Let me tell you a little secret, Pecan Pie Cookies might just be the best thing to happen to your dessert game. Imagine this: all the rich, gooey goodness of a classic pecan pie, but in a soft, buttery cookie that fits right in the palm of your hand. Yep, it’s dangerously easy to eat more than one. (Trust me, I’ve tried to stop at just one… and failed miserably.)
The first time I made these; I was aiming for something that captured the nostalgia of homemade pecan pie without the fuss of rolling out pie dough. The result? A ridiculously easy recipe that delivers all that caramelized, nutty flavor with half the effort.
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For those who can’t get enough of pecans, these pecan pie brownies are a game-changer, why choose between cookies and brownies when you can have both?
Why You’ll Love These Pecan Pie Cookies
- All the Best Parts of Pecan Pie, In a Cookie – If you love the warm, caramelized flavor of classic pecan pie, this recipe brings it all together in an easy-to-make cookie. The pecan pie topping is sweet, rich, and perfectly gooey, making every bite feel like you’re indulging in a slice of pie, without the crust!
- Crispy, But Soft – The cookie base is buttery with a slight crisp around the edges, while the pecan pie topping gives a melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s pure dessert magic. Each bite delivers the ultimate blend of two worlds in perfect harmony.
- A Perfectly Balanced Treat – With just the right balance of sweetness, nuttiness, and that pecan pie gooeyness, these cookies are the ultimate indulgence, satisfying your sweet tooth while still keeping things light enough for a treat any time.
- Guaranteed Crowd-Favorite – I can promise you this: bake these, and they’ll disappear faster than you can say “pecan pie”! They’re just too good not to share, and even better to eat all by yourself!
For the Cookie Dough:
- All-purpose flour: The base of your dough. It gives the cookies structure and that soft, chewy texture we all love.
- Sea salt: A pinch of salt helps bring out all the sweet flavors and makes the cookies taste even better.
- Baking soda: This makes your cookies puff up and spread just the right amount for that perfect soft texture.
- Unsalted butter: The key to buttery goodness! It keeps your cookies rich and melt-in-your-mouth without being too salty.
- Egg: Holds everything together and adds moisture for soft, chewy cookies.
- Vanilla extract: Adds that warm, sweet flavor that makes your cookies smell amazing.
- Egg yolk: Extra moisture and richness for that perfect chewy center.
- brown sugar: Gives a warm caramel flavor and soft texture.
- Granulated sugar: Helps the cookies spread and gives them those golden, crisp edges.
- Cornstarch: Keeps the cookies soft and tender by stopping them from spreading too much.
- Heavy cream: Turns the topping smooth and creamy for that dreamy texture.
- Chopped pecans: Adds crunch and nutty flavor, just like in a classic pecan pie!
- A dash of salt: it offsets the sweetness and enhances every flavor.
- Maple syrup: Gives the topping a cozy, fall-like sweetness.
How to Make Pecan Pie Cookies
Start with Preheating the Oven and Preparing Your Baking Sheets
Before you dive into the dough, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) so it’s nice and hot when you’re ready to bake.
Grab your baking sheets and line them with parchment paper, this is the secret to ensuring your cookies come off the sheet easily without sticking.
Mix the Dry Ingredients Together
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and sea salt. This is where the magic starts! The flour is the base, while the cornstarch keeps your cookies soft and tender, and the baking soda will help them rise just right. Set this bowl aside for now.
Cream the Butter and Sugars
In another bowl, get your softened butter and beat it together with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer here to make the process easy.
Once it’s light and creamy, add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix it all together until it’s well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. This step creates that rich, soft dough we’re after!
Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients
Now, gently add the dry ingredients into your wet mixture. Stir everything together until a dough forms, be careful not to overmix, though! The goal is to keep the dough nice and tender, not tough.
Prepare the Pecan Topping
While the dough is resting, let’s focus on the pecan topping. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt your butter and then stir in the dark brown sugar, pinch of salt, maple syrup, and chopped pecans.
Keep stirring as it cooks for a few minutes. You’ll notice it thicken up slightly, which is exactly what you want. Once that happens, pour in the heavy cream and add the vanilla extract. Stir it for another minute and then remove it from the heat.
Shape the Cookie Dough and Chill
Take a spoon (or a cookie scoop if you have one!) and scoop out large portions of dough. Shape the mixture into balls. Place the dough balls on your lined baking sheets, leaving a little space between each one.
Now, here’s the important part: chill your dough! You can pop it in the fridge for at least 5 hours, or if you want to speed things up, put it in the freezer for about 1 hour. Chilling helps prevent spreading and gives you that perfect cookie shape when they bake.
