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Pecan Pie Brownies Recipe

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Pecan Pie Brownies will be your favorite holiday brownie recipe! These chocolate brownies are made with brownie mix and then topped with a quick and easy pecan pie filling. These fudgy brownies are sure to be popular at your Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers!

Pecan Pie Brownies

If you’re looking for a dessert that everyone is going to love, these pecan brownies are the perfect treat for you! I’m so excited to share this recipe because everyone who has tried one came back for seconds (at least). So many of them asked for the recipe so they could make them, too.

They basically taste like a pecan pie with a brownie crust – it’s just the best combination. Plus, it’s super easy because you don’t have to worry about making pie crust (which can be hard to get right).

I like to use two boxes of brownie mix with chocolate chips. The chocolate chips add to the ooey gooey chocolate goodness, but they also add more fat to the brownies which makes them more fudgy. Using two boxes gives you thicker brownies, which makes the ratio of brownie to pecan pie filling perfect.

Speaking of the pecan pie filling topping – that’s really where these brownies go from tasty to downright magical. It has the perfect ratio of chopped pecans, and the flavors from the sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon are just next level.

Then it’s all cooked to perfection to make the most soft and chewy brownies that still hold their shape. When I say these brownies are SO good, trust me, they really are. They’re the absolute best and I’m so excited for you to try them!

Pro Tip: If you love salty sweet flavors, try adding a small pinch of flaky sea salt to the topping when you mix it all together. It’s delicious!

Ingredients

Boxed Brownie Mix: I love fudgy brownies, so I look for a box of brownies that have chocolate chips in them (I used the Ghirardelli mix). Not only do you get delicious chocolatey moments in the brownies, but the added fat helps make them taste more fudgy. You can also add chocolate chips to a regular box brownie mix to achieve this.

I would normally use a combination of melted butter and vegetable oil to make the brownies more fudgy, but since the pie topping has melted butter in it, I didn’t think these brownies needed it.

Corn Syrup: Corn syrup is used in pecan pie because it’s a thick liquid sweetener. It mixes with the eggs to create a filling that will bind the nuts together, without the crystallization you would get if you just used granulated and brown sugar.

Sugars: A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar creates the best texture and flavor profile.

Eggs: The eggs are very important in this recipe. The filling needs a lot of binding strength to hold the separate pieces of pecans together, and that’s where the eggs come in.

Vanilla: I recommend using pure vanilla extract if you have it, but since this is a baked dessert, artificial vanilla extract will also work.

Cinnamon: The cinnamon is optional, but I think it adds a really lovely warm flavor that’s perfect for fall and holiday desserts.

Butter: Butter adds the fat to the pecan pie topping, which balances out the sweetness perfectly. I wouldn’t recommend swapping this for oil. Since butter is solid at room temperature, it will help hold the pecan pieces together in a way that liquid oil can’t.

Pecans: Pecans have a flavor that’s mildly buttery and sweet, so they’re really the perfect nut to use in pies and bars. You can substitute walnuts for pecans if you prefer them (or if that’s all you have on hand).

The labeled ingredients for pecan pie brownies.

How To Make Pecan Pie Brownies (Thanksgiving Brownies)

Start by preheating the oven and mixing the brownie batter according to the package instructions. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)

Mixing together boxed brownie batter.

Prepare the metal baking pan, then pour the brownie batter into the pan. Bake it part of the way, then remove it from the oven.

Pouring brownie batter into a prepared baking pan.

While the brownies are in the oven, you can start preparing the pecan pie filling topping. Mix together the light corn syrup, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, ground cinnamon, and pure vanilla extract. Then add in the melted butter.

Mixing together sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, corn syrup, brown sugar, and melted butter.

Mix the melted butter into the filling until it’s fully incorporated, then add in the chopped pecans.

Mixing chopped pecans into pie filling.

Fold the chopped pecans into the filling until they’re evenly coated.

The pecan pie topping after it's been mixed together.

Pour the pecan pie topping on top of the brownies.

Pouring pecan pie filling onto baked brownies.

Spread the pecan pie filling over the brownies until it’s even (the edges and the center should have the same amount of filling). Bake the brownies until the brownies are cooked through and the filling is set enough that it doesn’t shift when you lift one corner of the pan. Be careful not to overbake them so that the sugar doesn’t burn.

Spreading pecan pie filling on brownies and then baking.

Let the brownies fully cool to room temperature before cutting and serving them. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.

What Does Pecan Pie Taste Like?

Pecan pie has sweet and buttery flavors that balance perfectly with the nuttiness of the pecans. Pecans are naturally sweeter than other nuts, so they lend themselves really well to sweet baked goods.

Several pecan pie brownies with a cinnamon stick in the background.

What Makes A Brownie More Chewy?

Boxed mix brownies are typically chewy. That’s because the chocolate in the brownies comes from cocoa powder (instead of melted chocolate). The chewy texture also comes from including plenty of fat (in this case it’s vegetable oil) to make sure the cocoa powder doesn’t make the brownies too dry, and from the inclusion of a starch (like cornstarch) in the ingredients.

An overhead image of Thanksgiving brownies on a piece of parchment paper.

How Do You Keep Brownies Moist?

To keep brownies moist, it’s best to wait to cut them until you’re ready to eat them. Waiting to cut the brownies means you’ll have fewer edges exposed to the air, so they’ll dry out less. It’s also important to wrap the baking pan you’re storing them in so that it’s airtight.

Pecan brownies next to Thanksgiving decorations.

Keep In Touch

I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime

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A Pinterest pin image with two pictures of pecan pie brownies, and title text at the top.

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Yield: 24 servings

BEST Pecan Pie Brownies Recipe

The best pecan pie brownie recipe.

Pecan Pie Brownies will be your favorite holiday brownie recipe! Made with brownie mix and then topped with an easy pecan pie filling.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 48 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 53 minutes

Ingredients

Brownies:

  • 2 (18 ounce) boxes brownie mix (I prefer a brownie mix with chocolate chips)
  • Ingredients the boxed brownie mix calls for
  • Butter (for greasing the baking dish)
  • Flour (for dusting the baking dish)
  • Optional chocolate chips (if using brownie mix without chocolate chips, I recommend adding 3/4 cup - 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the premade mix - the added fat makes the brownies more fudgy)

Pecan Pie Topping:

  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup butter (melted)
  • 3 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C). Lightly grease and flour the sides of a 9x13 metal baking pan, then line the pan with parchment paper (cut the parchment paper to about 2 inches longer than the pan - this creates handles on the sides you can use to help you easily lift the brownies out after cooling).
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the brownie batter according to the instructions on the package. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
  3. While the brownies are pre-baking, prepare the pecan pie filling. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the corn syrup, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, ground cinnamon, and vanilla until almost combined. Add in the melted butter and mix together until fully combined (until there are no visible clumps of sugar remaining). Fold in the chopped pecans until they’re fully and evenly coated in the mixture.
  4. Once the brownies have finished pre-baking, remove them from the oven. Pour the pecan filling over the top and spread it evenly over the brownies. Place the bars back into the oven and bake for an additional 23-25 minutes. 
  5. After 23 minutes, check the brownies for doneness by lifting up one side of the pan to see if the filling shifts (the filling should be a bit soft).*SEE NOTES BELOW
  6. Carefully remove the brownies from the oven and place the pan onto a wire rack to cool. As the brownies cool, loosen the edges from the pan periodically (I used the edge of a thin silicone spatula) - the sugar hardens as it cools and doing this will make removing them easier. Cool the brownies completely before lifting them out of the pan and cutting them.**SEE NOTES BELOW

Notes

*Be careful to not overbake the brownies. The pecans overbake and burn easily, and the sugars also become very hard if overcooked. It’s OK if the filling still looks a bit soft, it just shouldn’t shift when you lift one corner of the pan. The edges will be a dark caramel color and the pecans will still be golden. As the filling cools it will set more.

**These brownies are heavy when you lift them out of the pan. If you allow the brownies to cool completely before removing them from the pan, they will have enough structure to lift out of the pan without breaking. If you try to lift them out before they cool completely, they won’t have enough structure and the brownies will break.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1/24

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 415Total Fat: 21.3gCarbohydrates: 53.5gFiber: 1.4gSugar: 41.4gProtein: 3.7g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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This is the best brownie recipe from a brownie mix that has a candied pecan topping. These pecan pie brownies are the best Thanksgiving dessert! If you love chocolate pecan pie (a classic American dessert), you’ll love these Thanksgiving brownies!

The best pecan pie brownie recipe.

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