Gooey maple pecan blondies with salted maple glaze are decadent dessert bars filled with cozy fall flavors. This easy-to-make dessert is a crowd-pleaser and is perfect for holiday parties and potlucks.
These easy-to-make maple pecan blondies are impressive and delicious. Chewy blondies studded with toasted pecans and flavored with pure maple syrup are the perfect fall dessert.
For more irresistible pecan desserts, check out our Pecan Upside Down Cake and Classic Southern Pecan Pie recipes next!
Table of Contents
Important Ingredient Notes
- Butter. I use unsalted butter for this recipe so that I can more easily control the amount of salt in the blondies. If using salted butter, cut the additional salt to ¼ teaspoon.
- Maple syrup. Be sure to use 100% pure maple syrup and not artificially flavored maple syrup for the best flavor. Maple-flavored syrup, which is mostly high fructose corn syrup, will not give you the same rich maple flavor.
- Vanilla extract. Make sure you use pure vanilla extract and not vanilla flavoring.
- Flour. Use good quality all-purpose flour, which will give you the perfect chewy blondie texture. White Lilly and Bob's Red Mill are my two favorite brands.
- Pecans. You need chopped pecans for this recipe. You may also buy pecan halves and chop them at home. Fisher Chopped Pecans is my go-to brand.
A complete list of ingredients with measurements, along with detailed recipe instructions can be found in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
Variations and Substitutions
- Try making these blondies with honey or molasses instead of maple syrup for a different flavor.
- Try adding a small amount of maple extract or almond extract for more depth and richness.
- Add more fall spices like nutmeg, ginger, cloves, or cardamom for added flavor.
- Make these blondies with walnuts, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts instead of pecans.
How To Make This Recipe
- Toast the pecans. Arrange the chopped pecans on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer and toast them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-10 minutes until they release their nutty aroma.
- Prep your pan. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to help lift the blondies out of the pan.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients and sweeteners. Beat the butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a separate large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer for about 2 minutes until well combined (image 2). Mix in the eggs, one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
- Combine the batter. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture in two batches and mix until no more streaks of dry flour are visible (image 4). Fold in 1 ½ cups of the toasted pecans (image 5).
- Bake the blondies. Pour the batter into the baking pan and smooth it out into an even layer (image 6). Bake the blondies for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is set. There should be no wet batter visible on the top and the edges should be golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Be careful not to overbake the blondies - you want a gooey center! Allow the blondies to cool in the pan.
- Make the salted maple glaze. Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Lift the blondies from the pan and drizzle the maple glaze over the blondies. Top with the remaining toasted pecans. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! These maple pecan blondies are baked just until the top is set and the center is still gooey for that signature chewy blondie texture.
Blondies are done when the top is set and there is no raw batter visible. The edges of the blondies should be golden brown and start to pull away from the pan. Be careful not to overbake your blondies for the best texture.
Either light or dark pure maple syrup works great for this recipe. Dark maple syrup will give you a more robust maple flavor while light maple syrup is a bit more subtle. Just be sure to use real maple syrup and not artificial maple-flavored syrup.
Storing Instructions
Leftover maple pecan blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
These blondies also freeze well and will keep frozen for up to 6 months. To freeze leftovers, place sliced blondies on a baking sheet and transfer them to the freezer until frozen solid. Wrap frozen blondies in plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top freezer bag.
Pro Tips for the Best Maple Pecan Blondies
- Measure your flour properly. Measure your flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. Adding too much flour to the batter can result in dry, dense blondies.
- Use the right kind of syrup. 100% pure maple syrup is the way to go for these blondies. Do not use anything labeled "pancake syrup".
- Do not skip toasting the pecans. Toasting the pecans brings out their nutty flavor and adds the perfect touch of nuttiness to these blondies.
- Do not overbake your blondies. Only bake the blondies until the top is set and no more wet batter is visible. The edges will be golden brown and start to pull away from the pan. You want a gooey center!
More Fall Desserts You Will Love!
If you tried this Maple Pecan Blondies recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went int the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Maple Pecan Blondies
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped pecans - divided use
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour - spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup melted butter - unsalted
- 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar - packed
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salted Maple Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons melted butter - unsalted
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt - depending on how salted you want your glaze to be
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the chopped pecans on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer and toast them for 7-10 minutes until they release their nutty aroma. Set the pecans aside.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to help lift the blondies out of the pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a separate large mixing bowl with an electric handheld mixer for about 2 minutes until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture in two batches, mixing on medium until no more streaks of dry flour are visible after each addition. Fold in 1 ½ cups of the toasted pecans with a silicone spatula.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and smooth it out into an even layer. Bake the blondies for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is set and the edges are golden brown. Allow the blondies to cool in the pan.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, maple syrup, vanilla syrup, and salt for the salted maple glaze in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Lift the blondies from the pan with the parchment paper handles and transfer them to a cutting board. Drizzle the maple glaze over the blondies and top with the remaining ½ cup of toasted pecans. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to use 100% pure maple syrup and not artificially flavored maple syrup for the best flavor. Maple-flavored syrup, which is mostly high fructose corn syrup, will not give you the same rich maple flavor.
- Do not overbake the blondies. Bake the blondies until the top is set and no more wet batter is visible. The edges will be golden brown and start to pull away from the pan. You want a gooey center!
- If your salted maple glaze is too thick to drizzle, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk until the desired consistency is reached.
- Leftover maple pecan blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Stephanie
I've never made Blondies before and so I closely followed Ashley's suggestions and was able to NAIL IT on my first try! They came out the perfect amount of baked and gooey. And the flavors of this Blondie Bar are AMAZING! This is seriously one of the best desserts I've ever made. Sweet and salty. SOOOOOOOO good. Make it! You won't regret it!
Ashley Boyd
Comments like this make my day! Thank you for trying the blondie recipe and I am very, very happy that you enjoyed them!