This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
If you like pecan pie, you will love these pecan pie cookies. These incredible pecan cookies are thin, caramelized bites of the rich, buttery pecan pie we all love!
Quick and easy to make with pantry staple ingredients, I promise you’ll want to make a double batch!
I could hardly wait to share this recipe after I developed it. It took a few attempts, but now that it’s perfected I want to shout it from the rooftop!
These pecan pie cookies are just.that.good. My sister said it’s better than pecan pie and I have to agree.
These pecan pie cookies are thin, chewy and have the slightly buttery, salty, gooey, brown sugary taste that we all come to crave in fall pies – without the crust.
I’ve always loved cookies with a little less flour so the brown sugar caramelizes with the butter and provides that deliciously rich, chewy texture. It’s a nice deviation from most cookies. The pecan halves help the cookies hold their shape and give them a little body.
One bite and you’ll be saying what my sister did – these cookies are better than pecan pie. Success.
Pecans have long been used in all types of baking. I’ve got a great variety of pecan recipes you’ll love!
Check out Chocolate Chip Pecan Snowballs, Salted Caramel Pecan Pie Bars, Pecan Rolls, Pecan Thumbprints and more!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Pecan Pie Cookies
- Easy to make – less effort than pecan pie
- Thin, chewy, with amazing flavor
- Perfect for gifting
★★★★★
5 STAR REVIEW
“Chewy, delicious cookies!! SO much easier than a pecan pie and just as yummy!”
— LIZ —
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – All purpose.
- Brown Sugar – I prefer to use brown sugar over white for these cookies. Brown sugar contains more molasses and it is more complex in flavor. We generally have light brown sugar on hand for these, but you can use dark brown if that’s what you have!
- Butter – I use salted butter in this recipe as the salt really balances the sweetness in the cookies. Learn how to soften butter before using it so it incorporates easily to make the dough.
- Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract over imitation if you can. It’s also really easy to make homemade vanilla extract for all your baking needs.
- Eggs – For binding purposes. Use large size eggs!
- Salt – to balance out the sweet.
- Baking Soda – for leavening.
- Pecan Halves – Use unsalted raw pecan halves. They add wonderful flavor and texture.
Variations
- Toast your pecans before adding to the dough to create the ultimate butter pecan cookies! See below for more details.
- Use chopped pecans if you’d like smaller pieces in your pecan pie cookies!
- Add a glaze! Try my cream cheese glaze for a delicious topping.
- Add caramel chips for an extra touch.
How To Make Pecan Pie Cookies
- Cream Butter and Sugars – Beat brown sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Add Eggs.
- Add Dry Ingredients – Add flour, salt and baking soda and mix on low until just combined. Fold in Pecans.
- Chill and Preheat – Preheat oven while chilling dough in the refrigerator.
- Bake – Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake. Leave room for them to spread. They will become thin.
How to Toast Pecans for Butter Pecan Cookies
- Preheat oven to 300º F.
- Optional: Toss chopped pecans with butter and salt.
- Place pecan pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet and toast 10-15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes for an even toast.
Tips
- Need help with baking conversions? Check out my Essential Measurement Conversion Chart or use the slider in the recipe card.
- Refrigerate the dough before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading.
- Using small amounts of dough work best for these cookies. I use this cookie scoop to form small balls of the dough that are uniform in size.
- IMPORTANT: Space out the balls of cookie dough on your sheet pan, leaving a gap of about 3 inches between each ball. The cookies will melt and spread so give them room.
- Preheat the oven before you bake the cookies to allow them to cook evenly.
- Check your cookies halfway through baking and rotate your baking sheet if one side is cooking quicker than the other.
- I love to finish the cookies with a little cracked sea salt just as I pull the from the oven for the ultimate sweet and salty flavor.
Shortcuts
- You can actually refrigerate this dough for up to three days if you’d like to make it ahead! Just let it sit out on the counter for a bit before you scoop onto your baking sheet.
- Make sure you buy halved or chopped pecans! This saves you a bit of time – speaking from experience when I accidentally buy the packages of whole pecans.
