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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: So cozy with an almost apple-pie aroma and notes of caramel.
Texture: Soft and chewy with slightly gooey centers, perfectly contrasted by the crunch of pecans.
Ease: Totally beginner-friendly! One bowl, no mixer, just over 1 hour.
Why you’ll love this recipe: As if autumn fell in love with a blondie bar and had a baby!
These Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chunk Blondies were a BIG hit with all the men in my life. The hint of bourbon and spice adds a cozy depth of flavor without being too boozy or overpowering.
Baking the bars at a lower temperature (325°F) ensures they remain perfectly even, no sinking in the center despite how rich and tender they are.
The puddles of gooey chocolate just take this to a whole new level of deliciousness. It’s the perfect recipe to break into the fall baking season!
Recipe Ingredients
Butter: I prefer unsalted. If you’re using salted butter, reduce the added salt in the recipe to ¼ teaspoon. I opted not to brown the butter for this recipe because the other flavors overpowered it, making it a waste of time & energy.
Bourbon: I used Maker’s Mark since we had some on hand. Use whatever you have! You can also buy a mini bottle of bourbon just for this recipe.
Pecans: I like to toast mine on a small skillet on the stove, but you can also use the oven. Chop after toasting and cooling. Full toasting instructions included at the bottom of the recipe card.
Chocolate: I used Ghirardelli semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into chunks. You could also use bittersweet chocolate if you prefer! While I do love the texture of chunks, feel free to use 1 cup of chocolate chips instead.
Tessa’s Tip
- For best results, bake these in an 8 by 8-inch metal baking pan. This one is my favorite for brownies and blondies.
- Glass or ceramic pans don’t conduct heat as well, so if that’s all you have, you’ll need to bake for longer, anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Learn more about metal vs. glass pans here.
Storage & Make ahead
Storage: These blondies keep well for up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container, or up to a week in the fridge. If you’re storing them for more than a day, hold off on slicing until you’re ready to serve since pre-cut edges dry out faster than a whole slab.
Freeze: Store as a whole slab or sliced in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature. You can then refresh in a 325°F oven for about 5 to 10 minutes, if desired.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (53 grams) pecans, toasted and chopped*
- 6 ounces (170 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks**
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch metal pan*** with foil or parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter in 30-second increments until melted. Add the brown sugar and granulated to the hot butter and whisk to combine. Let cool until just warm.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, bourbon, and vanilla and whisk vigorously until smooth. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, ginger, and nutmeg with a rubber spatula. Gently stir in the pecans and chocolate chunks, reserving some for sprinkling on top.
- Evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with reserved nuts and chocolate, pressing in slightly.
- Bake until the edges are lightly golden, about 32 to 35 minutes. Set pan on wire rack and allow to cool before cutting. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before serving, if desired.
- Store for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge. If storing for more than a day, wait to slice into bars until you’re ready to serve to prevent stale edges.
Notes
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Bourbon Rye Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars
- Caramel Pecan Blondies
- Classic Blondie Recipe
- Browned Butter Maple Pecan Pie
Photos by Joanie Simon.
Is there anything i can substitute the bourbon that’s not alcoholic? Or just leave it out altogether?
Wow, these are amazing!! They’re so gooey and chewy, and they seriously smell like an apple cider donut while they bake. This is definitely a new favorite fall recipe, and I’m 100% making another batch over the weekend. I’d upload a picture, but they’re already gone!
These Blondes look great! Can you send me the recipe for them? The Bourban Pecan Chocalate Chunk Blondes.
Hi Carolyn! Here is a direct link to the recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
I wanted to make these amazing blondies right away tonight, and I, like others, could not find the recipe. At first…. So I explained the problem to my pal, the Google AI button, and whoever is behind that curtain found the complete recipe for me. Just sayin….
We were experiencing a technical issue, but the recipe is now back on our site here. Thanks for your patience!