Amazing Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
A soft buttery flavor with gooey bites of chocolate, these pecan chocolate chip cookies are a tasty treat any time of day. Lightly crisp on the outside but filled with warm indulgence inside, this pecan variation rivals any traditional chocolate chip cookie.
Adding pecans to a classic chocolate chip cookie base takes the flavor up so much that you’ll never go back. This recipe ends up with crisp edges, a gooey center, and the buttery, sugar-filled taste you expect.
Though you do need to chill the cookie dough for longer than normal, this is exactly when the flavors combine together to create such a perfect texture. Since there is such a big chill time, you can actually prepare the cookie dough up to a month in advance and simply bake the cookies when they’re needed. Thus, saving you some precious kitchen time and not splitting up your day.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation time:
Dough Preparation: 10-12 minutes
Refrigerate dough: 2-3 hours
Bake: 12-14 minutes
Total Time Including Resting: 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Serves: 17 cookies
Directions
1. Prepare the pecans : In a skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are fragrant and lightly golden.
Remove from heat, let cool, and coarsely chop. Set aside.
2. Prepare the wet mixture: In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, the egg, additional yolk, vanilla extract, with the granulated and brown sugars. Stir until well incorporated.
3. Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Stir just until no dry spots remain, being careful not to overmix.
4. Add the nuts and chocolate: Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans, ensuring they are evenly distributed.
5. Chill the dough: Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours until firm. This step helps enhance flavor and prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
6. Form the cookies: Use a #20 cookie scoop (about golf-ball size) to shape dough balls, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave space between each.
7. Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are golden, and the centers are still slightly soft.
Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Garnish (optional): Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on the cookies while they’re still warm to enhance the flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
Cinnamon: During the warmer months, adding a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the cookie dough can bring out a more comforting taste.
Nuts: Pecans are wonderfully indulgent. However, you can substitute them with cashews, walnuts, or pistachios if you want to mix it up.
Chocolate chips: Switch the kind of chips you use from regular chocolate to white chocolate or even butterscotch for a new taste.
Brown butter cookies: To make these chocolate chip pecan cookies into a brown butter cookie, simply brown half of the butter used in the recipe taking care not to burn it. Then, let it cool briefly before mixing it in. This will give a new depth to the cookies.
Texture: If you want a chewier texture, try adding dried cranberries to the mix.
How To Make the Best Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
The cookie dough needs to be chilled for at least 3 hours for the flavors to infuse. However, if you can chill it even longer, the taste of the cookies deepens.
If you want to meal prep the cookies, follow the instructions and shape the cookie balls after you’ve chilled the dough. Freeze the balls in a freezer-safe container and bake them right from frozen when you need them by adding 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
Though the butter needs to be melted, don’t pour it in if it’s hot. Otherwise, it will cook the egg as it mixes in.
If you prefer a thicker cookie, chill the balls once formed for another 10 minutes before you bake them.
Top the cookies with extra pecans and chocolate chips by lightly pressing them into the top of the cookies before baking them. As they bake, if you notice the cookies losing their shape, use a silicone spatula to round them out when they come out of the oven.
You know the cookies are done when they’re crisp on the outside but soft in the center. If you cool them on a wire cooling rack they’ll firm up to the most perfect texture. remember, it’s always better to underbake a chocolate chip cookie than overbake, as they will firm up while cooling.
Store leftover cookies once cooled in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. If you prefer your cookies softer, pop a slice of bread into the container so that they stay moist. You can freeze them as well but make sure to separate layers of cookies with sheets of parchment paper so that they don’t get stuck together. Let them thaw to room temperature when you need them.
Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans finely chopped or processed
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Prepare the pecans: In a skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from heat, let cool, and coarsely chop. Set aside.
- Prepare the wet mixture: In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, the egg, additional yolk, vanilla extract, with the granulated and brown sugars. Stir until well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Stir just until no dry spots remain, being careful not to overmix.
- Add the nuts and chocolate: Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans, ensuring they are evenly distributed.
- Chill the dough: Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours until firm. This step helps enhance flavor and prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Form the cookies: Use a #20 cookie scoop (about golf-ball size) to shape dough balls, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave space between each.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are golden, and the centers are still slightly soft. Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Garnish (optional): Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on the cookies while they’re still warm to enhance the flavor.
Notes
- Extended chilling time: If possible, chill the dough for longer than 3 hours (up to 24 hours) to develop a deeper flavor and even better texture.
- Butter temperature: Let the melted butter cool slightly before mixing it with the sugars to avoid cooking the egg.
- Careful mixing: Avoid overmixing once the flour is added; this helps keep the cookies tender.
- Shape reinforcement: For thicker cookies, chill the dough balls for an additional 10 minutes before baking.
- Extra chocolate and pecans: Press a few extra chocolate chips and pecan pieces on top of each dough ball before baking for a more appealing look.
- Adjusting shape post-bake: If the cookies lose shape in the oven, use a spatula to round them out immediately after baking.
- Cool on a wire rack: Let cookies cool fully on a wire rack for the perfect texture—crisp on the outside and soft in the center.
- Proper storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. For softer cookies, add a slice of bread to the container to retain moisture.
- Freezing the dough: You can freeze individual dough balls and bake directly from frozen. Just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
