These Butter Pecan Cookies are like butter pecan ice cream turned into a cookie. They’re loaded with brown sugar, brown butter, and of course buttered pecans. It’s a cookie flavor you’ll want to make on repeat!
These do take a little extra time to make because we’re browning the butter which means we need to let it cool, and then we also need to chill the cookie dough. But I promise the results are worth the wait!
These cookies are soft, chewy, and full of rich, buttery toasted pecans in every bite. They’ve got crispy edges, soft and gooey centers. You’ll want to make them all year, but they’ll definitely be a favorite for fall baking, or holiday cookie trays.
Why You’ll Love these Cookies
- Rich Buttery Flavor: With browned butter in the cookie dough, and toasted buttered pecans, these cookies have a buttery, nutty flavor in every single bite.
- Perfect Texture: Soft and chewy in the middle, with crispy golden edges.
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted Butter: If we’re using salted butter you’ll want to cut the added salt in half
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- All Purpose Flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Pecans
How to make Butter Pecan Cookies
Step 1: Make Buttered Pecans. Add the chopped pecans, butter and salt to a saute pan and heat over medium until the butter is melted and the pecans are toasted. Stirring almost constantly. If you have a lot of extra butter, place the pecans on a paper towel, otherwise stick them in a bowl to cool.
Step 2: Brown the Butter. Add the butter to a pot and heat over medium. All the butter to melt, stirring often. There will be bubbles and it will foam. Scrape the sides of the bowl and watch for a nutty smell, and the butter will turn an amber color. Pour it into a bowl, making sure to scrape in all the brown specks for flavor, and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Mix the Butter and Sugars. Add the butter, brown sugar and sugar to a large bowl (the bowl of a stand mixer is best) for 2 to 3 minutes, until it starts to get smooth, and creamy. Add in the eggs, and vanilla extract and mix them into the sugars until combined.
Step 4: Add in the Dry Ingredients. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt into the bowl and mix together until you have a soft cookie dough.
Step 5: Add in the Buttered Pecans. Add in the buttered pecans and fold them into the cookie dough until they are evenly mixed into the dough. Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. The longer you chill, the cookie dough may need to sit at room temperature to warm up for a bit before you are able to scoop it into balls.
Step 6: Bake the Cookies. Scoop the cookie dough into 3 TBS portions and roll them into balls. Place 6-8 on a cookie sheet. Top each cookie dough ball with a half pecan in the center. Bake the cookies until the edges are golden and the tops are set.
Step 7: Make them Pretty. Remove the cookies from the oven and use a large round cookie cutter to swirl around the warm cookies, one at a time, to get their edges extra round. Add extra pecan pieces on to the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle each with a little granulated sugar and flakey sea salt if desired. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips and Trickss:
- Brown the Butter! Don’t Skip Browning the butter, or buttering the pecans, it makes a huge difference in flavor.
- Chill the Dough: We want thick, soft, and chewy cookies and because of the warm butter we need to chill the dough for at least an hour to get the right texture in our cookies.
- Sprinkle the Tops: I love sprinkling the top of the cookies with granulated sugar, and flakey salt to make the cookies extra pretty, and give them extra flavor.
Storage Instructions
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days, at room temperature. If you want to store them longer the baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before enjoying.
You can also freeze the cookie dough in balls, by flash freezing them on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 1 hour, then transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container. Bake them straight from frozen, just add a couple extra minutes to the baking time. They may be thicker when baked from frozen.
These Butter Pecan Cookies are buttery, and chewy, and so delicious. The toasted pecans and brown butter flavor makes these a cookie you’ll want all year long, and especially for the holidays.
More Cookie Favorites
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Meringue Cookies
- Double Choc Cookies
- Nutella Cookies
- Oatmeal Lace Cookies
- Banana Bread Cookies
- Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Drop Sugar Cookies
If you make this Butter Pecan Cookie Recipe please leave a comment and 🌟 rating letting me know what you think! If you post the photo on Instagram, please tag me – I’d love to see what you’re making!
Butter Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
For the Buttered Pecans:
- 1 1/2 cups Chopped Pecans
- 4 TBS Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 tsp Salt
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 TBS Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 TBS Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 18 Half Pecans
- Granulated Sugar
- Flaked Sea Salt
Instructions
For the Buttered Pecans:
- Add the chopped pecans, butter, and salt to a sauté pan and heat over medium heat until the butter is melted, the pecans are toasted. Stir almost the whole time, about 2 to 3 minutes. 1 1/2 cups Chopped Pecans, 4 TBS Unsalted Butter, 1/4 tsp Salt
- If there is a lot of excess butter, place the pecans on a piece of paper towel to soak up some of the extra. set aside to cool.
For the Cookies:
- Add butter to a large pot. Heat over medium heat. 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- Allow the butter to continue cooking, stirring often as it melts, then bubbles and foams. Scrape the sides and watch for it to get a nutty smell, and start to turn to an amber color. Remove from heat.
- Pour butter into a separate bowl and let it it for about 30 minutes to cool at room temperature.
- Cream together the butter (still melted) brown sugar, and sugar for 2-3 minutes until it starts to get smooth. 1 cup Brown sugar, 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and stir until just combined.2 Eggs, 1 TBS Vanilla Extract
- Add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Stir until you have a soft cookie dough. 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour, 1 TBS Cornstarch , 1 tsp Baking soda, 1 tsp Salt
- Fold in the buttered pecans.
- Cover the dough and place it in the fridge to chill for 1 hour up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a couple cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 3 TBS sized balls (about 55-60grams each), and roll into balls. Place 8 on a cookie sheet.
- Press a pecan half on top of each cookie. 18 Half Pecans
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges start to turn golden and finished, the tops may not look all the way done.
- Remove cookies from the oven and sprinkle granulated sugar and flaked sea salt over the top of each cookie i desired. Granulated Sugar, Flaked Sea Salt
- Allow cookies to set on cookie sheets for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. (Or enjoy some warm)
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