Easy Brown Sugar Walnut Bars

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/21/22
Walnut bars
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Yield: 16 bars

These easy vanilla-flavored walnut bars are made with brown sugar chopped walnuts. The bars are moist and chewy. They are an excellent option for anyone sensitive to chocolate, and they make a tasty treat for kids and adults alike.

The bars are similar to blonde brownies but made without the addition of chocolate. You can, of course, add some chocolate chips to the batter along with the walnuts. Or add some white chocolate or butterscotch chips. Pecans are another option for these tasty bars. Another way to dress them up is with a drizzle of melted chocolate or almond bark. Melting wafers come in all kinds of flavors and colors to fit any occasion or season.

Cut the brown sugar bars into squares for serving or try something different: dice or crumble a few bars and make brownie sundaes with ice cream and your favorite ice cream topping. A caramel or butterscotch sauce would be delicious or drizzle chocolate fudge sauce over the sundae.

Take these bars along to the office or wrap individual bars and take them to a local bake sale.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Gather the ingredients
    Gather the ingredients for the brown sugar walnut bars. Diana Rattray

  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

    Grease the pan
    Grease and flour the pan. Diana Rattray

  3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk or stir to blend thoroughly.

    Combine the dry ingredients
    Combine the flour with salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Diana Rattray

  4. In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat the egg for 2 to 3 minutes, or until foamy.

    Beat the egg
    Beat the egg until foamy. Diana Rattray

  5. Add the brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla; beat well.

    Beat the butter and brown sugar into the first mixture
    Add the brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Diana Rattray

  6. Stir in flour mixture until well blended.

    Add the dry ingredients to the bowl
    Stir in the flour mixture. Diana Rattray

  7. Fold the walnuts into the batter.

    Add walnuts to the batter
    Fold the walnuts into the batter. Diana Rattray

  8. Spoon the thick batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly with a spatula.

    Spread the batter in the pan
    Spoon the thick batter into the prepared baking pan. Diana Rattray

  9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 to 24 minutes, or until browned and the top has formed a crust.

    Baked walnut bars
    Baked brown sugar and walnut bars. Diana Rattray

  10. Cut into 2-inch bars; cool in pan. The recipe makes about 16 walnut bars.

Tips

  • Check the brownies after 20 minutes to avoid overbaking.
  • Brown sugar is somewhat moist, so it isn't measured in the same way as dry granulated sugar. to measure brown sugar, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and pack it down with your hand or the back of a spoon until it is level with the rim of the measuring cup.

Recipe Variations

  • Dress these bars up with a drizzle of chocolate. Melt some semisweet chocolate in the microwave and let it cool slightly. Pour the melted chocolate into a plastic food storage bag, cut a tiny corner out, and drizzle the chocolate over the bars. Cool and cut into squares.
  • Spread a thin layer of icing over the cooled bars if you like. This caramel cream cheese frosting would be fabulous in the bars, or make a brown sugar penuche frosting. Chocolate frosting or ganache would be fantastic.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
146 Calories
8g Fat
17g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 146
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 129mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 33mg 3%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 60mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)