These pecan-studded beauties are light, seriously chocolatey, and dangerously more-ish. In fact, my Old-Fashioned Applesauce Pecan Brownies may be the most delicious brownies I have ever tasted!
The recipe is adapted from an old Betty Crocker cookbook – my tried and true ‘Cooky Book’ (that’s really how they spelled it!) which I bought when I was 10 years old. And like my Old-Fashioned Spice Cake, this recipe is yet another example of how vintage recipes really can be the best recipes.
Vintage recipes are also often the easiest recipes. These Applesauce Pecan Brownies can be made entirely in a saucepan, and takes just moments to stir together with a wooden spoon. As always, the best way to make a recipe like this is to assemble all your ingredients first, measure them, and do anything else that needs to be done, like chopping nuts or sifting dry ingredients together, before you start.
You honestly can’t taste the applesauce in these brownies – but while I’d like to say it makes them healthy, that would be stretching the truth. But with dark chocolate, applesauce and pecans in the mix, I can say these brownies are definitely wholesome.
The applesauce gives a gorgeous texture and lightness plus it also helps the brownies to keep really well. I kept a few in a sealed container for five days at cool room temperature and they still tasted delicious on day five. Be sure to use very smooth applesauce for this recipe. If you make your own, I suggest puréeing it to get a really smooth texture. Try it with my Crockpot Apple and Pear Sauce – it works really well in this recipe!
Use A Good Rich Chocolate and Cocoa Powder
It doesn’t sound like there is a lot of chocolate in these brownies, but they do taste unbelievably chocolatey. You want to use good dark chocolate and cocoa for this recipe because it absolutely makes a difference. I recommend Green and Black’s or Cadbury’s Bournville chocolate and their cocoa too, simply because we love the flavour. Occasional I’ll use a darker chocolate with 70% cocoa solids for an even deeper, darker chocolate hit.
You may know this already, but when it comes to cocoa, you need to buy one that is specifically for baking or making hot drinks from scratch. In the UK, you can also buy cocoa labelled ‘drinking chocolate’. Do not use drinking chocolate for baking!! It contains a mix of cocoa powder, sugar and often powdered milk which doesn’t give a good flavour at all. For baking, you want pure cocoa with nothing else added.
What’s the Best Way to Serve Applesauce Pecan Brownies?
This was a challenging recipe to adapt. It wasn’t because of how it is made, but because while I have become a master of the three bite taste test (flavour, texture, and one for good measure), this Applesauce Pecan Brownie recipe was downright irresistible. It made following my healthy eating plan very tricky!
Applesauce Pecan Brownies are indescribably good served with a glass of Pinot Noir – again not really a part of my healthy eating plan, but lovely nonetheless. And not for your kids, of course. I’d stick with milk for them.
Applesauce Pecan Brownies – Printable Recipe
Old Fashioned Applesauce Pecan Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter You can use salted butter if you prefer
- 2 ounces dark chocolate
- ¾ cup granulated or caster sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup smooth applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour All purpose flour is known as plain flour in the UK
- ¼ cup cocoa
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 165° for fan ovens, gas mark 4).
- Lightly grease a 9 x 9 x 1¾ inch (23 x 23 x 5 cm) square baking pan.
- Heat the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the two ingredients melt together.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar, applesauce and vanilla. Then stir in the beaten eggs.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and stir into the mixture in the saucepan.
- Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth, then stir in the chopped pecans.
- Spread the batter in the pan, smoothing the top.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched lightly.
- Cool completely (or for as long as you can resist) before cutting and serving. The brownies do slice better the closer they are to room temperature.
More Brownie and Square Recipes
Best Chocolate Orange Brownies
Raspberry Bakewell Tart Squares
Aunt Dorothy’s Old Fashioned Butterscotch Squares
Oh my! These brownies look and sound heavenly. Brownies and red wine! You are my kind of gal!
Thank you so much, Linda 🙂
Thank you for this homemade recipe for brownies using applesauce. I just made some packaged brownies & subbed applesauce for the oil. They turned out fine! Love the pecans in yours, too.
I’m glad you like the recipe, Dan, thank you 🙂
These sound amazing and look super moist! I need to try these!
Thank you – they really are moist and delicious!
I love pecans so much in desserts! And I love brownies, so two of my favorite flavors combined! YUM!
I’m glad you like the recipe, Sophie. I love pecans too!
Love recipes that can just be whipped up in a sauce pan! The addition of apple sauce and pecans here is amazing! Love it!
Thank you, Vicky 🙂
Those brownies look so yummy! (Just popped over from Venture Camp.)
