Thick and chewy Butter Pecan Cookies! These have toasted pecans and come together in one bowl. Seriously the cookies of your dreams. Made with loads of butter, brown sugar, and toasted pecans.
These are super buttery, soft, and chewy cookies! They are exploding in pecan flavour.
Before adding the pecans into the bowl, I gently toasted the pecans in a pan with butter for a couple minutes. This elevated the flavours soo much!
This is a classic cookie recipe you'll find yourself making all seasons of the year.
For more cookie recipes, try Salted Pistachio Toffee Cookies, Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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Why this recipe works
Butter pecan - I think the butter pecan flavour is such an underrated flavour! Whether it's in ice cream, or cookies, it is soo good.
Easy to make - This recipe uses melted butter for easy baking and everything comes together in one bowl with a spatula and whisk.
Melted butter - Using melted butter helps create a chewier, denser texture. That's exactly what we're going for here!
Ingredients Notes
Here are a list of a couple key ingredients in these butter pecan cookies. Full measurements are available in the recipe card below!
Butter – I always use unsalted. This will be melted.
Brown sugar – I used Dark brown sugar. Light brown sugar works as well.
Pecans - These will be chopped up and toasted with the butter.
White sugar – Using granulated sugar adds to the crisp edges and sweetness to the cookies.
Vanilla – Using a good quality vanilla is key to adding flavour to the cookies!
Step by step instructions
Here is how to make and bake these butter pecan cookies. You will need one tray lined with parchment paper, a large mixing bowl, a spatula, a whisk, and a standard ice cream scoop.
Step 1 - Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt.
Step 2 - Toast pecans. In a large saucepan, add butter and melt. Then turn the temperature up to medium-high and add pecans. Mix for 3-4 minutes until toasted (You can tell they're done by the smell of toasted pecans). Allow to cool as we make the dough.
Step 3 - Whisk butter and sugars. Whisk the cooled melted butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Then whisk in vanilla and eggs.
Step 4 - Add in dry ingredients. Fold in the dry ingredients until the dough is combined. It will be sticky and batter-like consistency!
Step 5 - Mix in pecans. Add in the slightly cooled and toasted pecans into the dough and mix in a few times. Don't over-mix!
Step 6 - Chill. This is crucial for this dough as it is a very sticky dough before chilling. When it chills, the butter solidifies and keep it's structure while baking. This is mandatory for this cookie. Chill for 1 hour minimum. You may also chill overnight.
Step 7 - Bake. Scoop about 1.5tbsp of cookie dough per cookie onto a prepared baking mat (I used a cookie scooper which helps a ton) and add an extra pecan on top. I like to bake these 6 at a time as they do spread out quite a bit.
Bake the cookies for 13-16 minutes or until the edges are a dark golden brown and the middle is slightly puffy. The cookies will continue to bake as they cool!
TIP: If your cookies are not perfectly circular and you would like them to be, take a large circular glass (bigger than the cookie) and swirl around each cookie a few times to get it back into shape!
Keep them on your baking tray for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
Here are a few expert baking tips from my kitchen to yours
- Use a gram scale. I cannot emphasize this enough! It is the most accurate way of measuring your ingredients in the kitchen. This is one of my favourites.
- Toast the pecans. It's a super simple step, but so effective and really elevates these cookies!
- If your cookies are spreading out to much in the oven, quickly remove them from the oven, take a large circular glass (bigger than the cookie), and swirl around each cookie a few times to get it back into shape and continue baking!
- To take these cookies to the next level, brown the butter and roll the cookie dough balls in white sugar before baking.
FAQ
Do I have to toast the pecans?
No! You can add them chopped straight into the dough.
Do I have to chill the dough?
Yes! This dough is delicious but also very sticky before chilling. There's a lot of butter in them! It simply will not work if you don't chill it beforehand!
My cookies spread out WAY to much?!
Either your butter was hot while mixing the ingredients, or you didn't chill the cookie dough long enough. For this recipe, it is crucial to chill the dough so it can solidify.
Check out these pecan recipes
PS : If you enjoyed this recipe, please make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW down below! I'd love to stay connected on Instagram @taffeybakery! To get more recipes follow me on TikTok @taffeybakery!
Butter Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
For the toasted pecans
- 1 1/2 cups pecans chopped
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
For the cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar or dark
- 3/4 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prep the baking trays by lining them with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the butter in the microwave or using a double boiler method and set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Mix together and set aside.2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt
- Toast the pecans. In a medium pot, add the butter and melt. Then add in chopped pecans and mix for 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat until toasted.1 1/2 cups pecans, 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- In a large bowl, add in melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Whisk until well combined.1 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 3/4 cups white sugar
- Add in eggs and vanilla and continue whisking.2 eggs, 1 tbsp vanilla
- Add in the dry ingredients and using a spatula, gently fold until a sticky batter forms.
- Add in the cooled toasted pecans and keep mixing. Don't over-mix!
- Place into the fridge for 1 hour (You can also make before-hand and chill overnight!).
