Pecan Pie Brownies
Fudgy brownies and rich pecan pie filling bake together into one incredibly decadent dessert. I promise you’ll love these pecan pie brownies!
My favorite homemade brownie recipe meets a classic pecan pie in this irresistible dessert. Ditch the pie crust (and the fuss), and pair these two together instead!
I love the combination of fudgy brownies and crunchy nutty pecans (and I swear the pecan topping makes the brownies even fudgier as they bake together). And adding cinnamon gives them a bit of delicious fall flavor.
These incredible pecan pie brownies are just begging to be invited to your next dinner party or holiday gathering! Serve wedges just as they are, or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s everything required to bake these pecan pie brownies (full recipe at the bottom of this article). Let’s get baking, shall we?
How to make pecan pie brownies
- Prepare brownie batter. Melt butter and chocolate over medium low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Stir in flour, cinnamon and salt. Spread evenly into a 9-inch baking pan lined with parchment or greased foil.
- Par-bake brownies. Bake the brownies until they’ve set up just a bit, 20 minutes. (This keeps the pecan pie layer from sinking down into the brownie layer.)
- Prepare pecan pie topping. Whisk together the corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and pecans. Spoon the pecan mixture over the top of the par-baked brownies.
- Bake. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until the center of the pecan pie filling is puffed and appears set.
- Let cool. Place on a wire rack and cool for at least 2 hours to completely set up the brownies.
- Slice and serve. Use a sharp knife to slice brownies into wedges. Top with ice cream or serve as desired.
Tips for making these pecan pie brownies
- I like to bake these brownies in a 9-inch round pan so that they slice up into wedges like a pie. You can also bake this recipe in an 8-inch square pan if you prefer squares instead of wedges (baking time will be mostly the same, perhaps a few minutes shorter). You can use a 9-inch square pan, but brownies will be thinner (decrease baking time to 12 minutes for the brownies, and 15-20 minutes after you’ve added pecan pie topping).
- Pecan halves or chopped pecans will both work for this recipe. Pecan halves give a better presentation, but using chopped pecans actually makes the brownies easier to slice.
- Honey or maple syrup will also work in place of light corn syrup in this recipe.
- Make sure to spoon the pecan pie topping over the brownies, instead of dumping the mixture on top. This keeps the 2 layers separate.
- Slicing the brownies is easiest if you line the baking dish with parchment or foil greased with non-stick cooking spray. Leave a little overhanging so that you can then use it to lift them out of the pan once cool.
- For cleanest slices, use a sharp knife and wipe clean between each cut.
- These brownies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for several days. They also freeze very well. Wrap brownies (individual slices or uncut) in a double layer of plastic wrap and store in the freezer for a month or more.
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This recipe was originally published November 2014.
Pecan Pie Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (170 grams)
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped or use chips (200 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (90 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the pecan pie filling:
- ⅓ cup honey or light corn syrup (108 grams)
- ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar (105 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly (56 grams)
- 2 cups pecans (225 grams)
- Vanilla ice cream , for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a deep 9-inch cake pan or round baking dish with greased foil or parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan set over medium low heat, melt the butter and chocolate together until melted and smooth, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each, followed by the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture and mix just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Spread batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- While the brownies are baking, prepare the pecan pie filling. Whisk together the honey or light corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the melted butter and mix until combined. Add the pecans and stir until they’ve all been coated in the filling.
- After 20 minutes, remove the brownies from the oven and spoon the pecan pie filling on top into an even layer (do not pour or dump mixture on top).
- Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until center jiggles slightly when gently shaken. Cool completely to room temperature, for at least 2 hours, to completely set the brownies. If desired, chill in the fridge for a shorter cooling time.
- Slice with a sharp knife and serve with ice cream, or as desired.
Notes
Notes:
- This recipe can also be baked in a 8-inch square pan. Baking time may be reduced slightly. A 9-inch square pan can be used, but brownies will be thinner. Decrease baking time by about 10 minutes.
Holy moley, I can see why you liked these so much – they’re gorgeous! Definitely trying these!!
Oh my goodness yes! Brownies and pecan pie together?? Looks amazing!
HOLD DA PHONE! Pecan pie WITH brownies? You are my new favorite person for all the evers. These look incr-EDIBLE!
All I have to say is commence eye rolling into the back of my head! Pinned!
