Buttery, soft, and packed with toasted pecans, Butter Pecan Cookies are rich, nutty, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. With crisp edges and a tender center, they’re the perfect cozy treat for holiday trays, bake sales, or whenever you’re craving a classic homemade cookie.
Making butter pecan cookies is like baking up a little batch of cozy comfort. It starts with toasting the pecans (don’t skip this step - that nutty aroma is everything), then creaming butter and sugar until light and fluffy. The toasted pecans get folded into the dough, adding the perfect crunch to every bite.
Try some of our other cookies: Stuffed Cookie Butter Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles or Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Jump to:
Ingredients for Butter Pecan Cookies
- sugar
- dark brown sugar
- pecans
- butter
- vanilla extract
- flour
- eggs
- cinnamon
- salt
- cornstrach
- baking soda
- baking powder
FAQs
Technically no… but you really should. Toasting brings out the natural oils and deepens that rich, nutty flavor that makes butter pecan cookies so special.
You can, but reduce the added salt in the recipe slightly to keep the flavor balanced.
Your butter may have been too soft or melted. Chilling the dough for 30-60 minutes before baking can help control spreading and give you thicker cookies.
Yes! Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months in an airtight container. You can also freeze pre-scooped dough balls and bake straight from frozen - just add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Adding a slice of bread to the container helps keep them soft.
Top Tips
- Toast the pecans first. Toasting brings out that rich, buttery flavor and keeps the nuts crisp inside the cookie instead of soft and bland.
- Chill the dough. Even 30 minutes in the fridge helps prevent spreading and gives you thicker, softer cookies.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Mix just until combined once the flour goes in. Overmixing can lead to dense cookies instead of soft, tender ones.
- Slightly underbake for soft centers. Pull them out when the edges are golden but the centers still look just a touch soft. They’ll finish setting on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with flaky salt. A pinch on top right after baking balances the sweetness and makes the buttery flavor pop.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep them extra soft, add a slice of bread to the container - the cookies will absorb the moisture and stay tender.
- Freezer (Baked Cookies): Place cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
- Freezer (Cookie Dough): Scoop the dough into balls and freeze on a baking sheet. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen - just add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.
How to make Butter Pecan Cookies
- In a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped pecans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to cool until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally. Watch closely - the butter will begin to foam and you’ll hear gentle popping sounds. It will turn a rich amber color with small brown bits forming at the bottom and develop a nutty aroma. Once it reaches this stage, immediately remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl.
- Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the browned butter and mix until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients until just incorporated - do not overmix. Fold in the cooled buttered pecans. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough into 1-2-tablespoon-sized balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each to allow for spreading.
- Press a pecan half firmly onto the top of each dough ball.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 11 minutes. If the edges spread unevenly, gently shape them back into place with a spatula immediately after removing from the oven.
- Sprinkle the warm cookies with flaked sea salt or granulated sugar. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Butter Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
Toasted Pecans
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
Butter Pecan Cookies
- 1 cup butter
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 42 pecan hales
- flaked sea salt, optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped pecans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to cool until ready to use. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 sticks of butter. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally. Watch closely - the butter will begin to foam and you’ll hear gentle popping sounds. It will turn a rich amber color with small brown bits forming at the bottom and develop a nutty aroma. Once it reaches this stage, immediately remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl.
- Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the browned butter and mix until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients until just incorporated - do not overmix.
- Fold in the cooled buttered pecans. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough into 1-2-tablespoon-sized balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each to allow for spreading.
- Press a pecan half firmly onto the top of each dough ball.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 11 minutes. If the edges spread unevenly, gently shape them back into place with a spatula immediately after removing from the oven.
- Sprinkle the warm cookies with flaked sea salt or granulated sugar. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Leave a Reply