- Once chilled, scoop 6 cookies per baking tray (about 1.5tbsp per cookie) spaced 2-3 inches apart. Add a pecan or two on top of each cookie. (Keep the dough that still has to bake in the fridge as you are baking 6 at a time).
- Bake for 13-16 minutes or until the edges are a golden brown and the middle is slightly puffy. Mine took 15 minutes exactly. Allow the cookies to sit on the baking tray after baking as they continue to bake from the hot pan for 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely and enjoy!
Elizabeth Lutes says
I feel like” caramelized” isn’t the correct word here …. There’s no sugar on the pecans so it’s just toasted buttered pecans.
Ania says
Hi Elizabeth, you are correct. I updated the list with toasted pecans instead. Thanks for sharing and letting me know!
Daryl Byers says
Ania, can you freeze the dough? Would love to put on my Christmas platters.
Ania says
Hi Daryl! Yes you can freeze the dough. You'll have to refrigerate it first though. After about an hour of chilling in the fridge, the dough will be good to scoop! Then you can roll into balls, and freeze the cookie dough balls in a ziplock bag. When ready to bake, bake straight from frozen! Enjoy! I can only imagine how delicious they'll be with on your Christmas platters 🙂
Smee says
I followed the recipe exactly and was pleasantly surprised. I was a little doubtful about the full TBSP of Vanilla, thinking it was a typo but it worked out great and wasn't overpowering.
It wasn't sickeningly sweet but a perfect balance. Very chewy and buttery, i might experiment with cutting back on butter next time. I agree, toasting the pecans really boosted the flavor and gave it depth.
Thank you for this recipe. I will make it again.
Ania says
Hi Smee! Personally, I'm a tbsp vanilla kind of girl haha! I love the flavour it brings and honestly think 1tsp is never enough, glad it worked out great for you and you added 1 tbsp!! If you cut back on the butter, just be aware that the cookie texture & flavour will change, and they won't spread out as much!
I'm also happy to hear you toasted the pecans! It's such a simple step but really elevates the pecan flavour! Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Jay says
Hello, I made them today and they are cake like, not chewy and buttery like I'd hoped. I followed the recipe perfectly. Do you know why mine are that way?
Ania says
Hi Jay! I'm sorry that the cookies what you hoped they would be. Cakey cookies usually indicates that there was too much all-purpose flour added into them. I suggest always measuring the dry ingredients in grams with a gram scale! Cup sizes can differ depending on what region of the world you live in, so using grams helps ensure you get the proper and most accurate measurements every time.
Albert Goudy says
Hello,
This is the first time I've heard of toasting the pecans in butter!!!!! I can't wait to try it. I also have some butter pecan extract I use when I make butter pecan syrup. I'll let you know how it comes out. I'll be adding the vanilla too. Your's is the first butter pecan recipe I've come across that really emphasizes butter pecan flavor. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Al G.
Ania says
Hi Albert! Toasting the pecans is a game changer! I've never heard of making butter pecan syrup but that sounds like such a good idea! I would definitely add it into the cookies. I'm excited for you to try this recipe out! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Michelle Woodrum says
Do you take the pecans out of the melted butter after you have toasted them in the butter? It says to toast them in the butter, but then you are mixing the sugar into the butter and later on adding the pecans?
Ania says
Hi Michelle! There are two different quantities of butter used. There's 2 tbsp for the mixing with the pecans, which you do not separate. Then there's 1 cup of butter, melted, which is used for the base of the cookies. The recipe card has them divided too if that helps to view. I hope this clarifies things! 🙂
Michelle Woodrum says
Ahhhhhh, thank you! I didn't see that. Can't wait to make these! 🙂
Ania says
My pleasure!!! Enjoy!!! 😁😁
Anonymous says
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Joanne Watkins says
How far in advance can these be made before serving?
Ania says
Hi Joanne! You can make them 2 days in advance and cover them with saran wrap or in an airtight container! You can also make the cookie dough balls in advance and bake them when need be 🙂
Joan Penney says
If you are suggesting we use a scale to weigh the ingredients, why not list the ingredients in metric rather than imperial? Or at least show both.
Ania says
Hi Joan! Both units are available in all recipe cards, you just have to click on metric button and it will show up.
Christal Williams says
I haven’t made them yet and plan to do so. I wanted to thank you for leaving the key ingredients under each step, pure genius!
Marlene says
Hey! I was so anxious to make these because I love a chewy cookie in the middle and crisp around the edges. But my finished cookies were cakey and not chewy in the middle. I did measure by cup and not grams since the recipe didn’t specify. I will try them again!
Anonymous says
I followed this to a t. These cookies actually taste like nothing. Waste of ingredients. Don't bother
Helena Ansah says
Can I use margarine instead of butter
Ania says
Hi Helena, this is a butter pecan cookie, so I do recommend you use butter and not margarine as it's one of the main ingredients. The margarine won't give you a distinct butter flavour that tastes so good. Other than that, I haven't tried using margarine, but I don't see why it wouldn't work if you still want to try it! Let me know how it goes 🙂