baking · holiday · sweet

Pecan Pie Brownies

Colleen

Can we talk about how expensive pecans have gotten?

I have NEVER seen them this high. I get inflation and all that jazz, but pecans were getting into the “too pricey for me” index years before inflation hit.

I don’t get it, either. They’re ABUNDANT here in the south. Heck, I have a pecan tree in my front yard! They’re also one of the easier nuts to get into—just compare them to black walnuts (impossible to break into. Just give up now) or pistachios.

If anyone knows why pecans are this pricey, let me know. It’s not a supply issue or a “hard to harvest” issue, so what is it???

I really try my best to not buy pecans because of the price, but this time of year is hard. I adore pecan pie (more than pumpkin pie) so I have to just grit my teeth and pay the hefty price. In a lot of recipes, you can swap pecans with walnuts (a little cheaper) but for pecan pie, there’s no substitute.

This is a great riff on traditional brownies and traditional pecan pie. It’s a simple recipe to put together, but beware: just like pecan pie, it can be hard to figure out when it’s done. If the middle jiggles a little bit, but the edges are set, you should be good. You do not want to overbake this, it can end up super hard.

Other than that, this is a great recipe to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Save it for future holiday use!

Pecan Pie Brownies

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Crispy, chewy brownies topped with sweet and gooey pecan pie filling.

Ingredients

  • 1 family-size box of fudge brownie mix, plus ingredients needed to make the brownies.
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups pecan halves

    • Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the brownies according to the box. Pour into a 13×9″ baking dish. Bake according to package instructions.
    2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the sugar, corn syrup, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in pecans.
    3. 10 minutes before brownies are supposed to be done, take them out of the oven.
    4. Pour pecan mixture on top of partially cooked brownies. Spread evenly with a spatula. Return brownies to oven and bake for another 25-35 minutes or until the filling only jiggles slightly in the middle.
    5. Remove from oven and let brownies cool in pan for 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

    Published by Colleen

    I'm a photojournalist for a local television station in OKC and love to cook (obviously). I'm four years removed from college (BA in Mass Communication) and I'm just trying to guide through my mid-twenties with a relative ease. We'll see how this goes!

    4 thoughts on “Pecan Pie Brownies”

    2. I have to be gluten free, so I hope I can find a really good boxed mix. I may have to make my own gluten free brownies. Just a little more work. I would do anything for a pecan pie. My absolute favorite!

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