Maple Pecan Blondies with Brown Butter: The Gooey Bar You’ll Dream About Tonight

Forget boring desserts. These Maple Pecan Blondies with Brown Butter taste like a cozy fall day crashed into a bakery and won. They’re chewy in the middle, crisp at the edges, and loaded with toasted pecans and deep maple vibes.

Browned butter brings a nutty, caramel backbone that makes every bite feel like a mic drop. Bake a batch, and people will “just stop by” all week like you opened a speakeasy for desserts.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Maximum flavor, minimal effort: Brown the butter, stir, bake—no mixer, no drama.
• Crazy good texture: Dense and fudgy center with a crackly top and crunchy pecan bits.
• Maple-forward sweetness: Real maple syrup and brown sugar make these taste like dessert’s answer to a pancake stack.
• Crowd-pleaser: Office potluck, Friendsgiving, Tuesday night—these disappear fast.
• Flexible recipe: Swap flours, tweak sweetness, or add chocolate with zero stress.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup (110 g) pure maple syrup (grade B/dark preferred for stronger flavor)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (use 3/4 tsp if using unsalted pecans)
• 1 cup (110 g) chopped pecans, toasted
• Optional: 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Optional finish: Flaky sea salt and a drizzle of warm maple syrup

Let’s Get Cooking – Instructions

1. Prep your pan and oven: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment, leaving overhang for easy lifting.

   Lightly grease the sides.

2. Toast the pecans: Spread on a sheet pan and toast for 6–8 minutes until fragrant. Cool, then roughly chop. This boosts flavor big time.
3. Brown the butter: Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat.

   Stir as it foams and the milk solids turn golden and nutty (3–5 minutes). Remove immediately to a heatproof bowl so it doesn’t burn. Cool 10 minutes.

4. Whisk in sweeteners: Add brown sugar and maple syrup to the warm brown butter.

   Whisk until glossy and combined.

5. Add eggs and vanilla: Whisk in eggs one at a time, then vanilla, until the mixture is thick and shiny. If it looks greasy, keep whisking—it will emulsify.
6. Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (if using).
7. Mix the batter: Fold dry ingredients into wet with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.

   Fold in pecans.

8. Pan and smooth: Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. It’s thick—use a damp spatula to nudge it into corners.
9. Bake: 22–28 minutes, until the edges are set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Slightly underbaked is perfect for fudgy texture.
10. Cool and finish: Cool in pan for 20–30 minutes, then lift out and cool another 10 minutes.

    Optional: drizzle a little warm maple syrup and sprinkle flaky salt. Slice into 12–16 bars.

Storage Tips

• Room temp: Store in an airtight container up to 3 days. They actually taste better on day 2 as the flavors marry.
• Fridge: Up to 1 week.

  Warm briefly in the microwave for that fresh-baked vibe.

• Freeze: Wrap bars individually, then bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp or reheat 10–15 seconds.

Nutritional Perks

These are dessert, not kale.

But they do bring some solid bonuses. Pecans offer healthy fats, fiber, and minerals like manganese and copper. Brown butter and maple syrup deliver big flavor, so you can be satisfied with a smaller square (in theory).

If you sub in a portion of whole wheat pastry flour, you’ll add a bit more fiber without wrecking the texture. FYI: they’re indulgent, so pace yourself—or don’t. Your call.

Pitfalls to Watch Out For

• Overbaking: The top should look set, but the middle should be soft with moist crumbs on a tester.

  Dry blondies are a tragedy.

• Scorched butter: Browned, not black. If it smells acrid, start over. Burnt butter = bitter bars.
• Skipping the cool-down: Cutting too soon leads to crumble city.

  Give them time to set.

• Cold eggs: Cold eggs can seize the butter. Room temp eggs mix smoother and shinier.
• Not toasting pecans: Raw nuts taste flat. Toasting amplifies flavor and crunch—worth the extra 5 minutes.

Recipe Variations

• Chocolate Chip Boost: Fold in 1/2–3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks for maple–chocolate magic.
• Bourbon Maple: Add 1 tbsp bourbon with the vanilla.

  It deepens the maple and adds sophistication, like glasses with no prescription.

• Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend with xanthan gum. Bake times may vary by a couple minutes.
• Maple Glaze: Whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1–2 tbsp maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Drizzle over cooled bars.
• Apple Spice Remix: Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp nutmeg and fold in 1/2 cup finely diced dried apples.
• Salted Pretzel Crunch: Fold in 1/2 cup crushed pretzels for salty-sweet chaos (in the best way).

FAQ

Can I use maple-flavored syrup instead of pure maple syrup?

You can, but the flavor won’t be as deep or complex.

Pure maple syrup gives that rich, woodsy sweetness. If you sub pancake syrup, reduce the brown sugar by a tablespoon so it’s not overly sweet.

Do I need to chill the batter?

Nope. This is a mix-and-bake situation.

Chilling can make the batter too stiff and affect even baking.

How do I know the butter is properly browned?

Look for golden-brown flecks at the bottom of the pan and a nutty, toasty aroma. The foam will subside slightly. Once those solids turn amber, pull it off the heat immediately.

Can I make these in a 9×13 pan?

Yes, but double the recipe or your bars will be too thin.

Start checking at 22 minutes; bake times may push to 28–32 minutes depending on your oven.

What if I don’t have pecans?

Use walnuts, hazelnuts, or skip nuts entirely. If skipping nuts, consider adding 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or dried cherries for texture.

How do I get clean slices?

Let the blondies cool fully, then use a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts. A warm knife (run under hot water and dried) makes bakery-style edges.

Can I reduce the sugar?

Yes.

Drop the brown sugar by 1–2 tablespoons without major texture changes. Much more than that and the bars can turn cakey and less fudgy, IMO.

Why did my blondies sink in the middle?

Likely underbaked or the batter was overmixed, incorporating too much air. Bake until edges are set and the center has just a slight wobble; it will firm up as it cools.

Final Thoughts

These Maple Pecan Blondies with Brown Butter are the dessert equivalent of a warm blanket and a standing ovation.

The combo of nutty butter, maple sweetness, and toasted pecans hits all the buttons—crunchy, gooey, rich. Keep the ingredients on hand and you’re always 40 minutes from guaranteed applause. Want to level up?

Flaky salt and a drizzle of maple, then try not to brag when everyone asks for the recipe. Spoiler: they will.