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Pecan Chocolate Blondie Bars for Cupcake Day Dessert Table

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Fudgy brown-butter chocolate blondie bars topped with a broiler-torched pecan praline crust.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, browned and slightly cooled
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
  • 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted and roughly chopped, divided
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter (for praline topping)
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (for praline topping)
  • Pinch of salt (for praline topping)
  • Flaky sea salt, to finish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
  2. Brown 3/4 cup butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat until it foams, then turns amber and smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes. Pour into a bowl to cool slightly.
  3. Toast pecans in a dry skillet 4-5 minutes until fragrant, then chop roughly and divide in half.
  4. Whisk the browned butter with both sugars until smooth and glossy. Whisk in eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla until the mixture lightens slightly.
  5. Fold in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in chocolate chunks and half the pecans.
  6. Spread batter into the prepared pan and bake 22-25 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still looks slightly underdone.
  7. While the base bakes, melt 3 tbsp butter with 1/3 cup brown sugar and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan until it just starts to bubble. Stir in the remaining pecans.
  8. Pour the praline mixture evenly over the partially baked blondie and return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until bubbling.
  9. Switch oven to broil. Broil 1-2 minutes, watching constantly, until the praline top blisters and darkens into a thin crackable shell.
  10. Cool completely in the pan, then chill 30 minutes for clean slicing. Lift out using the parchment, sprinkle with flaky salt, and cut into 16 bars.

Notes

Watch the broiler the entire time it’s on — sugar burns fast, so go in 30-second increments and pull the moment it darkens at the edges. Don’t skip chilling before cutting; warm bars smear the praline into the crumb. Swap pecans for walnuts if that’s what’s on hand, or stir 1 tbsp bourbon into the praline for extra depth. For gluten-free, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works but skip the cornstarch. Bars keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days, or freeze layered with parchment for up to 2 months.

Find it online: https://www.receipster.com/pecan-chocolate-blondie-bars-for-cupcake-day-dessert-table/