If you haven’t noticed yet, I really have a thing for sweet and savory baked goods. I’m of the firm belief that a little sea salt sprinkled on top of a piece of cake or a brownie makes everything better, and for that reason, was incredibly excited when I found these Salted Chocolate and Pecan Cake Bars from Tasty Kitchen member Claireg12. The recipe seemed simple enough and didn’t even contain any butter, a typical cake staple. Needless to say, I was intrigued so I got in my kitchen and whipped up a batch!
I’m very glad I did. These bars were delicious and just as easy as the recipe claims!
See? No butter! I, too, was a little skeptical going in (apparently I’m used to using at least two sticks of butter in my own cakes and bars!) but very glad I kept at it. Claire is an aspiring nutritionist who blogs at The Realistic Nutritionist, so I listened to her. Her recipe calls for vanilla extract but I was out so I substituted one whole vanilla bean instead. Delicious!
Now, first things first: you gotta grease your pan. The recipe called for an eight-inch square pan so that’s what I used!
Next, I mixed together my dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and sea salt.
And then in another bowl, I whisked together my four eggs, brown sugar and vanilla.
Sick of the gym? Try whisking! You’ll get both strong triceps and a delicious treat with one simple exercise.
Once the egg and sugar mixture was smooth with no bumps, I added the dry ingredients and mixed well.
Followed by a cup and a half of dark chocolate chips…
And then the pecan pieces! The original recipe didn’t say that the pecans should be toasted, although I can’t imagine it would hurt. I just used raw pecan pieces from Trader Joe’s.
After everything was combined, I poured my batter into my greased pan and baked it for half an hour in a 350ºF oven.
The cake bars took me a little longer to bake than the recipe predicted, and were finally done after almost 50 minutes. I didn’t mind though; they smelled amazing!
Only by the grace of God was I able to let the bars cool completely before cutting into one. The chocolate chips and pecans had sunk to the bottom and formed a delicious fudge-like layer topped with vanilla cake. The only thing that would make these bars better would be another sprinkle of sea salt and a big scoop of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream!
Thanks, Claireg12 for this easy yummy dessert recipe! (See her original blog post for these incredible bars. You’ll discover that these bars have less than 7 grams of fat. Score!)
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Description
A perfect dessert for people who are craving something salty and sweet!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Flour
- ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 4 whole Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Light Brown Sugar
- 1-½ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup Crushed Pecans
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, mix eggs, vanilla and brown sugar until lumps are gone.
Mix flour and sugar/egg mixture together. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
Pour batter into the greased 8-inch pan. Bake at 350ºF for 25–30 minutes until cake is soft. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and extra sea salt and enjoy!
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Jenna is a food writer who has worked as a pastry chef and bread baker. Her blog Eat, Live, Run has great recipes, travel stories, and the perfect slogan: “Celebrating life, one crumb at a time.”
45 Comments
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Nikki on 5.15.2011
Was really excited to try these but they just did not come out well — and I’m not an inexperienced baker. The cooking time definitely is off; it took me 50 minutes for the center to fully cook. I also followed other commenters’ suggestions and tossed the chocolate chips with a little flour but they still sank to the bottom of the pan. This was actually the big redeeming part of the recipe, though. Without the fudgey layer at the bottom of the bars, the recipe would have been an even bigger dud. The cake part was dry and flavorless. It really needs butter. If you’re looking for a lower fat recipe, then maybe this is serviceable but if you’re looking for a knock-your-socks-off treat, this is not it.
Carmen on 5.2.2011
I’ve cooked these twice now and BOTH times I can’t seem to get the middles done. I’ve about decided that that is how they are supposed to be. We went ahead and ate them with a gooey middle and they were delish . . . just not “cake” consistency, more of a “dessert bar”, “chewy-gooey” consistency! Glad I’m not the only one that had these results! And some of your additions and substitutions sound WONDERFUL!!! I need to experiment!
sandra92083 on 4.14.2011
Oh my… this looks amazing!!
Erika on 4.12.2011
I am so glad that others had trouble as well! I left the bars in for over an hour and ended up with crispy outsides and runny insides. I was so bummed. I had spent all day thinking about having one with a glass of milk before bed. My oven temp was correct so I hoping for tips before I try again!
Bernie on 4.11.2011
Wondering about adding a little bit of coconut to this recipe too…… Mmmm
Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary) on 4.8.2011
you had me at salted carmel…
Kelly on 4.8.2011
I was excited to try these, but they didn’t come out right for me. They were def NOT done after 30 minutes, and after 50 minutes the center was still runny, but the rest was overcooked. The recipe sounded wonderful, but I was disappointed.
Courtney on 4.7.2011
This just looks out of this world good!! I think I have emailed it to everyone… can’t wait to try it
Thanks for sharing!
Mellie on 4.7.2011
Yum! Love the sweet and salty combo.
Happy When Not Hungry on 4.7.2011
These bars look awesome! Love the salt on top. Yum!
Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger) on 4.7.2011
Pecans and chocolate are such a winning combo. This looks terrific. Thanks for sharing!
