Chocolate chip pecan cookies are soft and chewy cookies packed with nutty brown butter, melty chocolate chops and toasted, crunchy pecans. Easy to make with simple ingredients, these pecan chocolate chip cookies are perfect for holiday baking or anytime you are craving a classic homemade chocolate chip cookies with a deliciously nutty twist.
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Why Make This Recipe
Take a look around my blog and you’ll find lots of flavorful twists on the classic chocolate chip cookie. My Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies, Bourbon Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Biscoff Butter Cookies, Coffee Cookies and Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are just a few of my favorites. These quick and easy brown butter chocolate chip pecan cookies another wonderfully delicious addition to my growing collection of chocolate chip cookies.
- They are quick and easy. All you need to do is make the brown butter and lightly toast the pecans. Let the butter and pecans cool while the eggs come to room temperature.Then simply mix everything up in one or two bowls, chill while the oven pre heats, bake and enjoy!
- You love cozy variations on classic cookies. These are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten. As someone who doesn’t usually love nuts in my chocolate chip cookies, this recipe for chocolate chip pecan cookies completely changed my mind.
- Layers of flavor and texture. These pecan chocolate chip cookies have lightly crisp edges, chewy centers, pockets of gooey melted chocolate and crunchy toasted pecans. The brown butter and lightly toasted pecans bring a lovely nuttiness that beautifully balances the mix of milk and semi sweet chocolate chips.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This chocolate chip and pecan cookie recipe requires only a handful of pantry basics to make. Make sure you have these ingredients ready to go. If you are missing anything, make sure to check out my recommended substitutions.
- All purpose flour: This recipe hasn’t been tested with an alternative flour. However, if you want to make this recipe gluten free, use a good 1-1 flour and measure by weight (270 g) rather than cups.
- Baking Soda: Make sure the baking soda is fresh and in date.
- Milk Powder and Ground Cinnamon: This is technically both of these are optional, but they are the perfect flavor enhancers. The milk powder boosts the nuttiness of the brown butter and the cinnamon adds another layer of sweetness.
- Unsalted Butter: You can use the same amount of salted butter as written in the recipe, but omit the added salt.
- Light Brown and Granulated Sugars: A blend of both sugars is what creates that classic chocolate chip cookie taste. This recipe hasn’t been tested using alternative sugars. However, I love using maple sugar as a refined sugar free option in my other cookie recipes. Maple sugar bakes very similarly to light brown sugar.
- Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
- Chocolate Chips: I love making these pecan chocolate chip cookies even more delicious by baking with a mix of semi sweet, milk chocolate and dark chocolate chips. Feel free to use any combination (or just one) kind of chocolate chip to make these the best chocolate chip pecan cookies for you.
- Pecans: Pecans are an essential ingredient in these brown butter pecan chocolate chip cookies. Walnuts are a good substitute for pecans in this recipe. I recommend lightly toasting the pecans if using raw pecans.
How To Make
Learn how to make chocolate chip pecan cookies in a few easy steps.
- In a sauce pan, lightly toast the pecans on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from the heat onto a chopping board. In the same sauce pan or pot, melt the butter on low heat. Once it starts to foam, whisk or stir the liquid butter frequently. The butter will begin to smell nutty and very fragrant. Pour the brown butter in a heat safe bowl and whisk in the milk powder until well combined. Cool for about 10 minutes at room temperature. Transfer the butter to chill in the fridge for an additional 30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together until well combined.
3. In another large bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in in the eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Fold in the most of the chocolate chips and toasted pecans. Reserve about ½ cup of chocolate chips and about ¼ cup of pecans for topping.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of chocolate chip butter pecan cookie dough onto a small lined baking sheet or large plate. I like to use a medium cookie scoop to get perfectly portioned cookies. Place the cookie dough balls in the fridge to chill for 30 - 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 5 - 6 balls of chilled pecan chocolate chip cookie dough on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Top with more chocolate chips and pecans. Bake the pecan chocolate chip cookies for 12-14 minutes. The edges will be set and lightly golden brown. The centers will look slightly puffed. Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack or stove top. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool to room temperature and enjoy.
How To Make Ahead, Freeze, Thaw and Store
- Store: To store leftover cookie dough, wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For the best cookie eating experience, heat the cookies in the microwave for 20 seconds for that “fresh from the oven taste.”
- Make Ahead: Although these chewy chocolate chip pecan cookies are easy to make and come together rather quickly, they can easily be made ahead of time. To do this simply prepare the cookies according to the recipe directions through to the scooping and chilling step. Decide on your preferred storage method.
- Freeze And Thaw: Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet, place the baking sheet into the freezer and freeze until the cookie dough is frozen. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place the frozen cookie balls into a ziplock bag. These chocolate chip pecan cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw the cookie dough, transfer your desired amount of frozen cookie dough balls onto a lined plate or baking sheet. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge. Bring the cookie dough balls to room temperature before baking. The frozen cookie dough can also be baked straight from the freezer. Just make sure to add about 2 - 3 more minutes to the baking time.
M's Expert Tips
- Brown the butter. This is a key component to making these the best chocolate chip pecan cookies. The entire browning process takes about 15 minutes. However, if you want to simply use regular butter, heat use ¾ cup (12 tbsp) butter in the microwave for 30 seconds and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
- Watch the butter closely. Brown butter can go from perfectly golden to burnt quickly. Once it smells nutty and the milk solids turn golden brown, remove it from the heat.
- Use milk powder. A few tablespoons adds a boost of brown butter flavor from the browned butter.
- Lightly toast the pecans: If you are using raw pecans, lightly toasting them will help to enhance the natural nutty flavors of the pecans.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. This allows the cookies to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in a soft, chewy and delicious cookie.
- Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale for many reasons (like less dishes to clean), but the main reason is to get perfectly measured dry ingredients every time.
- Slightly under-bake the cookies. For cookies that are soft and chewy for days, the secret is to bake them until the edges are set and lightly golden brown.
- Reform the cookies. Take a cookie or biscuit cutter that is slightly wider than the cookies. Place the cookie inside the cutter and nudge the edges of the hot cookie dough into a more rounded shape. Repeat for all the remaining cookies.
- Tip for the best tasting cookies the next day. The easiest way to give your cookies that “fresh from the oven” taste the next day is to microwave them for about 15-20 seconds and enjoy immediately.
FAQ's
How do you make cookies stay soft and chewy?
Slightly underbaking the cookies also keeps them soft with chewy centers. Storing them in an airtight container also helps them to stay soft and chewy for longer.
Why did my cookies spread?
Because this recipe uses brown butter, the cookie dough is more likely to spread while baking if the butter is too hot when making the cookie dough. To help the cookies spread less while baking, it’s best to chill the brown butter and cookie dough for the recommended time.
Can I chill the cookies overnight?
Absolutely! The chocolate chip pecan cookie dough can stay covered and chilled in the fridge for 2 days before baking.
Can I freeze baked chocolate chip pecan cookies?
Yes! Let the cookies cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers. Freeze for up to three months for the best quality and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Can I make these cookies bigger or smaller?
Yes, use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to make the cookies smaller. Bake these cookies for 10 - 12 minutes. Use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop for larger cookies. Bake these for 14 - 16 minutes.
Other Pecan Recipes To Try
If you try this Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies Recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies Recipe
These chocolate chip pecan cookies are soft and chewy cookies filled with nutty brown butter, toasted pecans and loads of melty, gooey chocolate chips. They’re easy to make and are the perfect homemade cookie for cookie swaps, holidays or whenever you want a nutty twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie.
Equipment
- 1 medium sauce pan
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 whisk and flexible spatula or spoon
- 1 medium cookie scooper (optional)
- 1 parchment paper
- 2 large baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup (226) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons dry milk powder, optional see notes
- 2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups (250 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (US), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1½ - 2 cups (255 - 340 g) semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
- flaky salt for topping optional
Instructions
- In a sauce pan, lightly toast the pecans on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from the heat onto a chopping board. Cool the pecans to touch before coarsely chopping.1 cup pecans
- In the same sauce pan or pot, melt the butter on low heat. To turn this into brown butter, allow the melted butter to begin to foam. Once it starts to foam, whisk or stir the liquid butter frequently. The butter will begin to smell nutty and very fragrant. Once the foam has subsided, the butter should have some brown, lightly toasted bits floating at the bottom. Pour the brown butter in a heat safe bowl and whisk in the milk powder until well combined. Cool for about 10 minutes at room temperature. Transfer the butter to chill in the fridge for an additional 30 minutes before using in the recipe.1 cup (226) unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons dry milk powder, optional
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together until well combined.2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour , 1 teaspoon baking soda , 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon , 1 teaspoon salt
- In another large bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in in the eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.1¼ cups (250 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs (US), room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Fold in the most of the chocolate chips and toasted pecans. Reserve about ½ cup of chocolate chips and about ¼ cup of pecans for topping.1½ - 2 cups (255 - 340 g) semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of chocolate chip butter pecan cookie dough onto a small lined baking sheet or large plate. I like to use a medium cookie scoop to get perfectly portioned cookies. Place the cookie dough balls in the fridge to chill for 30 - 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 5 - 6 balls of chilled pecan chocolate chip cookie dough on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Top with more chocolate chips and pecans.
- Bake the pecan chocolate chip cookies for 12-14 minutes. The edges will be set and lightly golden brown. The centers will look slightly puffed. Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack or stove top. Firmly bang the pan onto the cooling rack (or stove top). This helps to deflate the cookies quickly. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool to room temperature and enjoy!flaky salt for topping
Notes
- Make Ahead: Although these chewy chocolate chip pecan cookies are easy to make and come together rather quickly, they can easily be made ahead of time. To do this simply prepare the cookies according to the recipe directions through to the scooping and chilling step. Decide on your preferred storage method.
- Store: To store leftover cookie dough, wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For the best cookie eating experience, heat the cookies in the microwave for 20 seconds for that “fresh from the oven taste.”
- Milk Powder: The milk powder boosts the nuttiness of the brown butter. This is an optional ingredient. Omit if you don't have any on hand. But if you do, definitely use the milk powder in the recipe.
- Why did my cookies spread too much? The butter may have been too warm, or the dough may need chilling. Chill the brown butter and cookie dough for the recommended times listed in the recipe.
- Why are my cookies dry or cakey? Too much flour or overbaking can cause dry cookies. Measure the flour carefully and remove the cookies when the edges are lightly golden.
- Why are my cookies hard instead of chewy? They may have baked too long. For a softer texture, avoid overbaking and let the cookies finish setting on the baking sheet.
- Why are my cookies too thick and not spreading? The dough may be too cold or contain too much flour. Let chilled dough sit at room temperature briefly before baking, and check your flour measurements.
- Why are my cookies burning on the bottom? Your oven may run hot, or the baking sheet may be too dark. Try using a light-colored baking sheet lined with parchment paper and check your oven temperature.
- Why are my pecans not very flavorful? Try lightly toasting the pecans before adding them to the dough. Let them cool completely before mixing them in.
- Why do my cookies fall apart after baking? They may need a few minutes to set on the baking sheet. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
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India says
these are hands down the best cookies I’ve ever made. the brown butter is so worth it, 10/10
Megan says
Hi India, I am so happy to read how much you love these cookies! Brown butter is such a game changer in cookies!