Pecan Pie Brownies

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I’d love to pretend that these Pecan Pie Brownies came about in a moment of autumnal inspiration. When the first pictures of pumpkin bread started making their onto my Instagram feed, I immediately sparked up my Dutch Apple Waffles candle and started smelling cinnamon in the air. The beginning of autumn has become my favorite time of year as I’ve gotten older, heavily contrasted by a lifetime of dreading the Fall and the cooler weather and shorter days that came with it. These days I just can’t get enough of all of the seasonal delights Fall brings. (And by “seasonal delights,” I mean food.)

But alas, as much as pecan pie fits right in there with pumpkin spice and cinnamon apples on the top tier of Fall flavors, these Pecan Pie Brownies instead came to be because of poor memory and too many trips to Costco. You see, I had recently made German Chocolate Cake, using the last of my pecans. So, when I went to Costco a couple of days later, I naturally grabbed another bag to replace my stock.

I usually don’t go to Costco more than once a month or so (you would think the count is higher based on the amount that I talk about the place) but I ended up back there again just a few days after that. I’m not going to lie: I had a Costco hotdog on my mind that night, and I guess I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing because I grabbed and paid for yet another bag of pecans on my way to my ultimate hotdog destination at the front of the store. I didn’t remember that I had bought the exact same $14.69 bag of nuts just days before, and when I got home, I realized that my redundant nut purchase meant that I now had over 4 lbs of pecans with which to deal.

I got to thinking right away. I wanted to make a serious dent in these pecans, so naturally, a pecan-loaded pecan pie came to mind.  But, at the same time, I knew I wanted something chocolaty, so I decided to make some pecan pie topping and throw it on top of some incredibly fudgy chocolate chip brownies. And there you have it.

Although these brownies are ultimately a result of the blurred thinking that can only be blamed on my Costco hotdog fixation, I’m really not mad about the end result. Warm and fudgy Pecan Pie Brownies, that happen to be absolutely perfect for Fall.

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Pecan Pie Brownies

Ingredients

For the Brownies

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup chocolate chips

For the Topping

• 4 tbsp 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 3/4 c pecans
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare an 8" x 8" pan by spraying with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan or the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Then, mix in the cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
3. While the brownies are baking, make the pecan pie topping. Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat for a few minutes, until bubbly. Then, add in the cinnamon and heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Lastly, add in the pecans and a pinch of salt. Spread the topping evenly across the brownies. (Note: the topping will harden a little as everything cools. These brownies are delicious at room temperature, but even better warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave!) Enjoy!

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