These brown butter candied pecan blondies are soft and chewy and will remind you of the holiday season without all the fuss. They are easy to throw together, require no stand or hand mixer and will be ready in around 50 minutes! Doesn’t get better than that, does it?!
Hello everyone!
It is 4AM here and I am wide awake so I thought why not get a little work done. So if something doesn’t make sense, just know I have been running on 4 hours of sleep a night because of this oh so rough ” hay fever”…
For the past couple of days, it has been unbelievable windy in Las Vegas, and with the wind come the allergies. So I ended with cold with a 3 week allergy period until I went to the doctor yesterday to get something to help.
I was given 2 pills a day for 3 days, but they supposedly keep yo uppity, so here I am exhausted as can be but also up. It’s a terrible combination… Anyways, enough with my rant.
Today’s recipe was something I was inspired to make for a friend/s birthday! He actually loves pecan pie around the holiday… actually who am I kidding all year long. So I wanted to make something similar that doesn’t require as much work, because ya girl lives life tired all the time. So the easier the recipe the better my life is.
The blondies that made someone who doesn’t really express what he feels, express!!
So as I said before, I made this candied pecan blondies for a friend because I know he is obsessed with anything pecan pie and or thanksgiving related.
And to my surprise, he messaged me after he received them to tell me how amazing they were! So this right here should tell you that these blondies right here are phenomenal!
First, what the heck is a blondie?
Well, we know one thing from the name, it is blonde. To the word blonde, we add “ie” and turn it into a very similar word to brownie, because well these are blonde brownies.
Since we do not use any cocoa powder or chocolate in these they don’t get that deep dark chocolatey flavor or color to them but they still have an incredible chewiness and sweetness.
What’s so special about these brown butter pecan blondies?
I love these brown butter candied pecan brownies because they bring the holidays to you anytime of the year. Since they are so simple, you can make them easily during any season.
I actually will probabaly be making these around the thanksgiving next year too because it is a. simple thanksgiving inspired dessert. It’s like a pecan pie, without all the work. Who doesn’t like that.
Another thing that I am absolutely obsessed with if the chewiness of these brown butter blondies as well as. the sugar balance.
Check out more blondies/brownies recipe!
- Brown butter strawberry blondies
- healthy pumpkin blondies
- Bakery style brownies without cocoa powder
- Easy chewy brownies with cocoa powder
Ingredients for these pecan brown butter blondies
This recipe is pretty similar to my other strawberry brown butter blondie and has pretty simple ingredients! I included some link of the products I like to use.
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Baking powder
- salt/sea salt
- Maple syrup
- Pecans – I used these, but these are cheaper and are great as well!
Tools needed for this recipe
Here are the tools you will need. I linked back to some of the tools I personally use 🙂
What is brown butter and is it hard to make?
Brown butter is one of my favorite things in the world! It is amazing to elevate flavors, add depth and make dishes or dessert a whole lot more rich. It is more formally knowl as beurre noisette, which means hazelnut butter.
Brown butter isn’t exactly made with hazelnuts, yet it definitely has a certain nuttiness to it. It is not hard to make at all, you just gotta give it a try for yourself.
How to make brown butter?
To make the brown butter or beurre noisette, start by cutting your butter in smaller pieces so that it melts faster and more evenly. Place the butter in the small sauce pan and start melting.
Once the butter is completely melted, increase the hit to just above medium, and stir it frequently using a wooden spoon or spatula. The butter will be bubbling on top.
At this point the butter will be very fragrant, the bubbles will slow down and it will darker in color. At this point remove the brown butter from the heat and transfer it to a heat proof bowl to stop the cooking process.
Let the butter cool before using it.
Tips and tricks fro browning butter
- Stay close to your brown butter while cooking. It can go from delicious to terrible in a matter of seconds so don’t go too far, because this won’t take long 🙂
- Prepare a heat proof bowl for when you’re done with cooking the butter! If you leave the butter in the hot pan it will continue cooking and you run the risk of burning it.
- Make sure to let the brown butter cool down. If you jump right into adding the sugar and the eggs, it might still be too hot and the eggs will cook. We are not going for that today.
How to make these brown butter candied pecan blondies? STEP BY STEP WITH IMAGES
How to make the candied pecans
First, you are gonna want to line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Now, melt the butter and the maple syrup in a large pan then add the pecan nuts and give them a quick stir.