I was just about to whip up a batch of pecan pie brownie. Love your version!
Welp, there goes my diet. Haha. Can’t wait to try these!
I really love your recipe, Annalise. Need to try it as soon as possible 😀
I am so excited about this. My family thinks I am crazy because I don’t care for pie. But what I DO love is pecans and brownies. This is so happening Thanksgiving!
OH MY GOSH. These look so dang good. I’m drooling!
These brownies look amazing! You took 2 amazing desserts and made them even better!
Annalise! When I saw these, my jaw dropped. This is deliciously brilliant and I want to eat a whole pan right now.
I’ve just tried making these. Not sure, but I think my oven is a bit high. What did your brownies look like after 20 minutes? Were there any cracks in the brownie yet or still jiggly?
Thanks!
After par-baking the brownies for 20 minutes, my brownies were just a tad set at the edges and very much not baked in the center. Hope this helps. Sorry you’re having trouble! Maybe try getting an oven themometer to see if the temp is off?
Thanks Annalise, for the fast reply! In the end, the top burnt a little, so I know my oven is off. But I live in Vietnam and so don’t have a proper standard oven. Still, it turned out delicious and chewy in the centre. That’s the fun in baking!
Wow these look stunning and oh so yummy!!!!
Hello! I made the brownies last night in prep for Thanksgiving. I let them set overnight at room temperature. I cut into them this morning to make sure they were cooked and the brownie part seems underdone. I did look back and see that you noted the brownies were “fudge” so I’m wondering if this is normal? I followed the directions and cooked for said time. They are not liquid or anything, they hold up by themselves, just very fudge like, I suppose, and not at all cakey. Please let me know if this is normal because I do not want to serve underdone brownies to my family! Thank you so much!
NOW these were good…that Chocolate Almond Cake was awful…but these I will make again YUM!
Making these for work tonite. Are the pecans chopped or leave halved? They look delicious!
Hi Colleen! You can chop them or leave them whole, it’s up to you. 🙂
I would love to make these in mini muffin tins!! I would love some advise on the timing.
Hi June! What a fun idea! I haven’t made these as mini muffins so I can’t say with any certainty how they’d turn out, but I’m sure they will, possibly with some tweaking. I would skip baking the brownie bottoms by themselves and just bake everything together, maybe 15-20 minutes? And I would chop up the pecans a bit. No idea the yield, but I would bet at least a dozen. Hope this helps!
What is your recommendation on baking time if I were to bake these in a muffin tin? I’m taking these to a Christmas party and I thought it might be nice to bring them as individual portions. Thanks!
I like how you point out that you should make sure that the pecans are completely coated in the filling. I’d imagine that would make them even better and help the brownie be everywhere. My son has recently discovered pecans, and he wants to eat them all the time. Your brownies look like they’d taste amazing and have his favorite nut. I’ll just have to find some pecans and make this.
I hope you both enjoy them!
i want to use a brownie mix in a box and cook in a rectangle cake pan because it is for a reunion do you think it will work and i am thinking it may have to be doubled, using an aluminum cake disposable pan
This recipe will most likely work just fine with a brownie mix and in a square or rectangle pan, but I can’t make any specific recommendations because brownie mixes are different and sizes of pans will vary. I would just make sure the pan isn’t more than 2/3 full before baking. And for timing, let it go for maybe 30 minutes and then check every few minutes after until done. Good luck!
I made these for Thanksgiving 2017.
I personally felt like these were too rich for me, but my Dad is a HUGE fan of chocolate anything so he LOVED them!
My mom really liked these as well. So overall, I would say this recipe is a keeper on hand for any chocolate lover!
Can this recipe be cooked in a 13x9x2 pan ?
can this be made ahead and put in the freezer for a later time
Lil
CANB I MAKE THESE IN A 9-INCH SQUARE PAN WOULD LIKE TO CUT INYO SMALL SQUARES FOR A PARTY
Yes! A 9-inch pan should work fine.
Would have been nice to know how much butter goes in the top and how much in the brownies? How many eggs in each? How much vanilla. Recipe is impossible without iy
Ok! Found it, lol
I baked this exactly as you directed (only used salted butter) and it was perfectly divine! There was a small wedge left and the host of the dinner party begged me to leave it for him to finish off! So many compliments!
I noticed that you used foil was it lining the bottom as well? This looks delicious and I’m going to make it and rate it. Thank you.