Pecan Pie Brownies Recipe
Pecan Pie Brownies are a rich and fudgy dessert combining two holiday favorites. They feature an easy homemade brownie base (with an easy option for a boxed mix) topped with a gooey pecan pie filling. The decadent brownies, made with candied pecans, chocolate chips, and corn syrup, are ready in less than two hours.
Coming from a Southern family, we’ve been perfecting pecan pies and brownies for years. This recipe is the perfect example of passing down love from one generation to another, and it brings the richness of chocolate brownies and the nostalgic flavor of homemade pecan pie together.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Servings | Prep Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 minutes | 1 hour | 16 | Beginner + |
Ingredient Notes
The chocolatey brownies and pecan pie topping work together beautifully with these ingredients.
Butter – Adds fat for richness, helps emulsify ingredients, and gives the filling a smooth texture.
Unsweetened Cocoa: Provides intense chocolate flavor and dark color to the brownie base.
Chocolate Chips: Add sweetness and texture contrast, melting into gooey pockets throughout the brownies.
Corn Syrup: Acts as the binder in the pecan topping, preventing crystallization and giving it that glossy, gooey finish.
Brown Sugar: Sweetens with added moisture and depth; its molasses content enriches the pecan layer.
Pecans: Provide crunch and a toasted nut flavor; they are the signature texture element in the topping.
Get the full printable recipe with measurements, instructions, and all of the ingredients listed below in the recipe card.
Tips And Variety For Pecan Pie Brownies
The secret to this recipe’s success is baking it in two stages.
- When you make the brownie base, only bake it for about 25 minutes. They will be undercooked and gooey on the inside, but they will finish cooking when cooking with the pecan pie on top. This allows the pecan filling to be slightly absorbed into the brownie base without sinking straight to the bottom.
- When spreading the pecan pie topping on the brownies, be gentle because you can tear the brownies that are still jiggly in the middle of the pan (speaking from experience).
- Use parchment paper in the baking dish to help lift the brownies out after cooling.
- The brownies will be gooey right underneath the pecan pie topping. If you would like to cook them a little more, place some aluminum foil over the pecan pie layer toward the end of the cooking process so the pecans don’t burn. You can test for doneness with a cake tester.
- If you’d like a deeper, darker flavor, use dark brown sugar and dark corn syrup instead of light.
- To give the flavor a little more pop, toast the pecans before adding to the mixture.
How To Make Pecan Pie Brownies
Once the brownies bake in the 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan, set them aside and begin preparing the pecan pie mixture topping.
Pecan Layer
Add the corn syrup and brown sugar to a medium bowl.
Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl.
Pour the melted butter into the bowl and mix everything together.
Finally, add the pecans to the bowl and stir until they are completely covered. The pecan pie filling is gooey and creates candied pecans on top when it’s baking.
Spread the pecan pie filling mixture over the brownies. Bake the pecan pie brownies again for about 25 minutes or until the top starts to candy a little.
More Pecan Dessert Recipes
Pecan recipes are a favorite part of holiday baking, and these recipes are no exception. They are easy to make and perfect for holiday gatherings.
- If you love these brownies, you will love pecan pie cookies from Miss In The Kitchen.
- You can have a classic pecan pie or pecan pie without corn syrup (made with maple syrup) for your holiday gatherings.
- Decadent Pecan pie bars are a hit at any get-together.
- Homemade pecan pie in the slow cooker is a great way to save some room in the oven during the holidays.
- If you love chocolate, you will love this chocolate pecan pie – the chocolate and pecan filling has never tasted so good.
Delicious Brownie Recipes
Brownies are a welcome dessert any time of year. They can be made in a variety of ways. If you love frosting on the top of your brownies, you will love these chocolate fudge brownies. And it doesn’t have to be Fall to break out the perfect pumpkin swirl brownies — and these pumpkin cream cheese brownies are just the treat.
FAQs
Storing the Brownies
You can store the pecan brownies in an airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator. They will last a few days longer in the refrigerator.
Can The Brownies Be Frozen?
Yes, these brownies freeze very well, and you can freeze them for up to two months. Place them on the counter to thaw to room temperature before slicing.
Can You Make Pecan Pie Brownies Using Brownie Mix?
Yes, you can use a boxed brownie mix. If you are, follow the instructions on the box and use the ingredients they call for. Then, bake the brownies for less time than the suggested time on the box. The brownies should still be slightly gooey on the inside. Then, add the pecan pie topping and follow the instructions here for the remainder of this recipe.
Pecan Pie Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
Brownies
- Use a box of brownie mix, OR use the following ingredients for homemade brownies
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks, melted
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1-1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon flour for tossing chocolate chips
Pecan Pie topping
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3-1/2 cups pecans
Instructions
Brownies (if not using a boxed brownie mix)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Sift the flour, salt, and cocoa and set aside.
- Add the butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs (one at a time) to a large bowl. Mix together.
- Add the flour mixture and mix well.
- Sprinkle the teaspoon of flour over the chocolate chips in a small bowl and toss. Add the chocolate chips to the mixture and mix well.
- Pour into the greased 9" x 13" prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Set aside. A toothpick will come out still wet.
Pecan Pie Topping
- Add the corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and melted butter to a medium-sized bowl. Mix together.
- Add the pecans and stir until all are covered.
- Pour over the brownies and spread out gently.
- Bake again for 25-30 minutes until done. A toothpick or cake tester should have moist crumbs when done.