Sherri at FoodBasics101 on 4.7.2011
Yum! Dark chocolate chips and pecans? Yum…
Melissa on 4.7.2011
I made these last night w/white choc chips & walnuts (since it was what I had on hand) and they were delicious! I wish I would have read about coating the chips in flour though before hand – they def all sunk to the bottom.
Ginny on 4.7.2011
I made these last night, and they were amazing. Though, after making, them, I hope the person who said she was going to double them doesn’t. Believe, me, an 8 inch pan is more than enough. These things are a rich, sweet, salty delight, and it only takes a tiny bar to be satisfied.
H. Rene' P. on 4.7.2011
I made these last night. Used half chocolate chips and half butterscotch. Added an additional 1/4 tsp of leavening agent and then added 1/2 cup of coconut. Delish!
Vickie W. on 4.7.2011
Blue Bell ice cream! I love Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream. We can’t buy Blue Bell ice cream here in Ohio. I have to wait to have it when I visit family in Oklahoma and Texas. I’ve seriously thought about moving back there just so I could have Blue Bell on a regular basis. Well, that and the fact that my grandchildren are in Dallas!
Isabelle at home on 4.7.2011
thanks for sharing! those look absolutely delicious!
Marla Meridith on 4.6.2011
I have a big thing for sweet salty treats too, these look great!
travelswithcrazybabydaisy on 4.6.2011
Must. Make. Bars.. NOW!!! These sound delicious – I think these will be heading off in a care package to college very soon…just for an excuse to make them so I don’t eat the whole pan! Thanks for posting!
Nicole on 4.6.2011
Sweet+salty=heaven, will be making soon!!
Cara on 4.6.2011
These look like the perfect sweet and salty combo! I must make these soon!
Michelle W on 4.6.2011
Well, I just stuck the pan into the oven. I’m hopeful that in 30-50 minutes I’ll have delicous, gooey salted chocolate pecan bars!
claireg12 on 4.6.2011
Thanks for posting this!!! They are absolutely amazing! I must, again, credit Jessica from How Sweet It Is for the inspiration!
Molly on 4.6.2011
Pecans, brown sugar, sea salt? I like it!
I have the perfect purpose to make these this month, too! Co-worker birthday that I’m in charge of…at the diabetes center.
Amber on 4.6.2011
Perfect Recipe for this Storm’s Rolling In Day!
Justeen @ Blissful Baking on 4.6.2011
I loveee sweet and salty desserts! This cake sounds incredible!
Katie on 4.6.2011
I love that you mentioned Blue Bell Ice Cream, its the best!! I’m going to make these tonight, yum!
pennysue on 4.6.2011
Those look so good!
JB on 4.6.2011
@ Tracy T and Midwest Mrs: Yes, tossing chocolate chips, (blue berries, pecans — whatever your mixing into the batter) — with flour prevents “sinkage”. I do so with my blue berry muffin and sweet potato chocolate chip muffin recipes. Works like a charm.
Diane on 4.6.2011
I WILL be trying this!
nancy32408 on 4.6.2011
Can’t wait to try these. To stop chips from sinking to bottom, I mix 1-2 tablespoons of flour and chips in small bowl. Then pour all into a strainer and tap on sides. This releases the rest of the flour but keeps chips flour dusted. It really works.
Danise on 4.6.2011
I must make these today….but only an 8X8 pan???? I think I will have to double my recipe!
Mahza on 4.6.2011
Miam-Miam, French for yum-yum!
Midwest Mrs on 4.6.2011
Good to know, Tracy T. Thanks!
Tracy T on 4.6.2011
I’ve heard tossing chocolate chips in flour first keep them from sinking in the batter. I haven’t tried it yet, but that’s what all the blogs say!
Midwest Mrs on 4.6.2011
So, I did everything exactly like you did. Everything even looked identical, BUT these didn’t come out. All of my chocolate chips sunk to the bottom and I had to leave this in the oven for about 50 minutes before they weren’t runny in the middle. Maybe I’m just having an off day.
on 4.6.2011
Another recipe that I saw and made immediately this morning – took about 10 minutes max to get in the oven!
This is my first “salted -sweet” thing and they are wonderful. They did take much longer – 50 minutes for me also.
twopeasandtheirpod on 4.6.2011
I love sweet and savory too! Can’t wait to try these!
Laurie - Simply Scratch on 4.6.2011
I think I’m making these today!
Hillary on 4.6.2011
Ha! The recipe could have been an add for Trader Joe’s!
Any tips for preventing the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the baking pan? They tend to burn when they all sink to the bottom?
Lauren at Keep It Sweet on 4.6.2011
I love anything that starts with “salted chocolate”!
Natalie S. on 4.6.2011
Mmmm, salted chocolate is my favorite! I just made some of the salted chocolate brownies for my blog from a couple weeks ago, and they turned out great! Now I’m putting salt on everything sweet
Tabitha (FromSingletoMarried) on 4.6.2011
wow – talk about a little piece of heaven!
Heather (Heather's Dish) on 4.6.2011
i have the same penchant for sweet/salty…it’s magical!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is on 4.6.2011
I think my heart just stopped… these sound unreal. Must make.