Butterscotch Pecan Cookies
This recipe is for all the crunchy cookie fans out there! These delicious butterscotch pecan cookies are what dreams are made of. They are filled with warm and comforting flavors, such as butterscotch, cinnamon, and vanilla. Instead of simply having butterscotch chunks, the butterscotch is melted and distributed throughout the cookie dough. This means that every single bite has a bold butterscotch flavor! And better yet, the cookies also have crunchy pecan pieces. The pecans add a nice nutty, earthy flavor and add to the cookie’s scrumptious texture.
These cookies are easy and quick to make! If you’ve never worked with butterscotch chips before, they are very similar to using chocolate chips. Before beginning the recipe, you can melt them in the microwave. Put them in a heat-safe bowl and microwave them in 10-second bursts, stirring between each increment. They will melt quickly into a smooth paste. Besides that, the rest of the process is incredibly straightforward! Once the cookies are scooped and baked, you’ll be so impressed by the flavor.
And don’t worry, even though these are crunchy cookies, they aren’t dry! They have the perfect amount of moisture. But of course, they are delicious with a glass of milk or some coffee. If you are the type of person who loves dipping cookies in milk, this is the recipe for you! They have the same type of crunch as crispy Chips Ahoy!, but they have a much more unique flavor. Let’s take a look at the recipe details so you can get baking!
Recipe Overview
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Number of Servings: 16 large cookies
- Time to Cook: 12-14 minutes
Ingredients in Butterscotch Pecan Cookies
- ½ cup Butter, softened (salted or unsalted)
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ¾ cup Chopped pecan pieces
- ¾ cup Melted butterscotch chips or chunks (partially cooled)
Instructions for making Perfectly Crunchy Butterscotch Pecan Cookies (Step by Step)
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix the softened butter to break it down using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Add both types of sugar and whip until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and incorporate them into the butter mixture at low speed. Add the melted butterscotch chips and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the nuts. Once the dough forms, gently fold in the nuts last. If the butterscotch starts to cool down, it might make the dough crumbly. If this happens, you can add 1 – 1 ½ tablespoons of water to bind the dough together.
- Scoop the cookies onto a parchment-lined sheet tray. Slightly press them down with your hand to make the tops flat.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes until the tops crack and the edges are golden brown.
Variations and Substitutions
- Nuts: swap the pecans for other types of nuts, such as chopped walnuts or almonds! Or you can use a mixture of different types.
- Cinnamon: If you don’t have cinnamon, you can substitute other baking spices, such as pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg.
- Baking Extract: Experiment and replace the vanilla extract with rum extract or almond extract!
- Other add-ins: Feel free to include other mix-ins such as semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or oats.
- Decorate them: To give the cookies a fancier look, melt extra butterscotch chips or chocolate chips and drizzle it over them. The chocolate will set once it cools.
Tips and Tricks for Making the Best Butterscotch Pecan Cookies
- Make sure to account for how the butterscotch chips or chunks’ volume shrinks when they melt. You’ll need ¾ cup melted, so measure about 1 cup and see how that works or if you need a little more.
- For a less crunchy cookie, underbake them by a minute or two. The center will be slightly softer when they set.
- I suggest working quickly when scooping the dough. Since the butterscotch chips are melted, you don’t want it to set too much before baking the cookies.
- Do not put the melted butterscotch chips into the cookie dough while it is still hot. Allow it to cool slightly so that it’s just barely warm. Otherwise, it can cause the mixture to separate or it can cook the egg, making the dough have little pieces of egg whites.
- These cookies are best enjoyed on the same day. However, if you have extras, you can put them in a resealable gallon-sized bag to keep them fresh. I suggest microwaving them for a few seconds to warm them up before enjoying them.
Related Recipes
Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Butterscotch Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted or salted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¾ cup pecan pieces chopped
- ¾ cup butterscotch chips or chunks melted and slightly cooled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix the softened butter to break it down using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Add both types of sugar and whip until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and incorporate them into the butter mixture at low speed. Add the melted butterscotch chips and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the nuts. Once the dough forms, gently fold in the nuts last. If the butterscotch starts to cool down, it might make the dough crumbly. If this happens, you can add 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of water to bind the dough together.
- Scoop the cookies onto a parchment-lined sheet tray. Slightly press them down with your hand to make the tops flat.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes until the tops crack and the edges are golden brown.
Notes
- portion size: 55g
- calories: 251
- total fat: 12g (saturated fat 5.8g)
- cholesterol: 25g
- sodium: 92mg
- total carbs: 33g
- dietary fiber: 1g
- sugar: 20g
- protein: 2.5g
- calcium: 8mg
- iron: 1mg
- potassium: 13mg
