This is an old recipe that was hidden way back in the archives and not easily findable due to the name. I called these Triple Chip Toasted Pecan Bars. I should have called them Triple Chip Toasted Nut Bars because they can be made with any type of nut. They're perfect for using up partial bags of various flavored chocolate chips and morsels.
The texture is dense and not-too-cakey. They're packed with interesting flavors and quite simple. The batter is made in one saucepan and the recipe doesn't require an electric mixer. If you don't have all three flavors of chips, use 1 ¼ cups of whatever flavor you do have.
Browned Butter Version
This recipe needed some new photos, and since everyone loves brown butter flavor I decided to see how the bars would be with browned butter. Would the loss of moisture from the browned butter affect the texture? It turns out you can brown the butter without making any other changes to the recipe. So if you want to make a browned butter version, allow the butter to cook just until it starts to brown. You might notice its fragrance change before the color change.
Recipe
Triple Chip Toasted Pecan Bars
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup pecan halves or use a different nut
- 1 stick unsalted butter (114 grams)
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed (210 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, cold
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus a pinch
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- ¼ cup oats
- ¾ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup butterscotch morsels
- ¼ cup white chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square metal pan with foil or parchment. If using foil, grease the bottom.
- Put the pecan halves on a baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes or until toasty and aromatic. Let cool completely and chop. If using walnuts, you can skip the toasting.
- Meanwhile, in a large (3 quart) saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir well, then remove from heat and let mixture cool for a good 15 minutes.
- Stir in the vanilla and the cold egg. When egg is mixed in, stir in the baking powder and salt, followed by the flour and oats. If the batter is still warm, let it cool down a bit more before adding the chips and toasted pecans all at once.
- Spread the batter in the pan and bake one center rack for 25 to 28 minutes or until bars appear brown and shiny. Let cool completely. Lift from pan and slice into bars.
Notes
Sue says
These sound excellent. I also think you should do an exercise in creative writing and enter them. You could win!
Chewthefat says
I just made cashew blondies and the Amateur Gourmet made drunken blondies. Blondies are on the brain! I absolutely love pecans but seldom feel the desire to make the investment of making pie or Derby pie bars, so these would be great for a quicker pecan 'fix.'
Darlene says
Most of us can relate to your story of having partial bags of chips cluttering our pantries! (I wanted to say your story is relateable/relatable but I guess neither of those words are in the English language.)