Table of Contents
Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Pecan halves and butter: Pick up a package of pecan halves if you don’t feel like doing it yourself. We toast them in melted butter to bring out their nuttiness.
- More butter: What makes these butter pecan cookies extra special is the use of brown butter. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make brown butter, I will walk you through it.
- Sugars: I use dark brown sugar and white granulated sugar for moisture, flavor, and sweetness.
- Large eggs: These bind the cookies together.
- Baking soda and cornstarch: Baking soda keeps them soft and chewy, and cornstarch piggybacks on that, making them incredibly soft and chewy!
- Ground cinnamon: A hint of cinnamon pairs well with pecans, brown sugar, and butter.
- You’ll also need: Vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, and sea salt.
How to Make Butter Pecan Cookies
Toast pecans in melted butter over medium heat.
Brown butter over medium heat, swirling often, until butter turns amber with nutty aroma. Once it is done, pour it into a bowl and chill it for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine remaining softened butter and both sugars and beat until smooth and creamy. Add in brown butter, eggs, vanilla, flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir in pecans then chili dough for 30 minutes.
Scoop cookie dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving some room between each one for spreading. Bake at 350°F for 7-9 minutes until golden brown.
Tips for the Best Pecan Cookies
- Adding toffee bits or chocolate chips is a popular twist. They add a delicious butterscotch flavor with an extra crunchy texture.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookie dough balls to ensure they’re all the same size.
- For a thicker cookie, add an extra tablespoon or two of flour to the flour mixture and refrigerate the dough for an hour.
- Garnish with extra nuts on top as well as one whole pecan once the cookies are out of the oven. Sprinkle tops with sea salt for presentation.
- Keep dough balls refrigerated for up to 3 days if you’re not ready to bake them yet.
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Butter Pecan Cookies
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These soft and chewy butter pecan cookies have the delicious flavor combination of brown sugary goodness and nutty toasted pecans!
Optional: maldon flake sea salt
Toast Pecans: Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans. Stir occasionally and cook 3-5 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Brown butter: Melt 1 stick of the butter in a pan over medium-heat. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, swirling the pan every so often. Allow the butter to brown (when it turns an amber golden color and has a nutty aroma, it’s done). Remove from the heat and then pour into a bowl and chill for 5 minutes.
Make cookie dough: In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix for 1 minute, until smooth and creamy. Then add in the melted brown butter and stir until combined. Mix in 2 eggs and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Then add 3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons corn starch, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix until well combined. Stir in the pecans. Chill dough up to 30 minutes if desired.
Prepare oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with a baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
Bake cookies: Scoop cookie dough onto the prepared pan, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or just until the edges are golden brown, while the center is still slightly doughy.
Cool and serve: Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the pan. Sprinkle with flaked salt if desired. Then move to a cooling rack. Enjoy with a cold class of milk!
Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 184IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
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Recipe FAQs
No. These will keep fresh at room temperature. Make sure to cover them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
This is a great make-ahead butter pecan cookies recipe because not only do the cookies freeze well, but the dough balls do too. Both can be kept frozen for up to 3 months.
I have some extra tips here on how to freeze cookie dough. It’s helpful to know how to freeze them so they don’t all freeze in a clump.
Place the frozen dough balls on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven as directed. Just add on an extra minute of baking time.
