Chocolate Chip Brownies with Bourbon and Pecans

Chocolate Chip Brownies with Bourbon and Pecans are a unique dessert! Dark chocolate and pecan-filled brownies are gooey, dense and wonderful for sharing. Makes 24 brownies.

Love bourbon-infused desserts? Don’t miss Bourbon Pecan Pie and Bourbon Maple Bacon Cupcakes!

Many of my recipes have a story behind them. This recipe is not one of them.

These Chocolate Chip Brownies with Pecans and Bourbon came about simply because we were asked to bring a dessert to my cousin’s house for New Year’s Eve, and I wanted to bring something different than my usual brownies.

That evening, I asked myself if I could add bourbon to brownies that already had chocolate chips and pecans. And I did… and then was told that these Bourbon Pecan Brownies were the only recipe I could bring to their home in the future.

… It still holds true years later.

Why I love this recipe:

Unsurprisingly, I love bourbon pecan desserts. (Hello, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Hand Pies, Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars, Bourbon Pecan Tassies, Mini Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pies… I adore you.)

These brownies are the kind of dessert that you can eat one of, but no more because they’re just too much. (Which sounds ridiculous saying, but alas—some desserts are so good, you only need a little bit of ’em.)

Instead of using cocoa powder, this brownie recipe actually calls for chocolate bars or chocolate chips, whichever you’ve got on hand. And I think this makes all the difference in the intense chocolate flavor they have.

Bourbon, pecans and chocolate combine in this decadent dessert that is perfect served up with milk. The bourbon leaves a wonderful flavor in the dense brownies, the pecans add a nice crunch, and the dark chocolate chips are melted and gooey, just the way chocolate should be in any baked dessert.

If you, too, are a bourbon-infused dessert lover, these Chocolate Chip Brownies are for sure your kind of thing.

Love chocolate desserts? Here are a few more ideas: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Baileys Frosting | Chocolate Pudding Pie with Graham Cracker Crust | Chocolate Cheesecake Dip | Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Love sweet treats? Head on over to my Dessert Recipe Index for more ideas.

What you need to make Chocolate Chip Brownies with Pecans and Bourbon

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• 9″ x 13″ baking pan
• Avocado oil spray (or another nonstick kitchen spray)
• Parchment paper
• A large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula

In addition to these tools, you’re going to need ingredients to make these homemade brownies. If you’re a baker, chances are that you’re going to have the majority of these at home already, but if you don’t, they’re very easy to find at the grocery store.

• Dark or bittersweet chocolate—we use a lot of this, and it adds intense chocolate flavor to this brownie recipe. I’ve always used dark chocolate, but you can use bittersweet if that’s more your jive. I do not recommend using semisweet or milk chocolate, as I think these brownies will become too sweet.
• Unsalted butter
• Unsweetened applesauce—while you could use the same amount of melted butter or oil in the place of this applesauce, I really like the texture this gives to the brownies. It’s not enough to make them cakey, but it keeps the brownies moist as they bake.
• Eggs
• Granulated sugar—also known as white sugar
• Bourbon—use what you’ve got on hand, so long as it’s not the fancy stuff. You want to use a drinkable bourbon because you’re going to taste the bourbon in these brownies. You could also substitute your favorite whiskey or even a spiced rum to give these brownies a different flavor.
• Kosher salt
• All-purpose flour
• Chopped pecans—I always grab pecan pieces from the store, but you can certainly chop your own if you have whole pecans on hand.
• Bittersweet or dark chocolate chips

Yes, I know this recipe makes for a HUGE batch of brownies, and yes, it calls for a TON of ingredients. That’s why we bring these brownies to parties and serve them at parties… because they’re great for sharing. I’ll explain how you can downsize this recipe below.

How to make brownies from scratch

Prepare to bake. Preheat oven. Spray a 9″x13″ baking pan with nonstick baking spray, then line with parchment paper in a sling. This will help the brownies lift easily out of the pan when they’re cooled.

Melt the chocolate. In a glass bowl, melt the 20 oz. of chocolate with the butter and applesauce in the microwave. Heat them in 20-30 second intervals, stirring after each until everything is melted, smooth and combined. When melted, let cool as you mix the rest of the ingredients.

Make the brownie batter. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, bourbon and salt together until well combined. Add the cooled chocolate mixture, and beat gently by hand or on a low setting on a mixer until evenly incorporated. Add the flour, pecans and the additional chocolate chips, stirring until just combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Bake the Chocolate Chip Brownies with Bourbon and Pecans for 30-40 minutes minutes or until cooked through. (If you’re a fan of gooey brownies, check this around the 20 minute point.)

Let the brownies cool completely before cutting into squares and enjoying with a glass of your favorite beverage!

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

This brownie recipe is one that comes in handy when you’re entertaining because it makes a huge pan of brownies… and who doesn’t love brownies when they’re at a party?

Here are some tips and tricks for making them to share:

• Bake them a day in advance. Yes, it’s a little extra, but getting these baked and cooled before guests even think of arriving is going to make your job less stressful. While these brownies are excellent straight out of the oven, who wants to be in the kitchen while their friends and family are at their home?
• Cut the brownies into smaller portions. We tend to turn this 9″ x 13″ pan of brownies into 48 brownies… because bite-sized brownies seem to be more manageable for guests and kids at any gathering.
• Make them your own. If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, use bittersweet chocolate as the base of this brownie recipe. Add another nut if you’re not a pecan fan… or leave them out all together if that’s not your thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips and tricks to the best homemade brownies

• Bake them in advance. While gooey, warm brownies are excellent to enjoy at any time, if you’re sharing these, make them in advance and reheat individual brownies in the microwave in 15-second bursts.
• Make them your own. This recipe can be something where you choose your own adventure. Swap the dark chocolate bars for bittersweet bars. Use milk chocolate chips instead (or white chocolate chips to add different color!) Swap out the pecans for another nut of your choosing, or simply leave them out if it’s not your thing.
• Half the recipe. Instead of making a huge pan of these for your family (or friends), make a smaller batch by doing the math. The bake time will be a little shorter (think: 20 minutes instead of 30), so keep an eye on them.