Cook the pecans on medium heat, stirring constantly until the pecans develop a beautiful golden color.
Transfer the pecans to the prepared baking sheet, spread them out evenly and sprinkle with sea salt. Set aside for later.
How to make the brown butter blondies
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degreed, then prepare the 8×8 inch baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray and lining it with parchment paper.
Now mix all the dry ingredients (excluding the brown sugar) in a bowl and set aside.
When the brown butter is at room temperature add in the brown sugar and stir vigorously to combine.
Add in the egg, the egg yolk, and the vanilla extract and stir again.
At this point the mixture should look like this.
Pour the dry ingredients over the wet mixture and mix just until the flour mixed in.
The brown butter blondie dough will look something like this.
Pour the blondie dough into the prepared baking pan and flatten it using a spatula.
Top the brown butter blondie dough with the candied pecans making sure to lightly press them into the dough.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. You will know your brown butter candied pecan blondies are ready when you insert a tooth pick in the center and it comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
Let your creation cool completely before attempting to cut into it.
Tips for the BEST brown butter candied pecan blondies
These are so so easy, and if you follow these simple steps you will make one of the best brown butter blondies you have ever had!
- Do not over-mix- When you add in the flour, only mix until the flour is incorporated. We want these to stay ooey gooey delicious.
- Keep an eye on your candied pecans- When cooking your pecan nuts in the maple butter mixture, keep a close eye. Since they can burn easily at a certain point.
- Add chocolate chips- Chocolate and candied pecans are a match made in heaven. So go ahead and add some semi sweet chocolate chips on top of the blondies for an extra wow factor.
- Let them cool– The pecan blondies definitely need to cool down completely before you can dig it. The process of cutting them into little squares is also a lot easier when the blondies are cool.
Make this candied pecan brown butter blondies recipe your own!
This recipe can be modified to your likings! Below is a list of topping modification ideas to make these brown butter blondies something your family would love:
- Candied walnuts/ candied walnuts and chocolate chips
- Candied pecans and chocolate chips
- Chocolate chips and cranberries- this one is perfect for the holidays.
- Dulce de leche swirls
Let me know down in the comments what modifications you have made and how you liked it 🙂
IF YOU MADE SOMETHING FROM LIFESTYLEOFAFOODIE, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL YOUR CREATIONS AND KNOW HOW EVERYTHING TURNED OUT! SO DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, AND FACEBOOK.
Candied Pecans Brown Butter Blondies recipe
Candied pecan brown butter blondies
Equipment
- An 8×8 baking pan
Ingredients
For the blondie
- ¾ cup butter You want to end up with about 137g of browned butter.
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the candied pecans
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup pecans
Instructions
Make the brown butter
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking it for 3-5 minutes or until the butter is foamy and turns medium-golden brown. This process is called browning the butter. Keep a close eye on it because it can burn easily. Remove from the heat, transfer to a medium bowl, and let the butter cool down to room temperature before you start making the blondies.¾ cup butter
Prepare the candied pecans
- Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
- Then start by melting the butter and the maple syrup in a large pan then add in the pecans and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Stir constantly until the pecans develop a beautiful golden brown color.1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey, 1 cup pecans
- Transfer the pecans to the prepared baking sheet and spread them out evenly throughout the dish so they don't stick together. Sprinkle with the sea salt and set aside.¼ teaspoon sea salt
Making the brown butter blondie
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8×8 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Now, mix all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.1 ⅔ cup flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- When the butter is at room temperature, add in the brown sugar and stir well to combine.1 ¼ cup brown sugar
- Add the egg, the egg yolk, and the vanilla extract and stir until everything is incorporated again.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and mix just until all the flour has been incorporated. You don't want to over-mix the brown butter blondie mix.
- Pour the brown butter blondie mix in the prepared 8X8 inch baking pan, top it with the candied pecans you made earlier and bake for 25-30 minutes. You will know the blondies are done when you insert a tooth pick in the center and it comes out clean or with only a few moist bits.
- Cool the candied pecan blondies completely before using the parchment paper to remove them from the baking pan. Slice into 16 equal squares and enjoy.
Notes
- A week in the fridge.
- 3 months in the freezer!
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this pecan brown butter blondie recipe make sure to let me know in the comments!
Shop this recipe
This article may contain some affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Sandhya
These blondies look amazing! I am drooling looking at them!
Lifestyle of a Foodie
Girl! You have to try them! They’re amazing 🙂