Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean that you can’t have dessert. I’ve always loved to bake so I generally always have baking basics on hand like flour, sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda. Since I have a sweet tooth that sometimes sneaks up on me like a sneeze, I need to have the ability to whip up a bowl of cookie dough at any given time. Having these ingredients on hand also helps out when I’m on a budget and trying to keep my grocery list to a minimum. I’ve had this recipe for Pecan-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake tucked away for over ten years and keep passing it by. The small, unassuming recipe was taped to the corner of a page with a large vibrant picture and recipe for banana cream pie which always drew my gaze, leaving this snack cake to disappear under my very eyes. But after finally taking a good look at this recipe, I realized I had every single ingredient, chocolate chips and pecans included, in my cabinet. And what’s even better – there isn’t a lick of butter or oil in sight keeping the calories on this dessert very, very low.
Beaten egg whites and brown sugar are mixed with dry ingredients, helping to create a smooth batter which is then mixed with chocolate chips and chopped pecans. The result is more like a light (in texture, not flavor) chocolate chip bar cookie than a snack cake and I’m not sure if I made it wrong or if that is how it’s supposed to be. Regardless, I think I’d take a bar cookie over a piece of cake any day so I’m not complaining. And the fact that the flavor of a chocolate chip cookie can be replicated so near-perfectly without one bit of butter just makes this dessert even better. Now I know that next time that cookie craving sneaks up on me, this will be the quiet, unassuming recipe I’ll remember to reach for.
The ingredients:
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Set aside.
Beat brown sugar, vanilla, and egg whites in a large bowl with a mixer at high speed for 1 minute.
Add flour mixture, beating just until combined.
Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.
Spread batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake bars in a 350°F oven for 18 minutes or until golden and crusty on top. Cool in pan 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Additions: None
Omissions: None
Substitutions: None
Overall Rating: Love It
Source: Cooking Light Magazine
A Fork In Each Hand 
If this is being on a budget, then I’m gonna save so much money 🙂 Looks delightful!
Sues
I love making bars so much easier than cookies.
I’ve made this twice now and I love it. I am a terrible baker to begin with but this recipe is so easy its fool proof. I always try to make cookies “healthy” by substituting butter or oil with apple sauce and using whole wheat flour, etc. With this recipe there was no need to mess with the ingredients because it is already pretty light. I did replace half of the brown sugar with coconut sugar and used whole wheat flour. The second time I made it I used some trail mix that I had in the pantry instead of the pecans. I definitely recommend this because it is easy, reasonably healthy and delicious.
Love you, Jade! Xoxo!