4.34 from 3 votes

Penuche Squares

Penuche Squares are a delicious Southern dessert! They have that home-cooked taste that will remind you of your grandmother cooking in the kitchen!

Penuche sqares on a wire rack.

These Penuche Squares have been a part of my family since before I was born! This is another family favorite, and I know you will love these squares! Remember that Chess Pie recipe I posted back at the beginning of December? This is another Southern classic from that same aunt who brought you the chess pie!

When I made these Penuche Squares this afternoon, my kitchen was filled with the wonderful aroma of melted butter and brown sugar, and oh my goodness, these brought back some of the best memories from my childhood!

When I moved to California in 2003 from Tennessee, my aunt mailed me some of her classic recipes. I stuffed them in a folder and forgot about them…until about a month ago. I was cleaning out some folders, and low and behold, there were my aunt’s recipes! She hand-wrote them and mailed them to me so I’d have a bit of home with me on the West Coast!

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Ingredients

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    The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

    • Unsalted butter
    • Dark brown sugar
    • Large eggs
    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking powder
    • Vanilla extract
    • Salt
    • Chopped pecans
    Penuche squares ingredients.

    How to Make

    • Step One: Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
    • Step Two: Melt the butter in a saucepan.
    • Step Three: Stir in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix well until all ingredients are melted.
    Steps to make penuche squares.
    • Step Four: In a separate large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
    • Step Five: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a large wooden spoon until the ingredients are mixed well.
    Steps to make penuche squares.
    • Step Six: Pour the batter into the 9×9 inch pan and bake for 30-35 minutes uncovered. Or until a toothpick comes out clean
    • Step Seven: Let these cool in the pan before cutting into squares. Optional – top with powdered sugar.
    Steps to make penuche squares.

    These are so simple to make. The key to this recipe is a good brand of dark brown sugar, which calls for a whole box. But don’t worry! These Penuche Squares make 15 bars, so they feed a lot!

    A stack of penuche squares

    A crust will naturally rise on the sides when baking these in the oven. Oh my, don’t these look so amazing!

    You’ll want to cook these for 25 minutes and not a minute more. They don’t taste good when they are overcooked. Let these Penuche Squares completely cool before cooking.

    A plate of penuche squares.

    Once they’ve cooled and you’ve cut them into squares, feel free to sprinkle powdered sugar on top. It helps them look extra appetizing!

    These Penuche Squares are great for any potluck or as a dessert for your family. Not to be morbid, but my aunt used to take these to the funeral homes when a loved one had passed away. With a lot of sad faces and heavy hearts, she loved to serve this sugary sweet treat to help brighten other people’s days. Bless her sweet soul!

    A penuche square with a bite out of it.

    If you’re looking for other sweet treat recipes to make that your family will love, check out my Flourless Chocolate Torte and my Homemade Apple Pie.

    You’ll also enjoy these Christmas Chewy Bars or Butter Tart Squares.

    Enjoy these Penuche Squares and happy eats!

    Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie, TikTok @simplystacierecipes or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.

    4.34 from 3 votes

    Penuche Squares

    Created by Stacie Vaughan
    Servings 9
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 35 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    Delicious Southern dessert! Top with powdered sugar for a beautiful baked bar.

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ¾ cup unsalted butter
    • 2 cups dark brown sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 cup chopped pecans

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.
    • Melt the butter in a saucepan.
    • Stir in the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and mix well until all ingredients are melted.
    • In a separate large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
    • Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a large wooden spoon until the ingredients are mixed well.
    • Pour the batter into the 9×9 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes uncovered. Or until a toothpick comes out clean
    • Let these cool in the pan before cutting into squares.
    • Optional – top with powdered sugar.
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    Nutrition

    Serving: 1square | Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 383mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 532IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Course Desserts
    Cuisine American
    Keyword penuche bars, penuche squares

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    4.34 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    26 Comments

    1. Social chair says:

      Lost my mother in laws recipe, so glad you shared it. Alway a hit when I’ve made them! So glad to find this recipe!!

      PS
      16 Oz = 2 8 Oz cups & use ins stick of butter & cut second one in half. Hope that helps.

    2. How much is in a stick of butter?  16oz of dark brown sugar?  Cups?  Recipe is inconsistent.

    3. Sounds like a sweet little square snack

    4. Wow, these seem pretty simple to make and looks fantastic! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
      Kim

    5. Your Penuche Squares will be a very special treat! Thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back soon!
      Miz Helen

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