Ingredients
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter for richer flavor)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
Ingredients and Why They Matter
- Brown sugar & granulated sugar (1 cup each): Using both sugars gives balance—brown sugar adds moisture and caramel, while white sugar helps with structure and those crisp, shiny edges that make this more blondie‑like than bread.
- Eggs (4 large): Provide structure, richness, and chew; four eggs are key to the dense, sliceable texture that still feels soft rather than cakey.
- Vegetable oil or melted butter (1 cup): Oil makes the crumb extra moist and tender even after a day or two, while melted butter brings more buttery flavor and a slightly more cake‑like bite; either works, so you can choose based on taste.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): Rounds out the sweetness and enhances the nutty, caramel flavors; without it, the bread tastes flat.
- All-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups): Just enough to bind the batter and keep slices sturdy; using AP instead of self‑rising lets you control the leavening and salt.
- Baking powder (1/2 teaspoon): Gives a little lift so the bars don’t bake up completely dense, but keeps the texture closer to a blondie than a fluffy cake.
- Salt (1/4 teaspoon): Essential to balance the sweetness and sharpen the toasted pecan flavor.
- Toasted pecans (1 1/2 cups, chopped): The star of the recipe; toasting intensifies their buttery, nutty flavor and keeps them crisp inside the moist crumb, making every bite taste like pecan pie.
Step-by-Step Instructions
I start by preheating the oven to 325°F (163°C) and greasing a 9×13‑inch baking dish or two 9×5‑inch loaf pans, making sure to coat the corners so the sticky, sugary batter doesn’t weld itself to the pan. A light dusting of flour on top of the grease (or a parchment sling) makes slicing and removing squares easier.
If the pecans aren’t toasted yet, I spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for about 7–10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they smell fragrant and look slightly darkened; then I let them cool before chopping so they stay crisp.
In a large mixing bowl, I whisk together the packed brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, oil (or melted butter), and vanilla until the mixture is smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened—this takes about 1–2 minutes by hand and helps dissolve the sugars.
In a separate bowl, I stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Then I add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon just until no dry streaks remain; the batter will be thick and sticky, similar to brownie batter.
I fold in the chopped, toasted pecans until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter, making sure there aren’t any clumps of nuts hiding in one corner of the bowl. Then I scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s) and smooth the top into an even layer—this helps it bake uniformly and gives more even, square slices later.
For a 9×13 pan, I bake at 325°F for about 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden and slightly crackly and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. For two 9×5 loaves, I start checking at 50 minutes, but they may take up to 55 minutes depending on the pan and oven. The edges will look set and caramelized, with the center just firming up.
Once baked, I let the bread cool in the pan for at least 15–20 minutes; it’s very soft when hot and can break apart if sliced too soon. After that, you can cut into squares in the pan, or lift out (if you used parchment) and cut on a board. It’s excellent warm, but it also slices neatly once fully cooled.