Butter Pecan Cookies are soft and chewy, have perfect golden crisp edges, and are loaded with crunchy toasted pecans throughout. They are quick and easy to make in under 20 minutes making them ideal for a last minute craving situation.
Switch things up this season and add these butter pecan cookies to your holiday baking list - or for any time of the year. These chewy cookies with pecans and with a rich buttery flavor will leave you wanting more. Luckily both the cookie dough and baked cookies are freezer-friendly, so go ahead and make a double or triple batch! You will thank me later.
Why You'll Love these Butter Pecan Cookies
- Classic butter pecan flavor. These soft and chewy cookies have the best flavor. They taste like chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate but with buttery pecans instead. These pecan cookies were created with butter pecan fans in mind. If you know, you know.
- Ready in under 30 minutes. These butter pecan cookies are fast to bake. After only 15 minutes of active preparation and 10 minutes of baking time, you can have warm butter pecan cookies out of the oven. It's the perfect last minute cookie to make whenever a craving hits.
- Simple ingredients. Along with standard baking components like butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and flour, easy to find ingredients like pecans and cornstarch are what gives these simple cookies their complex flavor.
- Easy to make. After you toast the pecans and cream the butter, you'll start to incorporate all of the ingredients to create the dough base. Then you'll add the toasted pecans, scoop the cookies, and bake them. It truly couldn't be any easier to make these!
Ingredient Notes
To make these easy Butter Pecan Cookies, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- pecan halves - walnuts would also work similarly, but you'll lose the signature pecan look and taste of the recipe.
- butter - if you're out of unsalted butter, you can use salted butter if it's what you have on hand. Just don't add any extra salt that is called for in the recipe.
- dark brown sugar - use light brown sugar if you don't have the dark version, or try white sugar and molasses if you need to find a replacement.
- granulated sugar - you can use your favorite granulated sugar or sugar substitute here, like coconut sugar, date sugar, erythritol, stevia, or monk fruit.
- eggs
- vanilla extract - vanilla bean paste can be used in place of extract at a 1:1 ratio for richer flavor.
- all-purpose flour - if you or someone in your family has a sensitivity to gluten, use a measure-for-measure gluten free flour instead.
- cornstarch - potato starch is a close enough swap for cornstarch. You could even leave out the cornstarch if you don't have any on hand. The cornstarch makes the cookies more tender.
- baking soda - 3 teaspoons of baking powder can be used in place of every one teaspoon in the recipe if you're in a pinch, but the texture of the cookies may change slightly.
- salt
Baking Tools Needed
You will also need the following baking tools and equipment:
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- cookie scoop
- half sheet baking pan and silicone baking mat (or parchment paper)
- wire cooling rack
How to Make the Best Butter Pecan Cookies
- Toast pecans. Toast chopped pecans in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant and browned (roughly one shade darker), about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
- Make cookie dough. Cream butter and sugar together using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer) on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat on low speed until combined. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in pecans. Fold in the toasted pecans, reserving ¼ cup for the tops of the cookies.
- Scoop cookies. Line large cookie sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out 1.5-2 tablespoons of cookie dough. Use your hands to roll it into a ball (this will ensure cookies with smooth edges). Place the cookie balls onto the lined baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Press the extra pecans on top of the cookie balls.
- Bake. Bake cookies in a 350F preheated oven for 8-11 minutes, until starting to brown on the edges but still soft or slightly underdone in the middle.
- Cool. Leave on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe Variations
There a few ways that you can customize these pecan cookies with different ingredients and flavors.
- Add chocolate chips. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips into the cookie dough for a pecan chocolate chip cookie!
- Use different nuts. Switch up the nuts for different flavors. Try this with walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts.
- Add cocoa powder. Substitute ¼ cup of flour with cocoa powder for a chocolatey twist for chocolate lovers.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Serve à la mode. These cookies are perfect companions to a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can also double down on the flavor and serve them warm with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream!
- Brown the butter. If you have extra time, you can brown and cool the butter before making the dough to make the flavor richer. You can also brown large batches of butter and freeze them for use in recipes like this one to save time.
- Top with a candied pecan. Go the extra mile and top these with an individual candied pecan instead for a glittery, sugar-crusted embellishment.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Keep leftover butter pecan cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can also store the in the fridge for up to one month, but they may lose some of their chewiness.
How to Freeze
Butter pecan cookies freeze really well too. Let them cool completely first, then store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
To freeze the pecan cookie dough before baking, scoop out the cookie balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and freeze for 1 hour until hard. Then, transfer the cookie dough balls into a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator overnight. Then, bake according to recipe instructions. You may need to add a couple minutes to the cook time if the cookie dough is not at room temperature before baking.
More Cookie Recipes
- 50 Best Cookie Recipes
- Pecan Sandies
- Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Biscotti
- Italian Ricotta Cookies
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Recipe
Butter Pecan Cookies
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 24-28 cookies
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Butter Pecan Cookies are soft and chewy, have perfect golden crisp edges, and are loaded with crunchy toasted pecans throughout. They are quick and easy to make in under 20 minutes making them ideal for a last minute craving situation.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line large cookie sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Toast chopped pecans in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant and browned (roughly one shade darker), about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar together using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer) on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat on low speed until combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in the toasted pecans, reserving ¼ cup for the tops of the cookies.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out 1.5-2 tablespoons of cookie dough. Use your hands to roll it into a ball (this will ensure cookies with smooth edges). Place the cookie balls onto the lined baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Press the extra pecans on top of the cookie balls.
- Bake cookies for 8-11 minutes, until starting to brown on the edges but still soft or slightly underdone in the middle. Leave on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
How to store: Keep leftover butter pecan cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can also store the in the fridge for up to one month, but they may lose some of their chewiness.
How to freeze: Butter pecan cookies freeze really well too. Let them cool completely first, then store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
How to freeze cookie dough: To freeze the pecan cookie dough before baking, scoop out the cookie balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and freeze for 1 hour until hard. Then, transfer the cookie dough balls into a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator overnight. Then, bake according to recipe instructions. You may need to add a couple minutes to the cook time if the cookie dough is not at room temperature before baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Michelle says
My newest favorite cookie! Adding this to my baking list every year thank you!