Butter Pecan Cookies are soft, thick, chewy, and packed with toasted pecan pieces. The caramel drizzle takes this sweet and salty dessert over the top!
Browned Butter Pecan Cookies
Our easy Butter Pecan Cookies recipe is made with brown butter, brown sugar, and plenty of toasted butter pecans; they taste rich and buttery with a soft and chewy texture and slight crunch around the edges.
When it comes to a butter pecan cookie recipe, using toasted pecans and brown butter is always better because it elevates a batch of sugar cookies from basic to brag-worthy with its delicious depth and irresistible nutty flavor (You should taste my browned butter chocolate chip cookies!).
Add a drizzle of melted caramel over the top of each treat and you’ve turned these old-fashioned pecan cookies into a baked good that tastes like an ice cream flavor in cookie form.
Why We Love Butter Pecan Cookie Recipes
- Easy to make and quick to cook after the dough has chilled.
- Uses simple kitchen staple ingredients.
- Packed with rich, buttery flavor and plenty of crunchy toasted pecans.
- Browning the butter is the best way to make any baked good taste gourmet and even kind of grown-up!
- Crisp along the edges and soft, and thick in the center with an intensely toasty toffee taste.
- Perfect for potlucks, cookie exchanges, dessert platters, and holiday parties.
Butter Pecan Cookies Ingredients
- Salted sweet cream butter
- Pecans
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Dark brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Extra-large eggs
- Caramel bits
- Water
- Coarse sanding sugar (optional garnish)
- Coarse sea salt (optional garnish)
Substitutions and Additions
- Add-Ins: You can stir in some white chocolate chips or toffee bits to the batter before scooping.
- Decorate Your Dessert: If you want to add some sparkle, roll the cookie dough balls in coarse sanding sugar before baking. You can also add a second pecan half if you made your cookie dough balls a bit bigger.
Recommended Tools
- 8×8 baking dish
- Parchment paper
- 10-inch skillet
- Heatproof bowl
- light-colored skillet
- Stand mixer or Handheld
- Cookie scoop
- Microwave-safe bowl
How to Make Butter Pecan Cookies
- Prepare The Toasted Pecans: Melt the butter on the stovetop and stir in the chopped pecans until completely coated and release a warm, nutty aroma. Transfer the toasted pecans to a lined baking dish.
- Brown The Butter: Melt the butter on the stovetop until it begins to foam and the milk solids are separating. (The solids at the bottom of the pan will turn a golden brown and will smell nutty.) Remove the skillet from the heat and pour it into a heatproof bowl. Allow the butter to cool completely.
Pro Tip: I do not recommend using a nonstick or dark-colored skillet, you will need to be able to see the change in color to avoid burning the butter. Do not leave the browned butter in the skillet, it will continue to cook and will burn. - Make The Flour Mixture: Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda. Set it aside.
- Create The Cookie Dough: Beat together the cooled brown butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pure vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the flour mixture followed by the toasted pecan pieces.
- Chill: Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours to overnight.
- Scoop And Roll: Scoop the cookie dough and roll it into a ball. If you want to add sparkle, roll the dough ball in the coarse sanding sugar. Gently press a pecan half onto the center of the dough ball.
- Bake: Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 9-10 minutes if you used a 1½-tablespoon scoop or 7-8 minutes if you used a 1 tablespoon scoop.
Pro Tip: The cookie edges should look light golden brown. - Drizzle: Microwave the caramel bits and water for 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until the caramel is melted and smooth. Drizzle the melted caramel over the tops of the cooled cookies. (Caramel drizzle is optional.. but why not?)
- Serve: Allow the drizzle to harden before serving. Enjoy!
Tips For Making The Best Butter Pecan Cookies
- You can make the cookies with softened butter instead of brown butter, but browned butter takes the taste to a whole new level.
- Toasting your pecans is optional, but I highly recommend it for this recipe because it enhances the flavor and crispness of the pecans. You can toast the pecans in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 350°F. You can also toast the pecans on the stovetop without the butter.
- You can add a second pecan half to the 1½ tablespoon dough ball if you wish.
- Feel free to add a small amount of coarse sea salt to the tops of the dough balls, but keep in mind that it can overpower the cookie due to using salted sweet cream butter.
Tips For Browning Butter
- Don’t brown your butter over high heat! It may seem like it takes too long to brown the butter over medium or medium-low heat but it is better to take your time than to burn your butter. Burnt butter does not taste nearly as delicious as brown butter. Be patient and use a medium low or medium heat.
- Keep stirring while browning the butter. Once the butter has melted it will start to foam slightly and it may make it difficult for you to see if the butter has browned or not. By stirring the melted butter you will be able to see when the color has changed and avoid burning your butter. It will also even out the temperature so that you don’t burn the bottom of the butter before the rest has been browned.
