Charleston Chewies: A Brown Sugar Brownie

Charleston Chewies are a chewy brown sugar brownie type bar cookie. Traditionally made with pecans, these bars taste like a benne wafer from the addition of sesame seeds instead of pecans.

I’d never heard of Brown Sugar Brownies, AKA Chewies, until I moved to Charleston, SC in 2007.  I was invited by the girls at my work to participate in a cookie exchange around the winter holidays. I can’t even remember now what I brought to the exchange but I do remember the Chewies. Luckily, the lady that brought the Chewies also provided us with the recipe. (Oh Yeah!)

Charleston Chewies are a chewy brown sugar brownie type bar cookie. Traditionally made with pecans, these bars taste like a benne wafer from the addition of sesame seeds instead of pecans.

Toasted Pecans vs Toasted Sesame Seeds

After later trying Benne Wafers, I knew I wanted to turn my Brown Sugar Brownies, which are traditionally made with toasted pecans, into a real Charleston treat by using toasted Sesame Seeds (benne) instead. I brought the chewies to my coworkers and they couldn’t get over the flavor change, how closely they tasted to the benne wafers — and how delicious they were. I was pretty pleased with the results.

Charleston Chewies 2 680

Check out my other Blondie Recipes:

Charleston Chewies are a chewy brown sugar brownie type bar cookie. Traditionally made with pecans, these bars taste like a benne wafer from the addition of sesame seeds instead of pecans.

Charleston Chewies: A Brown Sugar Brownie

Ronda Eagle | Kitchen Dreaming
Charleston Chewies are a chewy brown sugar brownie type bar cookie. Traditionally made with pecans, these bars taste like a benne wafer from the addition of sesame seeds instead of pecans.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 brownies
Calories 232 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 egg , beaten
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract [paid link]
  • Confectioners' sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8-inch square pan with vegetable oil and set aside.
  • In a small saucepan [paid link], melt the butter and add the sesame seeds. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until light brown. Remove from the heat and add the brown sugar and stir until smooth.
  • Next, stir in the egg. Stir together the flour and baking powder and stir into the brown sugar mixture.
  • Stir in the vanilla.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and allow the pan to cool on a baking rack.
  • When cool, remove the brownies from the pan and lightly dust the top with confectioners' (powdered) sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pieceCalories: 232kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 60mgPotassium: 134mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 184IUVitamin D: 1µgVitamin E: 1mgVitamin K: 1µgCalcium: 127mgFolate: 29µgIron: 2mgZinc: 1mg
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12 thoughts on “Charleston Chewies: A Brown Sugar Brownie”

  1. I had not had these in so long and couldn’t remember what they were called! Thanks for the recipe – hard not to eat the whole batch myself!

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