Description
Soft, buttery blondies with deep maple flavor and crunchy toasted pecans. A perfected fall dessert that’s quick, easy, and made with simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (packed, 200g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (chopped, about 100g) pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two opposite sides.
- Toast the pecans: Spread chopped pecans on a small baking sheet and toast in the preheating oven for 5-7 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
- Brown the butter: Place ½ cup unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt completely, then continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until it turns golden amber and smells nutty (about 4-5 minutes). Remove from heat immediately and pour into a medium mixing bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Combine wet ingredients: To the browned butter, add packed brown sugar and maple syrup. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Let cool for another 2 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla: Crack the room temperature egg into the bowl, add vanilla extract, and whisk vigorously until thick, smooth, and slightly lighter in color (about 30 seconds).
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until no lumps remain.
- Fold it all together: Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few streaks of flour are okay). Fold in toasted pecans, reserving a handful for topping if desired.
- Transfer to pan: Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. If using reserved pecans, sprinkle on top and press in gently.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes. At 20 minutes, start checking. Edges should be golden and pulling away from sides; center should still look soft and slightly underdone. A toothpick inserted in center should come out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely: Place pan on a cooling rack and let blondies cool completely in the pan (at least 1 hour). Once cool, use parchment handles to lift slab onto a cutting board. Slice into 9 or 16 squares.
Notes
Don’t skip browning the butter—it adds essential nutty depth. Use real maple syrup, not imitation. Let blondies cool completely before slicing to avoid crumbling. For clean cuts, use a sharp knife and wipe blade between cuts. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 blondie
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 26
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
Keywords: maple pecan blondies, fall dessert, easy blondie recipe, maple syrup dessert, pecan blondies