Bake a pan of these rich and delicious Browned Butter Blondies with Pecans for dessert and see why I have become a bit obsessed with them. These bars bake up soft and buttery with delicious toasted pecans and a spicy cinnamon glaze that are just a bit decadent and so, so good!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
This page may contain affiliate links: please see my disclosure for policy details. I earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page.
If you love the classic flavor of butter pecan, then you will love these easy-to-make tender buttery blondies, which I feel are the ultimate blondie recipe. If you are a pecan lover, try this pecan pie or these mini pecan tarts; both of the recipes are classics and always a favorite dessert.
Why are blondies called blondies?
Blondies are considered brownies without chocolate and have a butterscotch or caramel flavor from brown sugar. To me, a blondie is more like a chocolate chip cookie without the chips—just my thoughts on the subject.
And just in case you are wondering, blondies are considered a bar cookie and just for fun, you can call them Blonde Brownies!
Blondie Ingredients
What is Golden Syrup
I wanted to try this recipe because it calls for Lyle’s Golden Syrup which I had seen in stores but never knew what to use it for. So now I’m intrigued by this ingredient and found a jar of this syrup while shopping in Napa.
Lyle’s Golden Syrup is a British staple used in cooking and baking. It’s a light golden brown, velvety syrup made from refined sugar with an amazing buttery caramel flavor that adds a rich flavor to these blondies. You can substitute honey, light, or dark corn syrup, but the flavor and texture of these blondies will taste different.
So where else can you buy Lyle’s Golden Syrup? I started looking everywhere I shopped; after all, I can’t go to Napa every time I run out. Well, I could, and I would like to, but someone would pitch a fit because if I go to Napa, that would include lunch, wine tasting, and more shopping. So closer to home, I have found the syrup at Whole Foods, Walmart, and Cost Plus World Market, or you can buy Lyle’s Golden Syrup here.
What is brown butter?
Browning butter is a technique of cooking melted butter until the water evaporates in the butter, leaving the milk solids, and as the milk solids cook and get toasted, those solids turn brown.
Why use brown butter in blondies?
Well, brown butter makes everything taste better by adding an extra rich nutty, caramel, and buttery flavor you can’t get with just melted butter. It’s a step that is well worth doing.
These blondies would be good with just melted butter, but the brown butter takes these blondies up a notch in flavor.
Toasting pecans
Just like browning the butter, toasting pecans intensifies their flavor and makes them extra crunchy. Normally, you toast pecans in the oven or a pan, but for today’s recipe, you will be toasting the pecans in butter, which makes them insanely delicious.
This step is so worth it because it brings out the pecans’ intense, rich flavor. Nibble on some before putting them in the batter, and you will know what I mean.
How To Make Butter Pecan Blondies
Browning the butter and toasting the pecans
Step 1. Add the unsalted butter to a medium-size saucepan and cook over medium heat to melt the butter.
Step 2. Keep stirring the butter until it is completely melted.
Step 3. Add the chopped pecans to the butter, stir and cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. During this time, the butter will start to brown and get foamy, and the pecans will get toasted with a deliciously nutty aroma.
Step 4. Set a strainer over a bowl and pour in the pecans and stain the butter. Set the butter in the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes.
Making the batter
Step 5. Add the chilled browned butter and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl, and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Step 6. Add the golden syrup and mix on medium speed to incorporate.
Step 7. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat this mixture until completely incorporated and a smooth batter forms.
Step 9. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and toasted pecans to the creamed butter mixture.
Step 10. Mix with a rubber spatula until well incorporated.
Step 11. Pour the batter into a greased 13-inch baking pan.
Step 12. Bake the blondies at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow them to cool completely before glazing.
Making the glaze
Step 13. While the blondies are baking, prepare the glaze by combining all the glaze ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 14. Stir well until the icing is thoroughly mixed and creamy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap until you are ready to glaze the blondies.
Step 15. When cooled, drizzle the cinnamon glaze over the blondies with a spoon and let the glaze set.
Step 16. Cut the baked blondies into squares and serve.
These buttery and nutty pecan bars have so many flavors to love that you will be reaching for seconds and maybe thirds.
