1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy removal.

2. Spread the chopped pecans in a dry skillet or on a baking sheet and toast over medium heat (or in the oven for 5–7 minutes), stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool slightly.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar until the mixture looks thick, smooth, and glossy.

4. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk again until fully combined and slightly lightened in color.

5. Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, and salt evenly over the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to fold everything together just until no streaks of dry flour remain; avoid overmixing.

6. Fold the toasted pecans into the batter so they are evenly distributed throughout. The batter will be thick and studded with nuts.

7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top into an even layer, nudging it into the corners.

8. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the edges are deeply golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).

9. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Cool completely in the pan for clean slices, or cool until just slightly warm for softer, fudgier squares.

10. Use the parchment overhang to lift the pecanbread from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into bars or squares. Serve as-is, dusted with powdered sugar, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.