Bake the Cookies to Perfection
Once your dough is nice and chilled, it’s time to bake. Pop the dough balls in the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown. They’ll look a little soft in the middle, and that’s exactly what you want because they’ll firm up as they cool.
Create the Pecan Wells
Right after they come out of the oven, grab the back of a measuring spoon (or anything small and round) and gently press down in the center of each cookie. This creates a little well for the pecan topping to sit in. Be gentle, and don’t press too hard!
Top with Pecan Mixture and Let Cool
Now for the best part, add a generous spoonful of that delicious pecan mixture right into the well of each cookie. Don’t be shy with it! Then, let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes to cool.
Once that’s done, transfer them with care to a wire rack and let them cool entirely.
4 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Pecan Pie Cookies
Not chilling the dough long enough
I know, waiting can be tough, but trust me, chilling the dough is key! If you skip this step or don’t chill the dough long enough, your cookies might spread too thin and lose that perfect chewy texture.
Overmixing the cookie dough
It’s easy to get carried away with mixing, but overmixing can lead to tough cookies. The moment the wet and dry ingredients are blended, pause and don’t overmix. You just want a dough that comes together, not a super smooth, overworked batter. Less is more here!
Not measuring your ingredients properly
The right texture starts with accurate, well-measured ingredients. For example, a scoop of flour can easily turn into too much if it’s not measured properly.
Use a kitchen scale or the spoon-and-level method to measure flour and always pack your brown sugar for the correct consistency. It seems like a tiny detail, yet it makes all the difference.
Overbaking the cookies
It’s easy to get distracted and leave cookies in the oven just a little too long.
Keep an eye on your cookies and take them out when the edges are golden and the center is still soft. They’ll continue to cook as they cool on the baking sheet, so don’t let them get too brown.
Trust your instinct and enjoy those soft, chewy centers!
How to Store Pecan Pie Cookies
Keep your pecan pie cookies fresh and delicious with these simple storage tips:
Room temperature storage
To maintain their freshness, store your cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for no more than five days. This keeps them soft and chewy without needing refrigeration.
For longer freshness
If you want to keep them even fresher for longer, store them in the fridge. All you need to do is keep them in a tightly sealed container. They’ll remain delicious for up to seven days when stored properly.
Freeze for later
Want to save some for later? Freeze the cookies (without the topping) in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a zip-top bag. They’ll keep their freshness in the freezer for up to three months.
Store the pecan topping separately
If you’ve got extra pecan topping, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat before topping your cookies for that perfect, gooey finish.
The BEST Pecan Pie Cookies Ever! – One Bite & You’re Hooked
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough:
- 315 g all-purpose flour 2 ½ cups
- sea salt ½ teaspoon
- baking soda ½ teaspoon
- unsalted butter softened (1 cup / 2 sticks)
- 1 large egg
- 10 g vanilla extract 2 teaspoons
- 1 egg yolk
- 200 g light brown sugar packed (1 cup)
- 100 g granulated sugar ½ cup
- 6 g cornstarch 2 teaspoons
For the Pecan Topping:
- 5 g vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
- 60 g heavy cream ¼ cup
- 70 g unsalted butter 5 tablespoons
- 180 g chopped pecans 1 ½ cups
- less than 1g pinch of salt
- 100 g dark brown sugar ½ cup
- maple syrup ¼ cup
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper to avoid sticking. This helps your cookies come off easily after baking.
- In a spacious bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until well combined. This blend will create a great texture for your cookies.
- In another bowl, beat the softened butter with both brown and granulated sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until the dough just comes together. Don’t overmix to keep the dough soft and tender.
- For the pecan topping, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, maple syrup, chopped pecans, and a pinch of salt, letting it cook for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Then stir in heavy cream and vanilla extract, cooking for an additional minute before removing from heat.
- Scoop out dough using a spoon or cookie scoop and roll each portion into a ball, about the size of a golf ball. Place them on the baking sheets with space between each ball.
- Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or freeze for 1 hour to prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
- Once chilled, bake for 12-13 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft.
- When you take the cookies out of the oven, gently press the back of a spoon into the center of each one to create a little well for the pecan topping.
- Top each cookie with a generous spoonful of the pecan mixture, then let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure not to mix the dough too much, you want it soft, not tough.
- Give the dough enough chill time so it holds its shape and doesn’t spread too much in the oven.
- When the cookies come out, press the centers while they’re still soft, not after they’ve cooled down too much.
- The pecan topping will be slightly syrupy, adding a rich, caramel-like finish that oozes over the cookies. It's part of the delicious charm!
