Summary
Preparation time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling) Cooking time: 12-14 minutes Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes Yield: 24 cookies Difficulty: Moderate
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich buttery flavor with perfectly toasted pecans creates a sophisticated taste profile
- Texture balances crisp edges with tender, melt-in-your-mouth centers
- Makes your kitchen smell absolutely amazing while baking
- Perfect for gift-giving as they travel well and maintain their quality for days
- Versatile enough for everyday treats or special occasions
- The toasted pecans add a depth of flavor that elevates these beyond ordinary cookies
- Appeals to both adults and children with their balanced sweetness
- Can be made ahead and frozen either as dough or baked cookies
- Relatively simple ingredient list with items you likely already have on hand
Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Stand mixer or hand mixer with large bowl
- Medium bowl for dry ingredients
- Small skillet for toasting pecans
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cookie scoop or tablespoon
- Wire cooling rack
- Spatula
- Optional: food processor for chopping pecans
Tips for Success
- Toast the pecans until fragrant to maximize their flavor – but watch carefully to prevent burning
- Use real butter, not margarine, for the authentic butter pecan flavor
- Chill the dough for at least one hour (or overnight) for the best texture and to prevent spreading
- Bring eggs to room temperature before mixing for better incorporation
- For perfectly uniform cookies, use a cookie scoop rather than a spoon
- Leave enough space between cookies when baking as they will spread
- Remove from the oven when the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly underdone
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack
- For extra flavor, brown half the butter before using it in the recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (220g) pecans, divided
- Optional: 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Optional: ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
- Toast the pecans: Place pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring frequently, for 4-6 minutes until fragrant and slightly darker in color. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Reserve ½ cup whole or halved pecans for topping cookies, and chop the remaining 1½ cups coarsely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices (if using) until well combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the chopped toasted pecans using a spatula until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. This helps prevent excessive spreading during baking and develops the flavors.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion the dough into balls about 1½ tablespoons each, and place them 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Press a whole or halved pecan on top of each cookie dough ball, gently flattening the ball slightly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still lo