I have a total obsession with pecan pie. The combination of crunchy nuts with sweet sugar and that perfect gooeyness is like crack. I can’t stop eating it. One bite turns into five turns into oh my god where did that 1/4 of the pie go? Must’ve been someone else. I’m going to keep eating.
Please tell me I’m not alone in this.
So seeing as Thanksgiving is like 15 days and 18 hours away or something (but who’s counting?), I decided to go all out with my pecan pie this year by combining it with a brownie. So forget pie crust, our pecan pie has brownie on the bottom. IT’S BROWNIE PECAN PIE.
Oh yeah, baby.
I tested this brownie pecan pie recipe once myself, then gave it to my sister to test on her own, and we both agreed it was a Thanksgiving dessert recipe for the books. She says, and I quote:
Thanksgiving is often, unfortunately, devoid of chocolate. This pie provides some much needed chocolate therapy at the end of a potentially contentious family dinner. And, might I add, brownies are the best kind of dessert, period.
-Rebe, aka my sister, aka my best friend, aka the person who has the ideas for 49% of the recipes on this site
She took the words out of my mouth. I love it. HAPPY FEASTING.
Tips for making this brownie pecan pie
Although super easy to make, this brownie pecan pie recipe does require some assembly (most of which is just pouring batter into a pan; don’t worry, you’ve got this!). First, you need to make the homemade brownie layer.
Your brownie base will actually be cooked twice, once on its own and once with the gooey pecan pie filling on top. The first time you bake the brownies is supposed to cook them just enough so they can withstand the pecan pie filling (you don’t want the pecans to sink into the brownies, or else it won’t taste like pecan pie!).
Once the brownies are baked a second time with the yummy pie filling on top, they need to be popped into the fridge for at least two hours before you dig in. This will help the brownie pecan pie set properly and will prevent you from scalding the roof of your mouth with pecan pie filling (ask me how I know this).
If you’re in a rush or are impatient, you can just pour the pecan pie filling onto the brownie base and bake as is. I arranged the pecans by hand so that my pie would look pretty for you guys, but it’s totally unnecessary!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heavily grease a tall-sided pie pan with butter. Set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 stick butter for 30 seconds. or until fully melted. Remove, stir in chocolate chips, and microwave for an additional 10-15 seconds, until both butter and chocolate are fully melted. Allow to cool slightly.
In a separate large bowl, whisk brown sugar and 1 egg by hand for 1 minute, until the mixture looks shiny. Whisk in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add in slightly cooled melted chocolate/butter mixture, then add in flour, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder, stirring until combined.
Pour into prepared pan, smooth over with a rubber spatula, and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes more.
While the brownies are cooling, make the pecan pie topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, brown sugar, eggs, butter, salt, and vanilla extract until fully combined, about 1 minute. Stir in pecans.
Pour pecan mixture over the partially cooked and cooled brownies. If you’d like to make a nice pattern, place the pecans one by one, starting at the outside, in concentric circles. When you’re done, you’ll have some pecan pie batter left over. Pour it on top!
Bake for an additional 30 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
I made this for a get together with friends and they loved it! I went the 8×8 route just to be sure that I wouldn’t have to worry about any goodness overflowing. It’s a delicious combination of two of my favorite desserts. Thanks for the recipe!
THIS WAS INSANE!!!!!!!!!! so so so good! 10/10. made it for friendsgiving and it was a massive hit! the brownie is beautifully rich, smooth and gooey and the pecan topping is has a beautiful toffee like texture! i’m still thinking of it and ranting about it weeks later! thanks for the amazing recipe Sarah!
For those with portioning problems, an 11″ round dish will actually yield the same volume as TWO 9″ cake tins. So if you don’t have an 11″ ceramic dish, you can either half the recipe or make two 9″ pies. The math is below, and it assumes that you want the pie height to stay the same.
4.5 and 6.5 are the radii of a 9″ and 11″ cake pan, respectively.
By the way an 8×8 brownie pan will have the same volume as a 9″ cake tin, so even though Sarah says to use an 8×8, you’ll most likely need two 8x8s or end up with 3″ tall bars lol.
Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
I made this for a get together with friends and they loved it! I went the 8×8 route just to be sure that I wouldn’t have to worry about any goodness overflowing. It’s a delicious combination of two of my favorite desserts. Thanks for the recipe!
THIS WAS INSANE!!!!!!!!!! so so so good! 10/10. made it for friendsgiving and it was a massive hit! the brownie is beautifully rich, smooth and gooey and the pecan topping is has a beautiful toffee like texture! i’m still thinking of it and ranting about it weeks later! thanks for the amazing recipe Sarah!
For those with portioning problems, an 11″ round dish will actually yield the same volume as TWO 9″ cake tins. So if you don’t have an 11″ ceramic dish, you can either half the recipe or make two 9″ pies. The math is below, and it assumes that you want the pie height to stay the same.
(6.5^2)(3.14) = 132 sq inches
(4.5^2)(3.14) = 64 sq inches.
4.5 and 6.5 are the radii of a 9″ and 11″ cake pan, respectively.
By the way an 8×8 brownie pan will have the same volume as a 9″ cake tin, so even though Sarah says to use an 8×8, you’ll most likely need two 8x8s or end up with 3″ tall bars lol.
If I make this the day before Thanskgiving and put it in the fridge should i reheat at 350F for around 20mins?
Yes, exactly! I would say 15 mins or so!
This looks amazing! If I make this 1 day ahead of time do you recommend storing it in the fridge or at room temperature!
Hi Rachel! Fridge for sure!