Pecan Pie Brownies

 These pecan pie brownies are just the thing if you've ever been eating pecan pie and thought, "this is great, but I wish that crust was a brownie." Your wish is now a reality. I was sure this experiment was not going to work, but it worked really, really well, and these fudgy brownies with a pecan pie layer baked on top are incredibly delicious.

Making a true pecan pie brownie is harder than it might seem. It’s simple to make a pan of brownies and add a thin layer of sticky pecans to the top, but that’s really more of a brownie with pecan pie frosting. It’s also easy to add a nice thick layer of pecan pie filling to the top of a pan of brownies, except that makes it very challenging to get nice clean, square cuts. Despite that, I tried anyway. Things started off pretty well, but about halfway through the bake I was convinced my attempt was going to end in dry, over-baked failure.

Of course, we never let the food win, so I just kept baking, and baking, until the top was finally set. As I waited for the brownies to chill, I prepared myself for the inevitable disappointment, but somehow, someway, they ended up being perfect. I can’t ever remember being more surprised at how a recipe turned out, which is why I really do hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy! 

Ingredients

Brownie Base:

1 cup white sugar

7/8 cup cocoa powder (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

10 tablespoons hot melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Pecan Pie Filling:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 large eggs

1/2 cup salted butter, melted

2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with enough parchment to overhang on all sides, and oil the parchment.

Chef's Note:

A 9x9-inch pan can be used, but that may reduce baking time, so check for doneness sooner than times given.

To make brownie batter, combine white sugar, cocoa powder, kosher salt, and 10 tablespoons melted butter in a mixing bowl. Mix with an electric hand mixer or whisk until combined. The mixture will look grainy, but that’s okay.

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 egg, and mix with a whisk or electric hand mixer until combined. Again, the mixture will look grainy. Add the second egg, and continue mixing on high speed until a smooth, thick, glossy batter is formed.

Add flour and mix on low speed until flour just disappears. Use a spatula to mix in any flour from the side of the bowl; spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Tap pan gently on the counter to level the brownie base.

Bake brownie base for 20 minutes. Remove to cool on a wire rack while making pecan pie filling.

Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

For pecan pie filling, combine brown sugar, salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, corn syrup, 2 eggs, and melted salted butter in a bowl; whisk until smooth. Stir in pecans; pour filling over brownie base and spread evenly; tap pan gently on counter to level the filling.

Bake in the preheated oven until pecan pie filling is almost fully set, about 1 hour. If dish is shaken gently from side to side, there will be a very slight jiggle in the center. 

Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. For best results, cover and chill before cutting. Lift brownies from the dish using parchment overhang. Cut into 16 2x2-inch squares.