Pecan Pie Brownies are going to quickly become your new favorite hybrid dessert. Soft, chocolatey, perfectly baked brownies are topped with a crunchy, sugary pecan pie topping that checks all the right boxes. Bake a batch of these brownies today to enjoy the best of both worlds!
The ultimate hybrid dessert recipe
It’s potluck season! Well, if your friends are anything like mine, it’s always potluck season (we love food!). With that being said, I do feel like Fall is particularly more potluck-friendly. So, next time you find yourself in the truly existential crisis of picking the perfect Fall-inspired dessert that will actually stand out amongst the others, bake a quick and easy batch of pecan pie brownies!
These can also double as a Thanksgiving dessert because who wants to choose between pecan pie or chocolate? You can get two desserts in one with these pecan pie brownies!
Let’s face it – a plain pecan pie or basic batch of brownies is a little too obvious, right?
Sure, they’re classic desserts that everyone will enjoy having a taste of, but it’s not like they’re going to write home about it. That’s where these pecan pie brownies are different! They’re just unique enough to not be replicated anywhere else at the potluck, and they’re classic enough to be loved by all. Again, best of both worlds!
The fun part about serving these brownies is how no one can agree on what the best part is.
Is it the crunchy, sweet, caramelized pecan pie topping? Or is it the soft, fluffy, decadently chocolatey brownies beneath the pecan pie topping? Either way, everyone I’ve served these treats to can agree on one thing – these easy to make pecan pie brownies are definitely a Fall favorite!
Ingredients
For the brownie layer:
- Flour – all-purpose flour will do!
- Cocoa powder – you’ll want to use unsweetened cocoa powder. If you love a richer, darker brownie, you can use dark cocoa powder.
- Baking powder – this will help the brownies rise
- Salt – always add salt to baked goods to help enhance and balance flavors!
- Eggs – this will help bind your batter! Room temperature eggs are always best.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter in baked goods.
- Granulated sugar – regular granulated will do.
- Light brown sugar – I like using light brown sugar in brownies since they’re already so rich but you can use dark brown sugar if that’s all you have.
- Vanilla extract – just a splash!
- Chocolate chips – who doesn’t love extra chocolate?!
For the pecan pie layer:
- Butter – again, unsalted butter.
- Eggs – this will help bind the pecans together with everything else.
- Dark brown sugar – I love the deep flavor of pecan pie so the dark brown sugar will help with that.
- Granulated sugar – regular white granulated sugar works.
- Corn syrup – this contributes to the sweetness that you’re used to with pecan pie!
- Vanilla extract – just a splash gives it a robust flavor.
- Heavy cream – you can use milk too but I like the fattiness from heavy cream.
- Chopped pecans – of course you need pecans for the pecan pie layer!
Tips for making pecan pie brownies
Making the brownies more fudgy. To make the brownies a bit more fudgy, reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes. That should result in brownies that are still cooked, but are slightly more moist and fudgy.
Making ahead of time. Unfortunately you won’t be able to make this ahead of time in separate parts and then combine them together. They need to bake together so if you’re going to commit to making them, you’ll have to make them together. However, in terms of making the whole recipe ahead of time, you can definitely do that! They’re best fresh but you can make them up to five days ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container.
Keep the pecan pie tops from browning too much or burning. Sometimes with how much sugar content there is in pecan pie, the tops of pecan pie can burn or brown too much. If you notice this happening, put foil on top and continue baking.
Storing and reheating instructions
How long will pecan pie brownies stay fresh? In an airtight container at room temperature, these sweet treats will stay fresh for about 5 days.
To reaheat: Enjoy them as they are at room temp, or zap them in the microwave for just a few seconds and serve with ice cream for a warmer treat!
Sink your teeth into more of my favorite brownie recipes
Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Fudgy Dirty Chai Dark Chocolate Brownies
Pecan Pie Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownie layer:
- 1 ⅓ cup (167 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (65 g) cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (180 g) semisweet chocolate chips
For the pecan pie layer:
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup (165 g) dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) white sugar
- ½ cup (171 g) light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (59 ml) heavy cream
- 2 cups (218 g) chopped pecans
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C) then line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the brownies by whisking together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl then setting aside.
- Whisk the eggs, butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract together in a separate large bowl until smooth then pour it gradually into the dry ingredients and mix just until there are no more lumps.
- Stir in the chocolate chips then pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- While the brownies are baking make the pecan pie later by melting the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup and vanilla and whisk continuously over medium heat until it starts to thicken, about 15 minutes.
- Whisk in the heavy cream, be careful because it may start to bubble.
- Stir in the pecans then pour it over the half-baked brownies.
- Bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the center is only slightly jiggly.
- Let them cool for about 1 hour then slice and serve.
Recipe Notes
NUTRITION FACTS
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
Jen
Sunday 28th of November 2021
Made these for thanksgiving and they were a-maz-ing!!!!! I’ve never made brownies from scratch before but these were so simple, recipe was super easy to follow…especially for non-baker me. I think these have definitely become a go to for my household :)