I have a bit of an obsession with anything butter pecan. In the last few months, I’ve made butter pecan pancakes with toffee butter bourbon sauce, brown butter pecan cookies, and a truly decadent butter pecan layer cake. With some of the frosting from that cake left over, I thought it would be perfect with fudge brownies. So I baked a pan of the most incredible high altitude butter pecan fudge brownies you could imagine.
Looking for more recipes like this? Don’t miss these chocolate chip cookie brownies, German chocolate bourbon brownies, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookie bars.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to Make. The brownie batter comes together easily in just a saucepan. After cooking the butter and sugar, you simply add the rest of the ingredients, and the brownies are ready to bake.
Perfectly Fudgy. The brownies are rich, dense, fudgey and so moist. Super chocolatey with both melted chocolate and Dutch-processed cocoa powder. A shiny, crackly top that looks so beautiful.
Salty, Sweet and Crunchy. I folded in crunchy pecans and sweet butterscotch chips, which are such a good contrast to the dark chocolate. And the salted brown butter pecan frosting just takes these brownies over the edge. The combination of salty sweet flavors, fudgey and crunchy textures, dark chocolate and sweet frosting, all comes together into the most decadent, delicious treat.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Brownies
- Unsalted Butter. Adds richness, flavor and moisture.
- Granulated Sugar. Bitter cocoa powder needs to be balanced by some sweetness. The sugar is also what creates the shiny, crackly top on the surface of the brownies.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Not all recipes call for melted chocolate, but using both cocoa powder and dark chocolate adds more complex chocolate notes and richness in flavor. The melted chocolate also makes a very fudgey texture, as well as contributes to the crackly top.
- Vanilla Extract. Good-quality vanilla is best, and is a beautiful complement to the chocolate.
- Eggs. The eggs help to emulsify the batter, providing structure and a slight bit of leavening.
- Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. Cocoa powder is the star of my brownie recipe, and I use a good-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder. I’m currently loving the Rodelle brand. It’s what gives the brownies that rich, warm dark chocolate color, and the bitterness of the cocoa powder plays off the sugar to create a perfect balance.
- All-Purpose Flour. Less is more when it comes to the flour. I use just enough to pull the batter together, but not so much that it will dry out that wonderfully fudgey, gooey texture.
- Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the chocolate and butter.
- Butterscotch Chips. The butterscotch chips add a wonderful, buttery toffee flavor and great texture.
- Pecans. Butter pecan fudge brownies wouldn’t be complete without crunchy pecans.
Frosting
- Browned Butter. Butter pecan desserts are a celebration of butter, and browned butter has the most incredible rich and nutty flavor.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Nutmeg + Cinnamon. Just a hint of spices to complement the flavor of the brown butter.
- Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract. Use a good-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Milk or Cream. Add a little milk or cream to add moisture to the frosting for desired consistency.
- Pecans. Crunch, texture and nuttiness.
Instructions
Cook the Butter and Sugar.
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sugar over medium heat. Once it begins to bubble, cook for two minutes.
Stir in the Chocolate and Vanilla.
- Remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the chocolate chips and vanilla until melted and shiny; the mixture will be grainy.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
Beat in the Eggs.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture comes together into a smooth batter.
Fold in the Dry Ingredients.
- In a bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until no dry streaks remain.
- Fold in the butterscotch chips and chopped pecans. The batter will be thick but spreadable.
Bake and Cool.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. For a pretty finish, reserve a few butterscotch chips and chopped pecans to sprinkle on top of the batter.
- Bake on the center oven rack for exactly 25 minutes – don’t over-bake!
- The brownies will be shiny and crackled on top and slightly puffed. Cool the brownies completely before cutting, so that they cut cleanly into bars. (To speed up the cooling process, let them cool at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours, then refrigerate for 1 hour, so that they will firm up enough to cut into bars.)
- Lift the cooled brownies out of the pan by the parchment paper onto a cutting board to cut them into bars. If you like, sprinkle the top of the brownies with coarse finishing salt.
Slather with Brown Butter Frosting.
- Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the butter, swirling occasionally, until nutty brown solids form at the bottom of the pan. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate until solid, then set out to soften to room temperature before using (this step can be done a day in advance).
- In a bowl, use an electric mixer (stand or hand-held) to beat the browned butter for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and milk, and beat for several minutes until very light and fluffy. Add a little more or less milk for desired consistency, then fold in the chopped pecans.
- Frost the cooled brownies with the frosting and serve.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t there any baking powder or baking soda?
Leavening causes brownies to puff up with a cakey texture. These are fudgey brownies, not cakey brownies, so the eggs are the only leavening this recipe needs.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan. It should bake for about the same amount of time.
What makes a brownie more fudgy?
Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones, with more butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening.
Tip: For step-by-step photos on making my crackly topped fudge brownies, don’t miss my original fudge brownie recipe.
You Might Also Like
German Chocolate Bourbon Brownies 
Butter Pecan Cake 
Butter Pecan Biscotti Pecan Pie
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High Altitude Butter Pecan Fudge Brownies
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Ingredients
Brownies
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ cup butterscotch chips
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp milk or cream
- 2 tbsp pecans, finely chopped
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sugar over medium heat. Once it begins to bubble, cook for two minutes.Remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the chocolate chips and vanilla until melted and shiny; the mixture will be grainy.Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture comes together into a smooth batter.
- In a bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until no dry streaks remain.Fold in the butterscotch chips and chopped pecans. The batter will be thick but spreadable.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. For a pretty finish, reserve a few butterscotch chips and chopped pecans to sprinkle on top of the batter.Bake on the center oven rack for exactly 25 minutes – don’t over-bake!The brownies will be shiny and crackled on top and slightly puffed. Cool the brownies completely before cutting, so that they cut cleanly into bars. (To speed up the cooling process, let them cool at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours, then refrigerate for 1 hour, so that they will firm up enough to cut into bars.)
- Lift the cooled brownies out of the pan by the parchment paper onto a cutting board to cut them into bars. If you like, sprinkle the top of the brownies with coarse finishing salt.
Frosting
- Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the butter, swirling occasionally, until nutty brown solids form at the bottom of the pan. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate until solid, then set out to soften to room temperature before using (this step can be done a day in advance).
- In a bowl, use an electric mixer (stand or hand-held) to beat the browned butter for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and milk, and beat for several minutes until very light and fluffy. Add a little more or less milk for desired consistency, then fold in the chopped pecans.
- Frost the cooled brownies with the frosting and serve.
What if I don’t live in a high altitude area? What do we do?
Since there’s no leavening in these, you don’t need to make any changes. This recipe will work for any altitude.