Butter Pecan Cookies

These Butter Pecan Cookies are perfect for any time of the year with their buttery, nutty, soft, and chewy goodness. The flavor is bursting with butter and pecan; with a brown sugar-based cookie, you just can’t go wrong with these cookies! They would be well-loved on a holiday platter of cookies for sure. Everyone loves butter pecan cookies, so you know they will be a hit!

For more delightful cookies, try our Peanut Butter Blossoms, Better Than Dad’s Copycat Oatmeal Cookies, Kitchen Sink Cookies, or Best Rugelach.

What Goes into Butter Pecan Cookies?

To make this butter pecan cookie recipe, the ingredients are easy to find except maybe butter extract; this item is optional though.

I added butter extract, which you can find at most grocery stores in the baking aisle, to really amp up the butter flavor and make this recipe easier. I have seen other recipes coat the pecans in melted butter or even toast them in butter in a saute pan, these are also options, but I have not tested this recipe using those methods. The additional butter may affect the cookie dough. What I have tested is the butter extract, and if you can easily find it, it is great in these cookies!

You will also see cornstarch here in our recipe, which is something a bit different. The cornstarch keeps the cookies soft, which is key to this type of recipe.

We also use brown sugar for this recipe instead of granulated sugar to give the cookies extra flavor. The outside has the pretty decorator’s sugar.

How to Make Butter Pecan Cookies

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla, and butter extract, whisk to combine, and smooth. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and stir it in until combined with no dry patches. This may take a few minutes. Fold in the pecans.

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, or heaping tablespoon-sized dollops, portion the cookie dough and place them, not touching but close together on the parchment paper. Cover and place in the fridge for two hours, up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper. Take the cookie dough balls and roll them between your hands to form a smooth ball; they will be hard at first but will soften up. Roll them in the decorator’s sugar and place them on the sheet trays 2 inches apart. Gently press the pecan halves onto the tops of the cookies if using.

Bake for 9-10 minutes until the cookies are puffed, the tops are not shiny, and they are slightly golden brown. Let them cool on the sheet tray for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

The dough is very stiff, and folding in the pecans may be difficult. This is like when I make my Snowball Cookies each year, but don’t worry because when we form the cookie dough balls, this is when you get the pecans to really stick in the dough.

I like to chill the dough overnight. I find the cookies puff up better when I do so.

For presentation, I like to add the pecan halves on top to about half of the cookies for a contrasting look, but you can add them to all the cookies, or none!

How to Store Butter Pecan Cookies

Butter Pecan Cookies, once they are baked and cooled completely, can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days. I always like to layer the cookies between wax paper to keep them from sticking to each other. You can also store them in the refrigerator to extend their time to at least a week, but heck, these are not going to last that long for sure.

Can you Freeze Butter Pecan Cookies?

Once your cookies are baked, cooled, and properly packaged with wax paper layers in an airtight container, you can store them in the freezer for months. Label them with the date you put them in, as no one remembers that. Let the cookies defrost at room temperature before eating.

You can also freeze the balls of dough and have cookies waiting and ready to be baked at any time. Once your cookies have been formed into balls, freeze them on parchment-lined cookie sheets in a single layer. They can be frozen close together, closer than you would bake them but don’t overlap them. Leave them for a few hours, and once firm, then place them in a zipped storage bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Again write the date and even baking instructions on the outside of the bag for a quick reference.

When you want to bake the cookies, then thaw completely. At this point you can roll them in the decorator’s sugar and place them on the sheet trays 2 inches apart. Gently press the pecan halves onto the tops of the cookies if using, and bake.

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Butter Pecan Cookies

Yield: 34 cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 29 minutes

Butter Pecan Cookies are an all-time favorite treat at any time of the year. They are grabbed up on a holiday platter but are also great on a picnic or at any gathering. The flavor is bursting with butter and pecan; you just can’t go wrong with these cookies!

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Ingredients

• 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 & 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon butter extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• For garnish:
• 1/3 cup decorator's sugar
• pecan halves, optional

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla, and butter extract, whisk to combine, and smooth. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and stir it in until combined with no dry patches. This may take a few minutes. Fold in the pecans.

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, or heaping tablespoon-sized dollops, portion the cookie dough and place them, not touching but close together on the parchment paper. Cover and place in the fridge for two hours, up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper. Take the cookie dough balls and roll them between your hands to form a smooth ball; they will be hard at first but will soften up. Roll them in the decorator's sugar and place them on the sheet trays 2 inches apart. Gently press the pecan halves onto the tops of the cookies if using.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until the cookies are puffed, the tops are not shiny, and they are slightly golden brown. Let them cool on the sheet tray for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

The dough is very stiff, and folding in the pecans may be difficult. This is like when I make my Snowball Cookies each year, but don’t worry because when we form the cookie dough balls, this is when you get the pecans to really stick in the dough.

I like to chill the dough overnight; I find the cookies puff up better when I do so.

For presentation, I like to add the pecan halves on top to about half of the cookies for a contrasting look, but you can add them to all the cookies, or none!

For more information, refer to the post itself.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 34 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 93Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 72mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g

Recipe calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.