Ooey, gooey, chewy and packed with fall flavor! Maple and pecan can sometimes take a back seat to pumpkin and apple in the fall, but I’m here to promote them with these maple pecan blondies.
The Story:
These blondies are soft, chewy, the pecans give them a bit of crunch, and the frosting on top takes them to another level. The maple and pecan flavors are so complimentary, warming and indulgent. A maple donut was my forever donut order and these are reminiscent of them. I haven’t had a traditional maple donut in over 3 years, so these especially hit the spot for me. This recipe makes a small batch (6-8), but you may want to double the recipe…they didn’t last long.
Jump to:
🧾 The Ingredients:
Here is the list of ingredients you will need to make these maple pecan blondies.
- Almond Flour: This grain-free flour lends a perfect crumb and texture for these blondies.
- Tapioca Flour: This grain-free flour aids in absorbing the moisture of the other ingredients to create a soft texture.
- Dairy Free Butter: One of the star ingredients here! Melted butter is the key to delicious, rich blondies.
- Egg: For structure, rise and richness.
- Baking Powder: Your rising agent, to help your blondies get a nice rise and fluff to them.
- Xanthan Gum: This will help your blondies structurally hold together better and not crumble away.
- Salt: Salt+maple+pecan=perfection.
- Maple Extract: The STAR ingredient. I love, love maple. It’s such a great flavor, but one of the forgotten fall flavors. Maple extract goes in the blondie and the frosting for a delicious double dose.
- Pecans: Toasted pecans are a MUST. The pecans add such great depth of flavor and some appealing crunch, in both the blondie and the frosting.
- Powdered Sugar: Organic powdered sugar is used in the frosting to keep these grain free. You can use regular powdered sugar if you can tolerate it.
- Maple Syrup: A small amount of syrup gets added to the frosting for color and flavor.
- Coconut Milk: For thinning out the frosting just a bit.
Step By Step Preparation Instructions:
- Step 1: First, you’re going to toast the pecans. Always toast your nuts! It brings out the flavor. Preheat the oven to 325. Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes while the oven is preheating. You want them to become slightly darker in color and fragrant. Keep watch on them and do not let them burn! Once cooled, coarsely chop them up, then set aside.
- Step 2: The process of making blondies is incredibly easy, but the key to getting them just right is whisking melted butter with the brown sugar until almost syrup-y and creamy. Then add in the egg and continue whisking. This is the key to getting a shiny top, chewy blondie. Next, add in the dry ingredients until well combined, and lastly, add in the pecans, reserving 1-2 tablespoon to add to the frosting. Bake in a well greased or parchment paper lined 8X6 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for another 8 minutes.
- Step 3: Important note: Since these are grain free, you are going to lower your oven temperature, bake uncovered until browned and shiny, then you will need to cover them and continue to bake until just baked through (or just a smidge under). You do not want to over-baked blondies, because you will lose the quintessential chewy texture.
- Step 4: While the blondies are cooling, add all frosting ingredients to a small bowl and mix until smooth. Pour over the cooled blondies and smooth out the frosting. Allow to set for a few minutes, then enjoy!
Recipe FAQ's:
- Can I replace the almond flour and tapioca flour with gluten-free or regular flour? In my experience, no. Grain-free baking takes a lot of trial and error and uses a very specific ratio of flours to liquid and does not translate equally to gluten-free or regular flour.
- Is gluten-free baking and grain-free baking the same thing? No, they do not have the same meaning. Gluten-free baking often uses flour made up of rice, corn or oat flours, which are all grains. Grain-free flours that are typically used in our baking are almond flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour or sometimes potato starch. Some people cannot tolerate grains (I can minimally) so we have to refine our eating even more so than a gluten-free diet.
More Maple Pecan Recipes:
The Recipe:
Maple Pecan Blondies
Ooey, gooey, chewy and packed with fall flavor! These maple pecan blondies are soft, chewy, the pecans give them a bit of crunch, and the frosting on top takes them to another level. The maple and pecan flavors are so complimentary, warming and indulgent.
Ingredients
For the blondies:
- 90 grams paleo flour
- 25 grams tapioca flour
- 110 grams brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 85 grams melted dairy free butter
- 65 grams chopped pecans
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
For the frosting:
- 110 grams powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted dairy free butter
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut or almond milk
- 2 tablespoon chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325.
- First, you’re going to toast the pecans. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and place in the oven as it is preheating, for about 10min or until they start to darken slightly and become fragrant.
- Set the pecans aside to cool. Once they have cooled, coarsley chop them.
- Whisk the melted butter with the brown sugar until almost syrup-y and creamy. Then add in the egg and maple extract and continue whisking for a couple of minutes, again looking for a syrup-y consistency. This is the key to getting shiny, chewy blondies.
- Next, add in the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Add in the chopped pecans, reserving about a tablespoon or 2 to add to the frosting. Stir the pecans in until they are evenly dispursed.
- Line a small 8X6 baking pan with parchment paper and pour in the batter.
- Important: Since these are grain free, you will bake these uncovered for 20 minutes until lightly browned and shiny, then you will need to cover them and continue to bake for 8-10 minutes, until just baked through (or just a smidge under). You do not want to over-bake blondies, because you will lose the chewy texture. Allow to chill completely.
- Now to make the frosting. Place the melted butter, maple sugar, coconut milk, maple extract, reserved chopped pecans and powdered sugar in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the frosting over the cooled blondies and use a spatula to spread evenly. Enjoy!
The Finished Product:
I love the different textures and the bold, comforting flavors. These blondies also go very well with a cup of coffee in the morning. Let me know if you try these out! Enjoy!
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