Southern Pecan Chewies are perfect for a holiday cookie tray yet simple enough to be served year-round with tea or coffee. One bowl, a handful of ingredients, and 30 minutes are all you need to have a sweet treat!
There are about as many recipes for pecan chewies and pecan chews out there as there are southern grannies.
We prefer ours to be slightly chewy on the edges and soft but set in the middle.
This recipe is the one that I have used for eons.
It’s the first one I was taught how to make and Ithe only change I have made was to reduce the nuts. Add too many pecans and it takes longer to bake.
That longer baking time results in a crunchier/drier edge. If you want to use extra nuts, go ahead and use them. It won’t hurt anything except maybe your wallet.
You could actually double the nuts and still, come out with a fantastic bar cookie or pecan blondie.
It can be called either one because it is a little bit like both!
I prefer to use toasted pecans because it adds a nice depth of flavor.
To toast pecans I measure out the amount I need for my recipe and place them into an ungreased pie tin and roast them in a 350 Degree F oven for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring even 5 minutes.
Once you are able to smell the pecans when you open the oven door, take them out, and set them aside to cool.
You will also see some of the pecans on the edges of the pan started to turn a darker shade of brown.
This can be made with a mixer, but I find it easy enough to mix up in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.
The best way to keep the dish count to a minimum is to start with a microwave-safe bowl for this and melt your butter right in the bowl you are about to use.
One bowl, one pan, and done!
Melt the butter BEFORE you add the brown sugar! Otherwise, it looks like this mess.
The brown sugar will be fine in the microwave though.
I was still able to salvage this batch and it tasted no different than any other batch I have ever made. Which is many!
Add the eggs now, but if you forget, just add them as soon as you remember.
Your first indication you forgot the eggs might be when you are trying to add it to your baking pan and wondering just how in the world you are going to get that mess evened out. Or it might happen earlier, like when it is difficult to get the pecans into the mixture.
If you detect a touch of guilt in that statement it is because I have done that exact thing a time or two. Evidence that it happened this time too. I had just too much going on in the kitchen that day.
We were making Italian Wedding Cookies, Knafeh, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, and Pecan Chewies all in the same day.
This recipe is really very forgiving. I suspect you could just dump it all in together and mix it up and it would be fine.
See how lovely that batter is even with adding the eggs last?
It even baked up perfectly! No one except me knew I had made a mistake.
Before attempting to remove the pecan chewies from the pan, allow them to cool completely.
Even if you have used parchment paper or aluminum foil to cover the pan, the chewies will be too soft and will bend in the middle.
Once they have cooled, the easiest way to get them out of the pan is to slightly tip the pan towards one of the short sides and quickly slide them out of the pan using parchment paper.
If you did not use parchment paper, go ahead and slice them into bars while still in the pan and gently lift them out one at a time.
I just find I get cleaner cuts when I have the entire thing sitting on the counter.
This allows me to take my largest knife and make one full cut across the short side.
I am able to then cut more uniform squares when I am working with one cut strip at a time.
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Southern Pecan Chewies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter melted
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup chopped pecans toasted
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 375 Degrees F.
- Prepare a 9 X 13 pan by spraying with a non-stick cooking spray or by greasing and flouring.
- Mix melted butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
- Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well.
- Add flour, baking powder, and pecans to the butter and sugar and mix until there are no white streaks left of flour left. Make sure and scrape the sides of the bowl often.
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan.
- Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting into bars.
