Pecan brownies are American baking at its best: dense, moist squares with dark chocolate, butter and dark syrup that give the cake a deep, round sweetness. The toasted, coarsely chopped pecans add crunch to every bite, and a pecan half pressed into the top makes each piece as pretty as it is good.
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I bake the brownies in a square pan directly in the air fryer basket. The most important thing is to take them out while the centre is still slightly moist – they set as they cool and get the dense, fudgy texture that good brownies should have.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love pecan brownies in the air fryer
Brownies are the cake I bake most often when I need something sweet on the table without much preparation. Chocolate and butter are melted in a small pot, the rest is stirred in, and the batter is ready for the pan. It is a cake that forgives a lot – as long as you do not bake it for too long.
The pecans are what elevate this particular version. Toasted pecans have a buttery, almost caramel-like flavour that goes perfectly with the dark chocolate. Chopped into the batter, they break up the dense cake, and the pecan half on top is all the decoration the cake needs.
The difference between an air fryer and an oven
If you bake in the oven, a large oven cavity has to be heated up just for a small pan with 16 pieces of cake. In the air fryer, the hot air circulates close around the pan, so the edges become firm while the centre can be kept slightly moist. The nuts are toasted in the same basket before the batter goes into the pan, so you do not need an extra frying pan.
My kitchen test of pecan brownies
I have tested the recipe in my Cosori Dual Blaze, which has one basket with heating elements both above and below. That suits a cake baked in a pan well, because the heat also comes from below, so the brownies bake evenly all the way through. I toast the nuts first at 160 °C for 5 minutes and shake the basket halfway through. Then the brownies bake at the same temperature for 20 minutes, and I still turn the pan half a turn after 10 minutes, so it gets the same colour all the way round.
With the toothpick test, I look for moist crumbs – not liquid batter. If there is liquid batter on the toothpick, the brownies get another 2-3 minutes. With 25 minutes of preparation, 25 minutes of cooking and 60 minutes of cooling, it takes 110 minutes in total. The cooling cannot be skipped: 15 minutes in the pan and at least 45 minutes on a cooling rack before the brownies have set.
Cut the brownies while they are warm, and dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry between each cut. That way the edges stay neat, and the pecan half sits firmly in the soft surface.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is whisking the eggs into a chocolate mixture that is still hot. The eggs can then begin to set, and the batter becomes grainy. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes, until it is lukewarm, and add the eggs one at a time. The second mistake is baking until the toothpick comes out completely clean – then the brownies are dry once they have set. Take them out when the edges are firm and there are still moist crumbs on the toothpick. The third mistake is a surface that gets too dark before the centre is baked. Turn the pan partway through, and turn the temperature down to 150 °C for the last few minutes if the top is taking on too much colour.
How to serve pecan brownies
Pecan brownies are perfectly fine on their own, but they can also be dressed up a little. Here are my best ideas:
- With a cup of strong, black coffee in the afternoon
- As a dessert with fresh raspberries and a dollop of lightly whipped cream
- With a few flakes of sea salt for a sweet-salty contrast
- On the cake table at a birthday party, where the 16 small pieces go a long way
- With a glass of cold milk – the classic American combination
Storage and reheating
Store the squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They actually get even moister the next day, so they are ideal to bake ahead of time. To serve them warm, reheat them in the air fryer at 150 °C for 2-3 minutes. Brownies can also be frozen for up to 3 months – thaw them in the fridge overnight.
Pecan brownies in the air fryer are an easy route to a small, moist cake without turning on the oven. Toast the nuts, take the cake out in time, and let it rest until it has cooled completely – then you get dense, moist squares with crunch from the pecans every time.
FAQ
Insert a toothpick into the centre. The brownies are done when the edges are firm and there are moist crumbs on the toothpick, but no liquid batter. If there is liquid batter on it, bake them for another 2-3 minutes at 160 °C.
Use a square baking pan of approx. 18 x 18 cm that can sit flat in the basket, and line it with parchment paper. If your air fryer is smaller, use a smaller pan, bake half of the batter at a time, and check the brownies after 15 minutes.
Recipe
Pecan brownies in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Square pan - approx. 18 x 18 cm
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chefs knife
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Toothpick
- 1 Oven mitts
- 1 Cooling rack
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Check that a square pan of approx. 18 x 18 cm can sit flat in the basket – otherwise use the largest square pan that fits. Line the pan with parchment paper so that the paper reaches a couple of centimetres above the edges. That way the brownies are easy to lift out afterwards.
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Place 75 g pecans and 16 pcs pecan halves in the basket in an even layer, and toast them at 160 °C for 5 minutes, until they are fragrant and lightly golden. Shake the basket halfway through.
- Tip the nuts onto a cutting board, and let them cool for a few minutes. Set aside 16 nice-looking halves for decoration, and chop the rest coarsely with a chef’s knife.
- Chop 150 g dark chocolate coarsely, and melt it together with 125 g butter in a small pot over low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture is glossy and smooth, then take the pot off the heat.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl, and stir in 150 g sugar, 2 tbsp dark syrup and 1 tsp vanilla sugar. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes, so that it is lukewarm and not hot.
- Add 2 pcs eggs one at a time, and beat well with a whisk after each egg, until the mixture is glossy and slightly thicker.
- Pour the batter into the lined pan, and smooth the surface with the spatula so the batter is the same thickness all over.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan again if it has cooled down while you were working on the batter.
- Place the pan in the basket, and bake the brownies at 160 °C for 20 minutes. If you like, turn the pan half a turn after 10 minutes so it bakes evenly.
- Insert a toothpick into the centre of the brownies. They are done when the edges are firm and there are moist crumbs on the toothpick – but no liquid batter. If there is liquid batter on it, bake the brownies for another 2-3 minutes at 160 °C. The centre should still be slightly moist, because the brownies set as they cool.
- Carefully lift the pan out of the basket using oven mitts, and let the brownies cool in the pan for 15 minutes, until lukewarm.
Cutting and cooling
- Lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper, and place them on the cutting board. Cut them into 16 squares while they are still warm. Dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry between cuts, so the edges stay neat.
- Press a pecan half lightly into the centre of each square while the surface is still soft.
- Transfer the squares to a cooling rack, and let them cool completely for at least 45 minutes. Only then have they set and developed their dense, moist texture.
Our notes for the recipe
Take the brownies out while the centre is still slightly moist. They carry on baking a little from the residual heat and set as they cool. If the surface gets too dark before the centre is baked, turn the temperature down to 150 °C for the last few minutes. Variation:
Swap the pecans for walnuts or hazelnuts, or sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt over the squares right after the nuts have been pressed in. Serving:
Serve the brownies with coffee, or as a dessert with fresh raspberries and a dollop of lightly whipped cream. They are even moister the next day. Portion size:
The recipe makes 16 small brownies of approx. 4.5 x 4.5 cm, and one portion equals 4 pieces (approx. 225 kcal per piece). If your air fryer is too small for an 18 x 18 cm pan, use a smaller pan and bake half of the batter at a time. Check them after 15 minutes.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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