Caramel Pecan Brownies (Vegan)
A fudgy brownie filled with toasted pecans and covered in a gooey caramel pecan sauce. They are decadent, delicious, and dairy-free.
These Caramel pecan brownies are thick, fudgy, and filled with crunchy toasted pecans. They are covered in a rich, sweet homemade caramel sauce that has more toasted pecans mixed in. With set edges and a jiggly center, on their own, these brownies are a decadent treat. Top them with a luscious caramel pecan sauce and they become an over-the-top indulgent treat. To make things even better, they are dairy-free and come together with ease.
What you will need:
Caramel and pecans are a must for this recipe. The caramel can be homemade or store bought. If you are interested in making homemade, please see my recipe for salted caramel on the website (just omit the salt). The egg replacement is a combination of ground flax seed, yogurt and water. I have not tested this recipe with any other egg replacement, so if you need to make substitutions, I cannot guarantee how the brownies will come out.
- dark chocolate – I used Lindt Excellence 70% chocolate bar
- plant based butter with salt
- all purpose flour
- cane sugar
- vanilla extract
- ground flax seed
- plant based yogurt
- pecans – toasted and roughly chopped
- caramel – homemade or store bought
How to:
First, let’s toast and roughly chop the pecans. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of pecans and spread them evenly on the baking sheet. Once the oven reaches the desired temperature, toast the pecans for 3 minutes, then stir or turn them and toast for an additional 3 minutes. After toasting, allow the pecans to cool before roughly chopping them. Next, separate the toasted pecans into two portions: 1 cup for the brownie batter and 1/2 cup for mixing with the caramel to spread across the top of the brownies.
If you are using store-bought caramel, you are all ready. If you have chosen to prepare your own, you can make the caramel the day before and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. I prepared mine the day before, then warmed it in the microwave when it came time to add the pecans and spread it over the brownies. You can also make the caramel while the brownies are baking; it will have plenty of time to cool down before you are ready to top the brownies.
Before we can bring the brownie batter together, we need to combine the ingredients for the egg replacement and give it 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. To a small bowl or measuring cup, add the ground flax seed, yogurt and water. Stir the ingredients together until they are well combined and set aside to thicken.
While the flax mixture is thickening, melt the chocolate and butter. Place a small pot containing the chocolate and butter over medium heat. Once melted, remove the pot from the heat, stir to combine, and set it aside.
It’s time to prepare the brownie batter. Start by combining the sugar and flax mixture in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, blend the sugar and flax mixture together on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Next, add the melted chocolate and butter mixture, along with the vanilla extract, to the bowl, and blend on medium-high speed for an additional minute. Then, gradually add the flour, mixing on medium-low speed until no flour is visible. Finally, fold in one cup of toasted and roughly chopped pecans until they are well incorporated into the batter.
Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 8×8 square pan. Bake the brownies at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes. These brownies come out of the oven with set edges and a jiggly center. If you want them less fudgy, bake them a little longer but be careful not to overbake the edges. Once out of the oven, allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. The brownies should be completely cool before spreading the caramel pecan topping over them.
Once the brownies have cooled to room temperature, the caramel pecan topping can be added to the top. Combine the 1/2 cup of caramel and the 1/2 cup of toasted pecans and spread the mixture over the top of the brownies. The caramel pecan brownies are now ready to be cut and served.
Alright, let’s get started. Please make, bake and enjoy!
Caramel Pecan Brownies (Vegan)
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- 160 grams dark chocolate – I used Lindt Excellence 70% bar
- 113 grams / 1 stick plant based butter with salt
- 350 grams / 1¾ cup cane sugar
- 240 grams / 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp ground flax seed
- 120 grams / 8 tbsp plant based yogurt
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 cup ( 112 grams) pecans – toasted and roughly chopped
Caramel Pecan Topping
- ½ cup caramel – store bought or homemade (see salted caramel recipe on the website – you will need 1/2 recipe and omit the salt)
- ½ cup (56 grams) pecans – toasted and roughly chopped
Instructions
Caramel
- If you are preparing homemade caramel, you can prepare it the day before and store it in the refrigerator. I prepared mine the day before and warmed it in the microwave when I was ready to top the brownies with it. You can also prepare it while the brownies are baking, it will have plenty of time to cool down while you are waiting for the brownies to cool, once they are out of the oven.
Pecans
- Pre-heat the oven to 425F. Measure out 1½ cups of pecans. One cup will be mixed into the brownie batter and 1/2 cup will be combine with the caramel and spread over the top of the cooled brownies.
- Place the pecans onto a parchment lined baking pan. Toast the pecans for 3 minutes, remove them from the oven and stir and turn them, and toast them for another 3 minutes. Once out of the oven, allow them to cool and roughly chop them. Separate them into the 1 cup going into the batter and the 1/2 cup being added to the caramel. Set both aside for later.Once done toasting the pecans, reduce the temperature of the oven to 350F.
Brownie Batter
- Prepare an 8×8 square pan by lining it with parchment paper.
- Prepare the egg replacement by combining the ground flax egg, yogurt and water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Mix well to combine and set aside to thicken (5 to 10 minutes).
- While the egg replacement is thickening, the chocolate and butter can be melted. To a small pot, add the chocolate and butter. Place the pot over medium heat. Once melted, remove the pot from the heat and stir to combine. Set the pot aside for later.
- To a medium bowl, add the sugar and flax seed mixture. Blend them together with a hand mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Add the chocolate/butter mixture and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and continue blending on medium -high speed for another minute. Lastly, add the flour, blending on low speed just until no more flour can be seen. Add the 1 cup of toasted pecans to the batter; folding them in until well incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes. The edges will be set and the center will be a little jiggly. If you want the brownies less fudgy, bake them a little longer but be careful not to over bake the edges.Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Once the brownies have cooled to room temperature, the caramel pecan topping can be added to the top. Combine the 1/2 cup of caramel and the 1/2 cup of toasted pecans and spread the mixture over the top of the brownies. The brownies are ready to be cut and served.Store the brownies at room temperature in an airtight container.
