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Home » Baking and Desserts

Saturday Night Chocolate Craving: Mocha Brownies with Toasted Pecans and Sea Salt

by Beth Lee · Published: Feb 5, 2013 · Modified: Jun 17, 2021

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Sometimes cooking is all about planning – selecting a recipe, writing a shopping list, procuring all the ingredients, and finally, the actual preparation and clean-up. But sometimes, it’s just about satisfying a sudden craving on a Saturday night -- no pre-planning required. And that’s just what happened last weekend when @gregorytlee and I made Mocha Brownies with Toasted Pecans and Sea Salt.

For ease of browsing, here are all of my baking and dessert recipes.

Another great one to try is my chocolate bundt cake with cream cheese frosting.

A single mocha brownie with toasted pecans and sea salt on a white plate.

It was approaching 8:30 but my yen for chocolate didn’t care the time of day. So I thought about a quick one-bowl recipe, grabbing my laptop for a speedy google search. One of the recipes that popped up was from the blog Smitten Kitchen -- I noticed that she can prepare these brownies while her little one takes a very short nap which sounded like a perfect timetable for 8:30 in the evening.

I did a quick scan of my baking drawer and determined that we were in business. @gregorytlee jumped on the baking train with me and in less than 15 minutes the brownie batter was in the oven and we were cleaning up, anticipating a hot, chewy, chocolaty reward 30 minutes later.

Here’s how they came together.  We started by following Smitten Kitchen’s recipe to a tee but ended up changing it along the way – deciding to toast some pecans and add them to the top along with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. At the last moment we brewed a shot of espresso, adding in a half shot and balanced out the extra liquid with a bit of extra flour.

A square baking pan lined with foil containing batter for mocha brownies ready to bake.
A square baking ban with just baked mocha brownies from the oven.

These brownies are light rather than dense and the extra flavor from the espresso, pecans, and salt made them the perfect foil for my Saturday night chocolate craving. I think you could increase the chocolate from 3 ozs to 4 or 5 for an even richer chocolate flavor. But my kids and their friends who taste-tested saw no reason to change a thing. They know I like honest feedback when I cook something, and they were quite certain these were fine just the way they came out. Thanks Smitten Kitchen for the inspiration and thanks @gregorytlee for the wonderful sous chef skills!

What's your favorite way to satisfy a sudden and quite urgent chocolate craving? (an important question to ponder right before Valentine's Day!)

One square mocha brownie with toasted pecans and sea salt, with extra pecan scattered around.
mocha brownies

Mocha Brownies with Toasted Pecans and Sea Salt

Beth Lee
This super easy and quick mocha brownie recipe will be on the table to satisfy your chocolate craving in under an hour. Adapted from a Smitten Kitchen recipe, I added toasted pecans, sea salt, and espresso to make an already great recipe match my Saturday night sweet and salty chocolate craving.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Servings 8 servings
Calories 357 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla I doubled her amount - @gregorytlee is a vanilla lover
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt + large pinch for topping
  • â…› cup espresso (½ shot) I used decaffeinated
  • â…” cup + ¼ of all-purpose flour extra ¼ cup if using espresso
  • ¼ cup toasted chopped pecans

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 X 8 baking pan either with parchment paper overhanging on opposite sides or tin foil sprayed with baking spray or rubbed with softened butter.
  • In a medium microwaveable bowl, place the chocolate and stick of butter and microwave either on a melt function or on full power in 30 second bursts, mixing after each burst. (You can also do this in a traditional chocolate boiler putting a bowl over a pot of boiling water but I am too lazy to do this and use my microwave). When the butter and chocolate are combined into a smooth glossy texture, you're ready for the next step.
  • To that bowl of yummy looking chocolate, add the sugar and whisk it in until completely combined. Then whisk in the 2 eggs, 2 teaspoon of vanilla, kosher or sea salt, and espresso.
  • Lastly, switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the flour until fully combined.
  • Now pour the batter into your prepared baking pan. Then top with the nuts and a sprinkling of sea salt to your taste.
  • Bake for 25 - 30 minutes (mine took 30) or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested.

Notes

Closely adapted from a Smitten Kitchen recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 4gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 95mgPotassium: 130mgFiber: 2gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 420IUCalcium: 25mgIron: 2.6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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  1. sandy corman

    February 09, 2013 at 9:43 am

    If I knew then what I know today I would have written down as best I could when she said a little of this and a little of that. Remember Beth when she baked and cooked for us in Pittsfield? Ah, them were the days.

    Reply
  2. sandy corman

    February 08, 2013 at 11:46 am

    Yes! I would crave anything grandma used to bake and cook. She was one in a million that way.
    She would be very proud of all your efforts in the baking & cooking depts.

    Reply
    • Beth

      February 09, 2013 at 7:43 am

      Just wish I had her recipes to learn from!

      Reply
  3. sandy corman

    February 05, 2013 at 5:22 pm

    believe it or not I do not have a craving for chocolate that often. But looking at these brownies
    I suddenly crave them. Any extras you can bring over?

    Reply
    • Beth

      February 08, 2013 at 6:57 am

      How about if I were to mention Grandma's babke - would that make you crave chocolate?

      Reply
  4. Hannah

    February 05, 2013 at 2:13 pm

    Ohhh Beth, I am drooling and have a sudden chocolate craving now! You and your son whipped up quite a decadent treat, and I like the changes you made (I'm a vanilla lover, too). Salt and chocolate go together just like coffee and chocolate ... and you did both here! Love it.

    Reply
    • Beth

      February 08, 2013 at 6:56 am

      Yes - we are lovers of the salt/chocolate combo around here - one of my favorites is the matzo with chocolate, toasted pecans, and sea salt for Passover. Now I can't wait for the end of March!

      Reply
  5. orly @yumivore

    February 05, 2013 at 12:18 pm

    Mmmm chocolate and sea salt and pecans! Though I'm not much of a mocha fan, I do find coffee always enhances chocolate recipes and these sound great. It would satisfy my late night chocolate craving for sure!

    Reply
    • Beth

      February 08, 2013 at 6:54 am

      For a true chocolate overdose - how about a cup of your hot cocoa alongside? 🙂 (And if I was still in college, I probably would have them both for a post-study snack!)

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Beth Lee. In 2010, I realized I prefer pita chips to memory chips and started this blog. My family is a mix of Jewish/Hawaiian/Korean heritage and my food reflects our diversity. My virtual kitchen is always open. Let’s cook together! 

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