrup and stir until well-mixed. From there, add 3 Happy Eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, cornstarch, and kosher salt. Stir thoroughly.
- Add chopped pecans and semi-sweet chocolate chips, folding them into the filling.
- Evenly spread over the cooled graham cracker crust and cook for approximately 38 – 40 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick.
Nutrition
Enjoy "Kentucky Derby Bars: A Southern Dessert Made With Happy Eggs"? Check out my other blog posts here!
Y’all come back now, ya hear?
My best,
JC
Keep Up With JCP Eats
Thank you so much for visiting the blog today! I’d love to keep in touch via social media. You can follow my content on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tik Tok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I also author a sister website to JCP Eats, Unabashedly Southern, on which I write about southern lifestyle. Read Unabashedly Southern here.
Enjoy "Kentucky Derby Bars: A Southern Dessert Made With Happy Eggs"? Check out my other blog posts here!
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