Serving Suggestions
- Make ice cream sandwiches with homemade no churn vanilla ice cream.
- Crumble them up over a bowl of no churn cream cheese ice cream.
- Add to a Christmas Cookie tray for a great textural variation!
- Package in a pretty cellophane bag, tied with a bow and a printable gift tag.
- These cookies are perfect for packing and shipping!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does cookie dough need to chill?
In many cookie recipes, it’s really important to allow the dough to chill so that they don’t spread too much when you bake them. Chilling the dough solidifies the fat in the cookies so that it doesn’t melt too quickly when you bake them.
What does toasting do to pecans?
Toasting your nuts (in any recipe) will give them an additional layer of flavor and make them a little more crisp and crunchy. It brings this recipe to a whole new level!
To Store
- At Room Temperature – Store in an airtight container and they will hold for up to a week. You can even microwave for 10 seconds to soften before you eat one!
- Refrigerate – It’s generally not recommended to refrigerate cookies because of imbalances in moisture.
- Freeze – These cookies freeze beautifully. Store them in a Ziploc bag for up to three months to preserve freshness.
Dietary Considerations
- Vegetarian
- These are not an allergen friendly cookie because of the pecans, dairy and gluten.
Hungry for more easy recipes? Sign up for my free recipe club and have amazing recipes delivered directly to your inbox each week!
Did you make this? Rate the recipe and tag me on social @julieblanner!
Better than Pecan Pie Cookies
If you like pecan pie, you will love these Pecan Pie Cookies. They’re thin, caramelized bites of the rich, buttery pecan pie we’ve all come to enjoy!
Yield cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown sugar light or dark, lightly packed
- 1 cup salted butter softened, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs size large
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups pecan halves
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat brown sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
- Add eggs. and beat until just combined.
- Add flour, salt and baking soda and mix on low until just combined.
- Stir in pecans.
- Preheat oven to 350°F while chilling the dough, covered in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, roll cookies into 1.25" balls or use a cookie scoop to make dough balls and drop at least 3" apart onto cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes.
- Optional: using a salt grinder, add a crack of sea salt on top just after pulling them out of the oven.
- Allow to cool 1 minute. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Tips
Toast Pecans
- Preheat oven to 300ºF.
- Optional: Toss chopped pecans with 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Place pecan pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet. Toast 10-15 minutes turning every five minutes for an even toast.
Tips
- Be sure to beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. This is an important step that adds air to the mixture.
- Refrigerate dough before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading.
- Using small amounts of dough work best for these cookies. I use this cookie scoop to form small balls of the dough that are uniform in size.
- IMPORTANT: Space out the balls of cookie dough on your sheet pan, leaving a gap of about 3 inches between each ball. The cookies will melt and spread so give them room.
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – Store in an airtight container up to a week. You can even microwave for 10 seconds or add a slice of bread to soften!
- Freeze – Store them in a sealable bag or airtight container for up to three months to preserve freshness.
Video
Nutrition Information
Calories: 235kcal (12%), Carbohydrates: 25g (8%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 14g (22%), Saturated Fat: 5g (25%), Cholesterol: 33mg (11%), Sodium: 152mg (6%), Potassium: 77mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 18g (20%), Vitamin A: 260IU (5%), Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 27mg (3%), Iron: 0.8mg (4%)
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Liz says
Chewy, delicious cookies!! SO much easier than a pecan pie and just as yummy!
Cheryl says
One of my all time favorite fall cookies! Making them for Thanksgiving!
Anonymous says
These cookies are amazing! They may not always be the prettiest cookie but they taste fantastic!
Michele says
I’ve made these several times now, we can’t get enough!
Joy says
Hi! I tried this recipe twice, the batter would not get firm enough to roll. Sounds delicious, look forward to your reply. Thanks
Julie says
It will still be sticky, but rollable after refrigerated. You can use a cookie scoop if you prefer. Enjoy!
LillianDuplantis says
I question the amout of flour in recipe,
Is 1and half cups right. Gonna make these!!I love pecan pie
Julie Blanner says
They’re tried and true!