- Pay attention to the smell of your butter while you are cooking it. Browned butter smells buttery and nutty and is very different from regular butter. However, you will notice if it starts to burn because it will begin to smell bitter. Once it smells nutty and has brown bits on the bottom with a golden color to the liquid, it is browned and should be removed from the heat.
- Use a spatula to scrape out ALL of the browned butter. The most flavorful part of the brown butter is the browned milk solids which tend to settle at the bottom of the pan. If you just pour the butter into a bowl you will miss out on all those delicious little solids. Be sure to scrape out your pan (carefully! It will be hot!) and get all of that flavor in your cookies.
How to Store Butter Pecan Cookies
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months. Baked cookies can be frozen if well wrapped and placed in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag, for up to 2 months. Let the cookies defrost completely before serving.
More Recipes with Pecans
Other Old-Fashioned Cookie Recipes
- Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
- Meringue Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
- Maple Cookies
- Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
- Applesauce Cookies
- Sour Cream Cookies
Butter Pecan Cookies
Serves — 36
Browned Butter Pecan Cookies are packed with rich buttery flavor and crunchy toasted pecan on top!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Rest and Chill Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 48 minutes
Ingredients
Toasted Pecans
- 3 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter
- 1⅔ cups chopped pecans
Brown Butter
- 1 cup salted sweet cream butter
Cookie Dough
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ cups dark brown sugar tightly packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 extra-large eggs room temperature
- 42 pecan halves garnish
- 1 cup caramel bits
- 2 tablespoons water
- Coarse sanding sugar optional garnish
- Coarse sea salt optional garnish
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Add the 3 tablespoons of butter to a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the 1⅔ cups chopped pecans to the butter. Stir continuously for 1-1½ minutes until the pecan pieces are completely coated and release a warm, nutty aroma. Transfer the toasted pecans to the lined baking dish.3 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, 1⅔ cups chopped pecans
- You will need a medium-sized heatproof bowl to pour the browned butter into. Add the 1 cup of butter to a light-colored skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often. (I do not recommend using a nonstick or dark-colored skillet, you will need to be able to see the change in color to avoid burning the butter) Once the butter begins to foam and the milk solids are separating, the solids at the bottom of the pan will turn a golden brown and will smell nutty. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour it into a heatproof bowl. Do not leave the browned butter in the skillet, it will continue to cook and will burn. Allow the butter to cool completely.1 cup salted sweet cream butter
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Set it aside.2½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Using a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the completely cooled brown butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pure vanilla extract for 2-3 minutes until completely incorporated.1¼ cups dark brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Lower the mixer speed to medium-low. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.2 extra-large eggs
- Add ½ of the flour mixture at a time, mixing just until incorporated.
- Add in the toasted pecan pieces and mix just until well combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours. (You can chill the dough overnight)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Depending on which size cookie you want, use either a 1½ tablespoons or 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough. Roll the dough into a ball. If you want to add sparkle, roll the dough ball in the coarse sanding sugar. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press a pecan half onto the center of the dough ball. If you choose the 1½-tablespoon scoop, bake for 9-10 minutes. If you choose the 1 tablespoon scoop, bake for 7-8 minutes. The cookie edges should look light golden brown. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.42 pecan halves
- For the caramel drizzle, add the caramel bits to a small microwave-safe bowl. Add 1½ tablespoons of water to the caramel bits. Heat in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring well after each interval until the caramel is smooth. Drizzle the melted caramel over the tops of the cooled cookies. Allow the drizzle to harden before serving.1 cup caramel bits, 2 tablespoons water
Jenn’s Notes
Servings: 36 – 1 ½ tablespoon size cookies – or – 42 – 1 tablespoon size cookies
Storage:
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months. Baked cookies can be frozen if well wrapped and placed in an airtight, freezer safe container or bag, for up to 2 months. Let the cookies defrost completely before serving.
- Don’t brown your butter over high heat! It may seem like it takes too long to brown the butter over medium or medium low heat but it is better to take your time than to burn your butter. Burnt butter does not taste nearly as delicious as brown butter. Be patient and use a medium low or medium heat.
- Keep stirring while browning the butter. Once the butter has melted it will start to foam slightly and it may make it difficult for you to see if the butter has browned or not. By stirring the melted butter you will be able to see when the color has changed and avoid burning your butter. It will also even out the temperature so that you don’t burn the bottom of the butter before the rest has browned.
- Pay attention to the smell of your butter while you are cooking it. Browned butter smells buttery and nutty and very different from regular butter. However, you will notice if it starts to burn because it will begin to smell bitter. Once it smells nutty and has brown bits on the bottom with a golden color to the liquid, it is browned and should be removed from the heat.
- Use a spatula to scrape out ALL of the browned butter. The most flavorful part of the brown butter is the browned milk solids which tend to settle at the bottom of the pan. If you just pour the butter into a bowl you will miss out on all those delicious little solids. Be sure to scrape out your pan (carefully! It will be hot!) and get all of that flavor in your cookies.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 206IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
Love and so delicious 😋