Best Gooey Pecan Pie Brownies

Name: BEST GOOEY PECAN PIE BROWNIES RECIPE
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: PT-479589H54M26S
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 oz high quality dark chocolate, between 60-70% cocoa - I like to use Lindt or Valrhona; 10 tbsp unsalted butter (140g); ¾ cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar (about 165g); 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 tsp instant coffee mixed with 1 tablespoon hot water; ½ cup all purpose flour, sifted (about 65g); ⅓ cup cocoa powder, sifted (about 35g) - it is best to use dutch processed cocoa powder; ¾ tsp salt; 1/4 cup maple syrup (80g); 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar (150g); 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (56g); 1 large egg; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla; 2 cups pecan halves and pieces (or roughly chopped pecans), toasted for 7-8 minutes in the oven at 350F (230g)

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These Gooey Pecan Pie Brownies are the best of 2 already incredible desserts: ultra rich and fudgy chocolate brownie topped off with a gooey, nutty pecan pie filling. They are (in my humble opinion) way better than pecan pie, and will have everyone coming back for more. And the best part? They are extremely easy to make and take only 20 minutes of work!

3 pecan pie brownies stacked on top of each other with more on the side. brownies have a layer of fudgy gooey brownie topped with a pecan pie filling

Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

COMPONENTS OF GOOEY PECAN PIE BROWNIES

These Pecan Pie Brownies have 2 simple components:

Fudgy brownies. Instead of using a box mix like most recipes, I prefer to make my own brownies using my popular, tried and tested best fudgy brownie recipe! I do skip the added chocolate chips / chopped chocolate since we want the pecans to be the star of the show
Gooey pecan pie filling. This is a simple and delicious pie filling made without corn syrup, and goes on top of the brownies after they have partially baked. The key is to toast the pecans first so they are more nutty and fragrant

WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE...

If the name and pictures alone have not convinced you yet, let me do a little more groveling on behalf of these pecan pie brownies...

They're really simple. Honestly, such a fuss-free recipe which looks and feels like you put in more effort than you actually did. So pretty much perfect to bake for all gatherings this fall / Holiday season
They taste INSANELY delicious. They're rich, fudgy, chocolatey, caramelly and nutty. And aren't those all the adjectives you want in a dessert?
Their texture is to die for. There are no dry, cakey, crumbly brownies in sight. The ultra gooey texture of the brownies paired with the crunch from the pecans makes so one of the best texture combinations ever
They're different. Why make the same plain old brownies, or the same pecan pie every time, when you can make a creative combination instead? I honestly prefer these over pecan pie every time!

16 pecan pie brownies on a marble serving board topped with gooey pecan pie filling

2 pecan pie brownies placed sideways next to more to show the cross-section. they have a fudgy gooey interior

TIPS TO PERFECT THIS RECIPE

While this recipe is quite quick and simple, I do have some tips to help you achieve the best results:

Use high quality 60-70% dark chocolate for the brownies. The brownies get most of their flavor from the chocolate, so getting a good one is important here! I highly recommend Valrhona Caraibe, Valrhona Guajana, or Lindt Excellence
Use Dutch processed cocoa powder. It is just better than regular cocoa powder, with a much deeper flavor and aroma. The best value I have found is Rodelle
Toast the pecans. I cannot stress this enough! Toasting pecans for just 7-8 minutes at 350F will make them taste infinitely better. Otherwise they retain an earthy, raw flavor that is just not that pleasing
Weigh the ingredients with a kitchen scale for accuracy. This is especially important for flour, cocoa powder, and chocolate, as measuring cups don't measure their quantities accurately and the smallest variation will lead to vastly different outcomes
Get the baking time right! The pecan pie filling on top of the brownies will look quite gooey and liquidy even when they are done baking. That's part of the texture of the brownies and the liquid gets absorbed when the brownies are allowed to rest after baking

close up of pecan pie bownies from the top, pecan topping looks gooey and fudgy

4 pecan pie brownies stacked on top of each other with little parchment squares between them. brownies have a layer of fudgy gooey brownie topped with a pecan pie filling

VIDEO TUTORIAL

Here is a short video tutorial for this recipe that I recommend watching:

PROCESS WITH PHOTOS

The detailed recipe is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but let's go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.

For the brownies, melt together the butter and dark chocolate:

butter and chocolate melted together in a small bowl

Separately, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and ribbony:

eggs and sugar whisked to a thick and fluffy texture

Whisk the melted butter and chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture:

melted butter and chocolate poured into whipped eggs and sugar in a glass bowl

butter, chocolate, eggs and sugar whisked together in a glass bowl

Sift the dry ingredients and gently fold them into the batter:

cocoa powder, flour and salt sifted on top of wet ingredients in a glass bowl

thick and fudgy brownie batter in a glass bowl

Transfer the brownies to a 9x9" pan and bake partially:

brownie batter spread in a 9x9 brownie pan

partially baked brownies in a brownie pan

In the meanwhile, whisk together the maple syrup, butter, eggs, vanilla, salt and brown sugar for the pecan pie filling:

butter, maple syrup, sugar and egg in a bowl

wet ingredients for pecan pie filling whisked together in a bowl

Stir in the toasted pecans, and spread on top of the par-baked brownies:

chopped toasted pecans added to wet ingredients in a bowl

pecan pie filling spread on top of brownies in a brownie pan

Bake again, let the brownies set, and serve!

close up from the side of a batch of pecan pie brownies with one brownie removed to show the interior fudgy texture

overhead close up picture of a pecan pie brownie with more on the side

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I substitute the dark chocolate with semi-sweet or milk chocolate?

I don't recommend substituting the dark chocolate with semi-sweet or milk, because the end result will become too sweet.

Can I substitute the pecans with another nut?

Yes, walnuts will work great with this recipe!

Can I substitute the maple syrup with another ingredient?

If you can't find maple syrup, you can replace it with honey.

How to know when pecan pie brownies are done baking?

I won't lie, this is a bit tricky because the pecan filling will still have some liquid. The way to tell they're done baking is to look for a golden color on top of the pecans, and insert a toothpick in the center. It will have wet pecan pie filling on it, but shouldn't have wet brownie batter on it. I found that these brownies take ~30 minutes to bake after adding the pecan pie filling. Once you remove from the oven, let them rest in the pan for 1 hour before cutting in. It's ok if they still have a little gooey liquid, think of it is like caramel sauce! We actually want that, and they will taste amazing.

Can I bake these brownies in advance?

Yes, you can bake these brownies 1-2 days in advance and keep at room temperature in an airtight container. I recommend eating them warm after a few seconds in the microwave, though!

How to store pecan pie brownies?

Keep the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Remember the pecans will lose their crunchy texture with time, though.

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