The Best Soft & Chewy Pecan Pie Cookies
If you love classic pecan pie, The Best Soft & Chewy Pecan Pie Cookies might be your new favorite thing. This cookie version of the holiday classic has a buttery cookie base, a rich, nutty filling, and just the right amount of crunch. Each bite is like a little piece of pecan pie, but much easier to make.
Servings: cookies
Equipment
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Cookie sheet
- 1 sheet parchment paper
Ingredients
Pecan Filling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons bourbon or rum optional
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoons flour or cornstarch
- 1 cup pecans finely chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon flaky sea salt for topping
Cookie
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour scooped & leveled
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pecan Filling
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and slightly thickened.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 5 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon or rum, vanilla extract, and flour until smooth. Mix in the chopped pecans and set aside to cool slightly. It will thicken as it sits.1 1/4 teaspoons bourbon or rum, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup pecans, 1 1/4 teaspoons flour
Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), cream the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 1½ minutes until light and fluffy.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Add the vanilla extract, then mix in the egg and egg yolk until combined.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Gradually add this flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing at low speed just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookie base soft and tender.
Baking & Assembly
- Use a small cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons of dough) to shape dough into cookie dough balls. If your dough feels very soft, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
- Place dough balls on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2½ inches apart. Use the back of a tablespoon to press down the center of each cookie, creating a space for the filling.
- Add about 1½ teaspoons of the pecan filling into the center of each cookie. Don’t overfill - they’ll get topped again after baking.
- Bake cookies for 10–15 minutes, or until the edges are set and the bottoms are golden brown. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
- Spoon a little more pecan filling into the centers to make them look full, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.1/8 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Notes
Add-ons & Substitutions
- Add a little bit of ground cinnamon to the filling for extra spice.
- Use dark brown sugar for a richer flavor in the filling.
- Try walnuts instead of pecans for a different nutty filling.
- For a chocolate twist, add mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough.
- Make them into cookie cups by baking in a muffin pan and filling after baking.
Expert Tips
- If your filling thickens too much while sitting, warm it gently just for a little bit over low heat before spooning onto cookies.
- Do the the round cookie cutter swirl trick for perfectly round cookies (How to: use a round cookie cutter to gently swirl around them immediately after baking)
- For extra flavor, toast the pecans before adding them to the filling.
- Avoid overfilling before baking to prevent the filling from spilling over the sides.
