Easy Pecan Sandies are a buttery shortbread cookie studded with plenty of pecan pieces and baked with a chopped pecan on top.
Easy Pecan Sandies
Our easy Pecan Sandies recipe resembles the taste and texture of my Snowball Cookies; they both start with a buttery shortbread cookie base mixed with finely chopped pecans, but these pecan cookies are made slice-and-bake style instead of rolled round and coated in powdered sugar.
This recipe for pecan sandies cookies comes together quickly using a simple butter-based dough, similar to the classic shortbread cookies, with pecans mixed into the batter and baked on top.
These buttery shortbread cookies have a fine, crumbly texture like sand with a nutty, not-too-sweet taste – they pair perfectly with a cup of coffee or afternoon tea.
Difference Between Sandies and shortbread
Most shortbread is baked in one pan and then cut into pieces. Once you press the cookie dough into the baking pan and let the batter chill in the fridge, it bakes until golden brown and cools on the counter before slicing like biscuits.
Sandies, on the other hand, are individually-formed cookies. The dough can be scooped or pushed by the spoonful onto a baking sheet, like my Peppermint Snowball Cookies, or rolled round and sliced into discs.
Why We Love Pecan Sandies Cookie Recipes
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Prepare the dough ahead of time, store it in the fridge or freezer, and bake your cookies when you’re ready to consume.
- Delicious when serve plain or sprinkled with powdered sugar.
- Perfect dessert for tea parties, holidays, cookie platters, enjoying with a cup of coffee.
Pecan Sandies Ingredients
- Pecan halves or pieces
- All purpose flour
- Powdered sugar: You can use ¼ cup of white granulated sugar instead, but it doesn’t always incorporate as well as powdered sugar does.
- Dark brown sugar: You can substitute light brown sugar for a sweeter result.
- Salted butter: You can substitute unsalted butter, but add a pinch or two of salt to the flour mixture first to help with the flavor.
- Half and half
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Prepare Without Pecans: Feel free to use other types of nuts in these cookies, such as almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts.
- Make With Milk: You can substitute half and half with other types of milk, such as whole milk, skim milk, or non-dairy milk like almond or soy milk. If you need to go non-dairy for the whole recipe, you can use a non-dairy butter substitute; just be sure to use one that can be frozen.
- Forgo All Purpose Flour: Make the dough gluten-free by substituting all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour. You can also try different types of flour, such as coconut flour, oat flour, or almond flour. Make any necessary conversions, or your cookies may not have the correct texture.
- Make With Mix-Ins: You can add other ingredients, such as chocolate chips, raisins, coconut flakes, or dried fruit, into the dough for added flavor and texture.
- Add Extracts: Play around with different extracts, such as vanilla extract, almond extract, or lemon extract, to give the cookies a different flavor.
How to Make Pecan Sandies
- Prepare The Pecans: Mince ⅓ cup of pecans into small pieces and set the other pecan pieces aside.
- Create The Cookie Dough: Whisk together the flour, minced pecans, powdered sugar, and dark brown sugar. Grate the butter into the flour mixture and then mix together (don’t over-mix). Beat in the half and half, 1 T at a time, until the dough comes together without needing to be pressed.
- Roll And Wrap: Press the dough into a long, even log and wrap it with plastic wrap. Place them in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
- Cut And Cook: Slice the dough ½ inch to 1 inch thick and place each disc 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Top the cookies with pecan halves or pieces and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the edges are golden brown, rotating the cookies halfway through.
- Serve: Cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
Tips For Making The Best Pecan Sandies
- You can use whole, shelled pecans instead of pieces, but they aren’t as pleasant on top of the cookie. I recommend chopping them before using them for the topping. No matter what type of pecans you use, be sure to mince them well before putting them in the cookies.
- For a different flavor, try rolling the dough log in different types of sugar or spices before freezing, slicing, and baking. Granulated sugar, cinnamon sugar, or cocoa powder will all taste delicious.
- You can make the recipe into bars instead of cookies by pressing the dough into a greased and lined square pan and baking until golden brown.
- Feel free to change the size of the cookie dough log and the size of the slice you cut to fit your preference. A thicker log will give you bigger cookies, but a longer log will provide you with more cookies. The number of cookies you end up with will also depend on the thickness of the cookies you cut from the log.
How to Store Pecan Sandies
- To Store: Store your cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature for up to a week. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- To Freeze: Store your cooled cookies in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to three months.
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Pecan Sandies
Serves — 15
Pecan Sandies taste like buttery shortbread cookies with pecan pieces baked in the batter.
Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chill Time 10 minutes
Total Time 29 minutes
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup pecan halves or pieces divided
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup salted butter frozen
- 3 tablespoons half and half
Instructions
- Separate out a slightly heaping ⅓ cup of the pecan pieces and mince them into small pieces with a sharp knife on a cutting board. Set the other pecan pieces aside for now.⅔ cup pecan halves or pieces
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, minced pecan pieces, powdered sugar, and dark brown sugar until well combined.1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- Grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture and then mix together but don’t over-mix.½ cup salted butter
- Use a hand or stand mixer to beat in the half and half, 1 Tablespoon at a time, to the dough, just until the dough comes together without needing to be pressed.3 tablespoons half and half
- Once the dough is formed, turn it out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and press it into a long, even log.
- Wrap the dough well with the plastic wrap, pressing it into a firm log, and then place the dough in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
- When ready to bake your cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove your dough log from the freezer and use a sharp knife and cutting board to cut thick slices of the dough, at least ½ inch to 1 inch thick.
- Place each disc on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart and from the edges until the cookie sheets are full.
- Top the cookies with the remaining pecan halves or pieces and then bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown, rotating the cookies halfway through.⅔ cup pecan halves or pieces
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store your cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature for up to a week. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- To Freeze: Store your cooled cookies in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to three months.
- You can use whole, shelled pecans instead of pieces, but they aren’t as pleasant on top. I recommend chopping them before using them for the topping. No matter what type of pecans you use, be sure to mince them well before putting them in the cookies.
- For a different flavor, try rolling the dough log in different types of sugar or spices before freezing, slicing, and baking. Granulated sugar, cinnamon sugar, or cocoa powder will all taste delicious.
- You can make the recipe into bars instead of cookies by pressing the dough into a greased and lined square pan and baking until golden brown.
- Feel free to change the size of the cookie dough log and the size of the slice you cut to fit your preference. A thicker log will give you bigger cookies, but a longer log will provide you with more cookies. The number of cookies you end up with will also depend on the thickness of the cookies you cut from the log.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 152IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.5mg
