Category: cookies

Butter Pecan Cookies combine a chewy, buttery brown sugar dough with sweet, crunchy chopped pecans. These cookies will please anyone who enjoys a nutty crunch in their treats!

If pecans are your favorite, try these Pecan Pie Bars next. My Candied Cinnamon Pecans are another great way to put pecans to use!

Recipe for Butter Pecan Cookies

Butter pecan isn’t just an ice cream flavor! You can also just make buttered pecans by toasting pecans in a mixture of butter and sugar.

And then you can put those pecans into cookies and make Butter Pecan Cookies!

You can add chopped pecans to cookie dough, but toasting them in butter makes them taste even better. This extra step brings out their wonderful nutty flavor.

After making this recipe, I want to use buttered pecans in every cookie that needs pecans. This includes Pecan Sandies and Pecan Eggnog Cookies.

The base of these butter pecan cookies is a buttery dough that bakes up soft and chewy, with just a bit of browning and caramelization on the edges. The texture is the perfect complement to the crunchy nuts!

Here’s why this is the best butter pecan cookies recipe!

• Butter pecan cookies have lots of rich flavor from the butter, brown sugar, and toasted nuts.
• Despite the extra step of toasting the pecans, these cookies are easy to make. No need to chill the dough or even roll it into balls. Just drop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet.
• These are cookies that store well, which is always a bonus as we approach holiday baking season. They’ll last a full week at room temperature, or you can freeze the cookie dough and bake the cookies when you need them.

Important Ingredient Notes

The full ingredient list for these chewy butter pecan cookies is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter gives you more control over the flavor. You can use salted butter, just reduce the added kosher salt by half.
• Pecans – Feel free to buy pecan pieces since you’ll be chopping the pecans anyway. Pecan halves are more expensive than already chopped pecans.
• Light brown sugar – This contributes to the chewiness of the cookies and adds a caramel note to the dough. You’ll also need granulated sugar for the cookie dough.
• Pure Vanilla Extract- Always choose a pure vanilla extract (or my homemade vanilla extract). Immitation vanilla will vary in flavor and leaves behind an unpleasant aftertaste.
• Egg yolks – Using yolks instead of the whole egg also makes for a chewier cookie.
• All-purpose flour- use my guide on how to measure flour to make sure you get the proper cookie texture!

How to Make Butter Pecan Cookies

Make the Buttered Pecans:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir in the pecans and sugar.
• Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the pecans are golden brown. (They’ll smell nutty and the butter will absorb into the nuts.)

Make the Cookie Dough:

• Beat the butter and sugars until fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
• Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt on low speed until the dough comes together.
• Fold in the buttered pecans.

Bake the Cookies:

• Use a 2 tablespoon cookie dough scoop to drop the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Bake at 350ºF for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to brown.
• Remove the pan from the oven and tap the tops of the cookies with a spatula.
• Cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer the butter pecan cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips and Tricks

• Don’t skip adding the browned bits from the bottom of the pan to the cookie dough. They’re full of flavor and will add some brown butter goodness to the dough.
• Instead of throwing egg whites down the drain, you can refrigerate them for a few days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. This way, you can use them in recipes that need whites instead of yolks. Recipes like meringue cookies and white cake!
• Once the cookies cool, place them in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week.
• You can freeze butter pecan cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. You can also freeze the cookie dough to bake later.

More Recipes With Pecans

• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Butter Pecan Cake
• Pecan Sticky Buns
• Pecan Pumpkin Pie Recipe
• Butter Pecan Fudge
• Pecan Pie Brownies
• Caramel Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Print

Butter Pecan Cookies Recipe

Butter Pecan Cookies combine a chewy, buttery brown sugar dough with sweet, crunchy chopped pecans. These cookies will please anyone who enjoys a nutty crunch in their treats!

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword butter pecan, sugar cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 34 cookies

Calories 153kcal

Author Aimee

Ingredients

For the Buttered Pecans

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

For the Cookie Dough

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

• Start by making your buttered pecans. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add in chopped pecans and sugar. Using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, cook pecans until toasted (about 3-5 minutes). Butter will be absorbed into the pecans and you will be left with a nutty fragrance. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugars for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy and fully combined. Add in eggs yolks and vanilla extract, beat until blended.
• Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low until cookie dough goes from crumbly to combined. Fold in buttered pecans (be sure to get all the browned bits from the skillet too)!
• Using a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges begin to lightly brown. Remove from oven and tap the tops of each cookie with a spatula. Cool on pan for a couple minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

Notes

• Use the egg whites for meringue cookies or white cake!
• Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
• Freeze cookies in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. 
• See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 215IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg