Pecan Pie Brownies
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These Pecan Pie Brownies are thick, fudgy, and topped with candied pecans. If you love pralines, you’ll love these! Perfect for the holiday season.
Perfectly Chewy & Fudgy Brownies
One of the truths in baking is that when you discover a good classic recipe, you use it in as many ways as possible. This has proved particularly true with my best brownie recipe. I’ve used it as a base for everything from snicker’s brownies to chocolate cherry brownies and now these pecan pie brownies!
This fudgy brownie recipe is inspired by one of my favorite holiday treats – pralines! These brownies are fudgy as you may expect but also nutty and crunchy. The pecans provide a welcome crunchy contrast to the gooey, decadent brownie batter.
During the holiday season, these pecan pie brownies make a great alternative to actual pecan pie. The flavors are similar but the brownies are much easier to make than any pie – and less mess too!
Not a fan of pecans? No worries! You can use any crushed nuts that you’d like to make this brownie recipe your own!
What You’ll Need
As you might imagine, chocolate is one of the main ingredients – appearing in a few different forms – along with a handful of baking staples.
For The Brownies
- Butter – I use unsalted butter in my baked goods.
- Semisweet chocolate – Your chocolate should be coarsley chopped for easy mixing.
- Cocoa powder – I use unsweetened (dark) cocoa powder, to offset the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Granulated sugar – Makes these brownies just the right level of sweet.
- Vanilla extract – Just a splash.
- Salt – Just a pinch.
- All-purpose flour – I recommend sifting the flour before adding it to the mixture.
For The Topping
- Light brown sugar – Brown sugar adds a warm sweetness to the topping.
- Butter – Melted, unsalted butter is used in the topping.
- Milk – Whole or 2% dairy milk will work.
- Vanilla extract – A splash for flavor.
- Chopped pecans – You can substitute other nuts like walnuts if you choose.
How to Make Pecan Pie Brownies
These decadent, fudgy brownies are just a few steps away. All you need is a mixing bowl, baking dish, and spatula!
Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Spray with non-stick spray.
Melt the chocolate. Melt the chocolate and butter, either using a double-boiler method on the stove or in 30-second intervals in the microwave. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder.
Prepare the brownie batter. Whisk the egg, sugar, vanilla, and salt until frothy. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture, followed by the flour. Fold until there are no visible streaks of flour.
Pro Tip: It’s important to whip the eggs until they are pale in color and very frothy. This will give the brownies rise.
Bake. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Prepare the topping. Whisk ingredients until well-combined. Stir in the pecans. Spread over the brownies.
Bake. Return the brownies to the oven for 15 more minutes.
Cool and serve. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 2 hours, then remove from the pan, cut, and serve.
Tips for Success
If this is your first time making brownies from scratch or you just need a refresher, be sure to keep these things in mind.
- Use baking chocolate – not chocolate chips. You can use either bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate in this recipe, depending on how sweet you want the brownies to be. The only thing to be cautious of is to ensure that you’re using a bar of baking chocolate and not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips do not melt smoothly, which is essential for this recipe.
- Measure the flour carefully. Be as precise as possible in your flour measurements. The #1 mistake in making brownies is eyeballing the flour or getting “close enough”. Accidentally using too much flour will result in hard and dense brownies.
- Bake on the lower rack. Be sure to position your baking rack in the lower 3rd of the oven. This allows the brownies to cook slowly and ensures the top doesn’t burn before the center is cooked.
- Avoid overbaking. Unlike other baked goods, you don’t want to cook these brownies until a toothpick comes out clean. In fact, if you’ve waited that long your brownies are likely overbaked and dry. It’s better to remove them from the oven a few minutes early than to overbake them!
Serving Suggestions
Is there anything better than enjoying a decadent brownie with a big glass of milk? The only thing I can think of is enjoying the brownie topped with ice cream instead!
If you really want a luxurious treat, enjoy these pecan pie brownies warm. They will literally melt in your mouth! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Storage & Freezing
Pecan pie brownies can be stored at room temperature for up to a week. Store in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. You can also store them in the fridge if you live in a hot or humid area.
These brownies can also be frozen. Just allow to cool and then freeze in a zip-top bag or tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and then bring to room temperature before serving.
Pecan Pie Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies
- ½ cup (151 g) unsalted butter
- 5 ounces (142 g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup (21 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
For the topping
- 1 cup (210 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (113 g) chopped pecans
Instructions
Make the brownies
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position, just below the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Spray lightly with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth. You can also microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and sugar, vanilla, and salt together until well combined and the mixture is frothy.
- Add the warm chocolate mixture and whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour and use a silicone spatula to fold the batter together until no visible streaks of flour remain.
- Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top of the brownies look dry and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Make the topping
- Whisk the sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla together until well combined. Stir in the pecans.
- Spread the topping evenly over the brownies and bake for 15 minutes longer.
- Cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Lift the brownies out of the pan by the foil overhang. Cut into square and serve. I like to refrigerate them for 45-60 minutes before cutting as this makes it easier to get clean slices. Be sure to use a sharp knife that will easily slice through the pecans.
Notes
- Chocolate: You can use bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate. Avoid chocolate chips, they don’t melt as smoothly as bar chocolate.
- Cocoa powder: You may use regular cocoa or Dutch-processed.
- Flour: Make sure to measure the flour correctly! Accidentally using too much flour will cause the brownies to be dense and hard.
- Pecans: You can use any other nut you prefer!
- Don’t overbake! Overbaking will cause the brownies to be dry. It’s best to remove them a few minutes early during the first bake. Don’t wait for a toothpick to come out clean.
- Brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Brownies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
Yes, brownies freeze well!
The praline topping is absolutely delicious!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Everything about these brownies looks SO. GOOD. Yum!! 🙂
Thank you, Jocelyn!
these brownies look delicious! definitely craving one right now..
I hope you make some! 😀
The praline topping really takes these brownies to the next level of deliciousness!
-Jamie
Thank you, Jamie!
These look amazing! Love that topping!!
Thank you so much, Julie!
What a beautiful blog you have! these brownies are SUCH a treat! I’m signing up to follow you – it’s a joy to visit your quiet kitchen!
mary
You’re so sweet Mary. Thank you! I look forward to seeing you around 🙂