Butter pecan cookies are made with rich brown butter pecan cookies. The dough doesn’t need to chill, so you can bake a batch whenever you’re in the mood for homemade cookies.
These butter pecan cookies have plenty of flavor thanks to brown butter, pecans, and maple and brown sugar. Browning the butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that works especially well with the pecans, while the maple and brown sugar round everything out.
They’re also surprisingly easy to make. The dough doesn’t need to chill, so there’s no waiting around before baking. These cookies are great for everyday baking, but they’re also a nice addition to a holiday cookie tray when you want something different but delicious.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: If you would like to use salted butter, decrease the salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Brown sugar: You can substitute dark brown sugar for richer flavor in the cookies.
- Maple syrup: The maple syrup adds light sweetness and moisture to the cookies.
- Flour: It’s important to properly measure the flour. I recommend weighing the dry ingredient for the most accurate measurements (click “metric” just above the ingredients for the weights). If not, you can stir or sift the flour to break it up, lightly spoon it into the measuring up, and then level. Avoid packing the flour as that will give you dry or dense cookies.
- Pecans: For even more flavor, you can toast the pecans before use. If toasting, let them cool before use.
How to make butter pecan cookies
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Brown the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Quickly remove from heat when it smells nutty and turns a light golden brown color, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Pour the browned butter into a large bowl, scraping the browned bits at the bottom.
Step 4: Let cool to room temperature for about 20-25 minutes.
Step 5: Once butter has cooled to room temperature, add brown sugar. Whisk until well combined.
Step 6: Add maple syrup, egg yolks, and vanilla. Whisk again to combine.
Step 7: Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix.
Step 8: Stir in chopped pecans.
Step 9: Scoop cookie dough into 1 ½ tablespoon portions. Roll into a ball.
Step 10: Place each ball of dough about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Top with additional chopped pecans, if desired.
Step 11 :Bake for about 8-11 minutes, or until the edges are set.
Step 12: Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt, if using. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
Recipe Tips!
- Watch the butter carefully: Brown butter can go from perfectly browned to burned quickly. Stir or swirl the pan as the butter cooks, and remove it from the heat once the milk solids are golden brown and smell nutty.
- Don’t leave the browned bits behind: Those browned milk solids contain much of the flavor, so make sure to include them when adding the butter to the dough.
- Don’t skip cooling the butter: Hot butter can change the consistency of the dough.
- Measure the flour carefully: Too much flour can make cookies dry or crumbly. Weigh the flour if possible, or spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off.
- Don’t overmix the dough: Once the flour is added, mix just until everything is combined.
- Use evenly sized scoops: This helps the cookies bake at the same rate.
- Watch the baking time: Cookies continue to firm up as they cool, so avoid baking them longer than the recipe calls for.
Storage
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies will keep for about 3 days when properly stored.
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Butter Pecan Cookie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour properly measured
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans plus extra for topping
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Brown the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Quickly remove from heat when it smells nutty and turns a light golden brown color, about 5 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter
- Pour the browned butter into a large mixing bowl, scraping the browned bits at the bottom.
- Let cool to room temperature for about 20-25 minutes.
- Once butter has cooled to room temperature, add brown sugar. Whisk until well combined.⅔ cup light brown sugar
- Add maple syrup, egg yolks, and vanilla. Whisk again to combine.½ cup pure maple syrup, 2 large egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix.1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- Stir in chopped pecans.1 cup chopped pecans
- Scoop cookie dough into 1 ½ tablespoon portions. Roll into a ball.
- Place each ball of dough about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Top with additional chopped pecans, if desired.
- Bake for about 8-11 minutes, or until the edges are set. Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
Notes
- Butter: If you would like to use salted butter, decrease the salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Brown sugar: You can substitute dark brown sugar for richer flavor in the cookies.
- Maple syrup: The maple syrup adds light sweetness and moisture to the cookies.
- Flour: It’s important to properly measure the flour. I recommend weighing the dry ingredient for the most accurate measurements (click “metric” just above the ingredients for the weights). If not, you can stir or sift the flour to break it up, lightly spoon it into the measuring up, and then level. Avoid packing the flour as that will give you dry or dense cookies.
- Pecans: For even more flavor, you can toast the pecans before use. If toasting, let them cool before use.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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