Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Give your favorite cookie a nutty upgrade with this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. Soft, chewy and crunchy in every bite, these brown butter cookies are a trifecta of textures.

I’m the kind of girl who loves food more than expensive gifts. Not that there’s much of a difference these days. Bottlenecks at shipping ports are making the contents of shopping carts pricier than a little blue box from Tiffany’s.

Yes, good things come in small packages until Thanksgiving when good things come in big turkey-sized packages. But if you want a fresh turkey on your table this year prepare for the sticker shock to jolt you like the electric chair. I nearly went into convulsions when I saw Whole Foods selling 20-pound turkeys for $70 bucks a pop.

Sure, they are organic turkeys but I can go two aisles over and buy 10-pounds of organic turkey, potatoes and carrots for $35. Plus, it’s already cooked and proportioned into individual servings. It’s a great deal if you don’t mind your dinner coming in the form of canned dog food.

I’m not desperate enough to eat pilgrim-inspired pet food, thanks in part to the frozen Butterball I found for $0.99 a pound. Pinching pennies on turkey means there’s plenty of cash left to stock up on pecans. And at the end of the day, having enough pecans to make cookies is the only thing that matters.

Just a warning that this Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie recipe will ruin you for all others. It starts with brown butter and brown sugar and ends with hints of cinnamon and vanilla for a caramelly finish. It’s soft and chewy yet crispy around the edges with puddles of melty chocolate chips and the nutty crunch of pecans. So have your turkey and stuffing then stuff yourself with these oh-so-perfect cookies.

Before sharing the recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, here are a few tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips and Tricks

Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping flour is a no-no. That technique overpacks flour into the measuring cup which will result in dry, dense cookies.

Eggs need to be at room temperature before beginning. If you’ve forgotten to take yours out of the refrigerator ahead of time then speed up the process by placing it in a bowl of warm water. Don’t use hot water; we want to warm the eggs, not hatch them.

Preparation Tips and Tricks

Browned butter takes approximately seven minutes from the time the butter initially melts until completion. If you’ve never browned butter before, it is simple. First, melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Next, stir constantly with a wooden spoon, taking care not get distracted. (There’s a fine line between browned butter and burned butter. Do not cross that line or you will be buying a new saucepan.) The butter will get foamy and release a nutty aroma. After that happens, you will begin seeing browned bits forming on the bottom. Right after that, remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool.

Chilling dough for a minimum of 4 hours is mandatory, therefore, do not skip this step! I prepare mine in the evening then refrigerate overnight, but dough can be chilled up to 2 days before baking.

How to Store Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Baked cookies freeze well, simply place them in a freezer bag and store up to 3 months.

Cookie dough balls are also freezer friendly, just place them in a freezer bag and store up to 3 months. No need to thaw before baking, just add an additional minute to the baking time.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. Please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of the blog when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you love combining chocolate chips and pecans then check out this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie. Toasted pecans, brown sugar, a splash of bourbon and dark chocolate give this classic pie a modern twist.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Heather Wolf

Give your favorite cookie a nutty upgrade with this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. Soft, chewy and crunchy in every bite, these brown butter cookies are a trifecta of textures.

5 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 11 minutes mins

Chill 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 31 minutes mins

Course Cookies and Bars

Cuisine American

Servings 26

Ingredients

  

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour unbeached
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp sea salt fine
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract pure
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Topping

• 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

 

• Brown butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for approximately 7 minutes or until the butter gets foamy and releases a nutty aroma.
• Once browned bits begin to form on the bottom of the pan, remove from the heat and set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat browned butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy — approximately 1 minute.
• Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated.
• Reduce mixer speed to low then add dry ingredients to wet, mixing until almost combined and flour is still visible.
• Using a wooden spoon, mix in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips and 1 cup of chopped pecans until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
• Using a large, 2 1/2 Tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop cookies onto parchment lined baking sheets, spacing cookie balls 2 inches apart.
• Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap then chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 2 days. (Mine chilled overnight.)
• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Remove plastic wrap from baking sheets and bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the cookie edges are set but the centers are still soft. Avoid overbaking.
• Remove cookies from oven then press 1/3 cup of chocolate chips and 1/3 cup of chopped pecans into the tops of warm cookies.

  Note: Cookies may spread a bit as they bake. To reshape, place the rim of a large drinking glass over cookies while they are still on the baking sheet then gently swirl the glass in a circular motion until each cookie is symmetrically round.
• Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
• Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Keyword chocolate chip, cookies, pecan