Thank you, Melissa! And thank you for visiting too 🙂 I will be over to see you in the next day or so – I’m just catching up at the moment!
Hello April, thanks a lot for dropping by. Glad, you’ ve liked my jam. The Albariño wine is from Galicia and is fantastic.
Love your brownie with applesauce and pecans. I’ m also fond of vintage recipes.
Cheers from València.
Hello Marisa, I’m always interested in wines from different places 🙂 Thank you for the compliment about the brownies. Aren’t vintage recipes fantastic?! Cheers 🙂
Oh I loooooooooove how they look!
Moist and rich and great combination of flavors.
I’m planning to make them as dessert for our next weekend meals 🙂
Thank you so much, Winnie! I hope you enjoy them – please let me know what you think 🙂
April, I haven’t used applesauce in my baking in sooo long. Thank you for the reminder! These brownies look delightful (with a nice cuppa tea)!
They really are lovely with a nice cuppa tea, Jean 🙂
I love brownies of every kind! These look delicious. Apple sauce is such a great way to moisten baked goods.
Thank you, Sophia! I love brownies of every kind too 🙂
You are singing my song! These look fabulous!
Thank you, Lisa 🙂
These look perfect texture. I love the fact that it uses applesauce. Def will try these.
Thank you, Renz. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Give me all the brownies!! I love applesauce in brownies and these sound perfect!
Thank you, Jenn 🙂
These brownies look amazing! I know for a fact that they sure wouldn’t last 5 days in my house 🙂
Thank you, Shashi!
Oh dear Lord April…you are weakening my resolve to stay away from goodies after our Italy vacation…your brownies look incredible! <3
Oh bless you, Linda! Thank you 🙂 They are hard to resist 😉
Hi April,
It is always so good to have you at the party. Your Brownies look so moist and delicious! Thanks so much for sharing with us today at Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
Miz Helen
Hi Miz Helen, Thank you so much! I hope you have a lovely weekend too.
Your brownies look utterly delicious, April!They look so moist and I love the idea that it can be whipped up in a saucepan! Pinning and tweeting!
Thank you, Hadia! They really are one of my favourites 🙂 Thank you for pinning and tweeting too!
Delicious April my kids will love it.
Thank you, Swathi. I’m sure they will 🙂
these sound mighty hungry, apple sauce with pecans awesome flavor perfect for fall. I love brownies as well so I am in for these
come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
I’m glad you like them, Angie 🙂
These sound amazing! What a neat idea! 🙂
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thank you, Jess! I will definitely share 🙂
These look delicious! I love a good moist brownie that is filled with a good chocolate taste.
Thank you so much, Crystal 🙂
These brownies sound delicious and I just happen to have some applesauce on hand…
Sounds like serendipity to me, Nancy! Thank you so much, I do hope you give the recipe a try. Please let me know what you think 🙂 I really do find the brownies very hard to resist, even now I’m pretty disciplined about health eating!
Thanks for linking up at the #GatheringofFriendsLinkParty 6 Pinned
Thank you for pinning, Sylvia!
I love adding applesauce to a dessert recipe, somehow it makes it seem ok to indulge in a delicious recipe! Thank you for sharing on #omhgff, be sure to stop by again to share!
I agree, Karren! Using fruit in a dessert recipe always makes it feel healthier to me 🙂
These sound positively delicious! I like vintage recipes too. I made so many recipes out of my mom’s old Betty Crocker cookbook that I just loved and when I moved out on my own tried to find the exact same book, but sadly so many of the recipes had changed and just were not the same. Pinned.
Thank you so much, Joanne, and thank you for pinning too! I know what you mean. Subsequent editions of some books just aren’t the same as the originals. I’m really lucky to have my Mom’s Better Homes and Gardens cookbook from 1959 and it’s still one of my most used cookbooks.
Oh boy! I bet the applesauce really helps keep the brownies moist, and I like the idea of pecans for a crunch. Ingredients list looks really simple. Pinned this one! Brownies are always a yes in my book!
The applesauce really does keep the brownies moist and the pecans do add a wonderful crunch! Thank you so much for your kind words and for pinning, Alexandra!
April, I LOVE vintage recipes and every time I’ve baked with applesauce it’s turned out to be delicious!
Thank you SO much for sharing your recipe at Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy.
I’m SO excited to feature you at this week’s party (#488).
Thank you so much, Ramona, that is so kind of you. I’m on my way over to visit now. I always enjoy Inspire Me Monday – it’s a great way to start the week! Take care and have a lovely week ahead.