Let me start by saying I don’t like sweets of any kind – don’t like sugar, even. But, my best friend, a Southern man absolutely loves treats and anything with pecans. So, I made these and he shouted out “..these are so good, it’ll make you slap your granny!’ I guess that’s about the best it gets – LOL
Did you use I boxed brownies or did you use 2 boxes of brownies
It seems like if you don’t use 2 then I think it would be 2 thin if I use just
1 box
Please let me know soon I won’t make it until I hear back from you
Thank you
Karry
Hi Karry,
I used a homemade brownie recipe. It’s super easy to make. The brownie recipe that I used is listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
If you did use a boxed brownie for the recipe, I think you would need to make it with two boxes.
If I am using boxed brownies and it calls for a 40-44 minute bake time, do I do 40-44 minutes twice?
Hi Jordan, I would only bake the box mix for about 30-35 minutes. Then, once you add the pecan pie topping, you can bake it again 25-30 minutes.
Once you bake it the second time, you can check the brownies with a knife or cake tester to make sure they are done. But, they should be once you cook them twice.
@Julie Pollitt,
THANK YOU!!
One more question.. im sorry!!
If I am making these for Thursday – Should I cook them tomorrow or will they stay fresh with the topping until then if I was to cook today?
You’re welcome! I would cook them tomorrow. They will be a lot fresher. And ask all the questions you have. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
How don’t the brownies burn if your baking them twice?
You’re not baking them for the full amount of time. They are still a little gooey on the inside the first time you bake them. That helps when you bake them the second time.
Hello,
I am wanting to try the homemade brownies for this recipe. It says to cook for 35 mins. For the Pecan Pie Brownies do I cook less time since I will be cooking it twice. Like 20 mins each time?
Hi Cheryl,
You will cook the homemade brownies for 25 minutes. Then, you will add the pecan pie topping and cook another 25-30 minutes. Let me know if you have any more questions. Hope you love them!
@Cheryl
You can read the instructions for this recipe above and she wrote 25 minutes each time. She wouldnt leave that up to guesswork for us
is it really enough flour? because it is more sugar than flour. would be nice to get a respond.
Hi Philip,
It is enough flour. It does seem backwards, but it is correct.
What do you think about using chopped pecans instead of whole pecans?
Hi Linda, I think chopped pecans would work just fine. Hope you love it!
How many pecans? Not listed in the recipe.
Hi Maureen, it’s at the very bottom in the recipe card. It’s 3-1/2 cups of pecans. 🙂
PS. Instead of making the topping with the listed ingredients, I would use 1 can of Condensed milk and peacans. Try it, I think you will get the same results maybe better.
I will have to try that it sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!
I would like to make these without the Pecan pie topping, just regular Brownies. How long would I bake them for?
Hi Shara,
Here’s the recipe for the regular brownies. This is the recipe I use with the pecan pie brownies. You would bake about 35 minutes. Hope you enjoy them!
https://www.backtomysouthernroots.com/how-to-make-chocolate-brownies-from-scratch/
I am a Southern girl living in California, I really need all these goodies out here!!!
Oh! So great to hear. Glad you’re here!
I would caution to spoon the pecan mixture over the brownies evenly and not try to pour your bowl directly in. The result would be all the toppings pooling in the middle.
Oh no! Thank you for the tip. 🙂
@Julie Pollitt, other recipes call for 1 1/2 c syrup and 4 eggs..yours using 2eggs/1/3 c syrup is this making the filling less ?
My recipe is a little different from the others. I want the dessert to be able to cook through and if there’s too much, it might not cook through.
I used the Scratch Brownie recipe. After the 2nd baking the middle of the Brownie layer was very gooey and different from the edges. I saw a suggestion on the string not to just pour in the middle but to spoon. I’m wondering if even distribution of the Pecan layer would help with a more consistent result. They were delicious & everyone loved them (no one noticed but me) 🙂
Hi Marianne,
How long did you let it set up for? You can always cook it longer and place some aluminum foil around the edges to keep the edges from overcooking while the center cooks more. If you spoon it or pour it in, you should gently spread it out evenly. Hope that helps!
Should the brownies still jiggle after the 25 minutes? How long did you set them to the side before adding the topping?
Maybe jiggle just a tad. Just set it aside long enough to make the pecan topping. Then pour it on and bake again. Hope you love it!
Can this recipe be cut in half? Do you think it would still be good?
I do think this would be a good one to cut in half. Just cut all the measurements in half and do everything else the same. Hope you love it!
I am very frustrated with this recipe. It should’ve mentioned, letting the first round of brownies cool before pouring the pecan pie mix on top because it totally just sank into the middle. I am now going on the fourth round of having to put these in the oven because they are completely raw in the middle.
Hi Amanda, did you take the brownies out after 25 minutes when you cooked them the first time, before adding the pecan pie mixture?
How did they turn out?
Looks good. If I cut the recipe in half, what size pan would you use and how long would you bake it?
Hi Gail,
I would use a 9×9-inch pan if you want to cut it in half. I would start off cooking the brownies about 20 minutes. Once you add the pecan pie topping, i would then cook for about 20 minutes and then check them with a cake tester or knife. If it comes out clean they are done. If not, cook them a few minutes longer.
I have made the Candied Pecan part for years and put it over the top of my Pumpkin Pie.
Amazing for the holidays!!!
That is a great idea! I need to do that!