This browned butter blondie recipe makes a delicious anytime dessert and is always a holiday favorite. Need a dessert for a potluck? Bake a batch of these blondies; I promise you will be asked for the recipe.
Variations
You can always add some additional flavors to change this recipe up…try these additions.
- Dried cranberries
- Toffee bits
- White chocolate chips
- Chocolate chips
- Candied ginger
- Butterscotch chips
Blondie questions?
Let the blondies cool completely so the bars firm up, then cut with a sharp knife.
Yes, these cookies freeze well. To store them, wrap them well in plastic wrap and then in foil or place them in a sealed plastic freezer bag.
Yes, you can use just melted butter; make sure it has cooled before adding it to the batter.
More recipes with pecans
- This is a family favorite, and for good reason. his Sweet Nut Braid Bread recipe is tender inside and studded with chopped pecans with a hint of nutmeg flavoring. You will love a slice of bread for breakfast.
- Add a sprinkling of pecans, cranberries, and ginger on the top of this Pumpkin Sheet Cake for a nutty crunchy topping.
Try These Recipes Next
Subscribe here for more great recipes, and follow One Hot Oven for more tasty sweet and savory recipes! Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook
Browned Butter Blondies with Pecans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped pecans you can buy whole or halved pecans and chop them
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup AP flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Drizzle
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon half and half substitute milk
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Making the cake
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 9" x 13" baking pan.
- Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan and add the chopped pecans. Cook over medium-low heat until the pecans are toasted and the butter turns brown, stirring frequently, and cook about 15 minutes. The butter will get foamy and the pecans will start to smell nutty.
- Set a mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the pecans from the butter, then chill the butter for about 20 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the chilled butter and brown sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, for about 3 minutes. Add the golden syrup and mix on medium speed until incorporated.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined and a smooth batter forms.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and the pecans and mix with a spatula until just combined.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until nice and golden brown.
- Remove the blondies from the oven and let cool completely before adding the glaze and cutting into bars.
Making the glaze
- Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and stir well to combine. Drizzle over the blondies when cooled.
- Cut the bars into squares with a sharp knife and enjoy.
- Store the cooled blondies in an airtight container for 3 days. You can also store the blondies in the container for longer in the refrigerator.
Notes
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
First published Oct. 14, 2012. Last updated Oct. 2022, for better readability.
About Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory recipes with all my baking friends.
I am a bit reserved about the brown butter (I’ll have to check if the process leads to acrylamides- which are not good for us, but if it doesn’t, I’ll really give it a go!)
I havent tried browned butter in baking yet, but this recipe looks like a great place to start!
Its been a while since I made blondies, will have to try this soon.
Yum! They look delicious! Can’t wait to make them for my family! They are going to love them! Thanks for sharing!
You had me at brown butter and pecans 🙂 These look great!
Just the pecans cooked in the butter are awesome.
I love blondies! I totally forgot about my browned butter obsession until now! I need to bring it back 🙂
They are tasty and I am starting to experiment with adding additional ingredients.
Ok, so I have been looking for soooo long for the Lyle’s syrup! SO HAPPY I got to this post!!!!
This recipe is a must try! love love love the idea of cooking the pecans with the butter!
I just bought more, this week. What recipes do you use it for?
Brown butter for the win, as always!!! Great job! This sounds delectable!
I’ve never made blondies but now they’re all I can think about!! Love anything with browned butter!
Yes, browned butter really makes baked good twice as good.
The pecans and cinnamon will make this blondies very tasteful. Great idea for my next baking adventure.
I have never had a blondie before, but it sounds delicous!! I love how you’ve described these as not too sweet as well, exactly how I like my treats – slightly sweet. Thank you for sharing!
For some reason, blondies just are really popular. I love these since they are so easy to make and are super tasty.
I’ll bet the browned butter really makes these taste amazing! My kids would love these for an afternoon snack.
These do make a great snack since they aren’t really sweet, but big on flavor.
These look so good! The sounds of that Lyle’s golden syrup is very intriguing! I’ll have to see if I can locate some! I’d love to try these!! And honestly, my favorite part of a chocolate chip cookie is the cookie. Not the chips!!
I love the pecan addition! Going to have to make them very soon!
You know, I’ve never had blondies before! But this is definitely a recipe I want to try. They look so good, well done.
They are so easy to make too.