Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
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Give your favorite cookie a nutty upgrade with this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. Soft, chewy and crunchy in every bite, these brown butter cookies are a trifecta of textures.

I’m the kind of girl who loves food more than expensive gifts. Not that there’s much of a difference these days. Bottlenecks at shipping ports are making the contents of shopping carts pricier than a little blue box from Tiffany’s.

Yes, good things come in small packages until Thanksgiving when good things come in big turkey-sized packages. But if you want a fresh turkey on your table this year prepare for the sticker shock to jolt you like the electric chair. I nearly went into convulsions when I saw Whole Foods selling 20-pound turkeys for $70 bucks a pop.

close up view of chocolate chip chopped pecan cookie dough

Sure, they are organic turkeys but I can go two aisles over and buy 10-pounds of organic turkey, potatoes and carrots for $35. Plus, it’s already cooked and proportioned into individual servings. It’s a great deal if you don’t mind your dinner coming in the form of canned dog food.

I’m not desperate enough to eat pilgrim-inspired pet food, thanks in part to the frozen Butterball I found for $0.99 a pound. Pinching pennies on turkey means there’s plenty of cash left to stock up on pecans. And at the end of the day, having enough pecans to make cookies is the only thing that matters.

Just a warning that this Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie recipe will ruin you for all others. It starts with brown butter and brown sugar and ends with hints of cinnamon and vanilla for a caramelly finish. It’s soft and chewy yet crispy around the edges with puddles of melty chocolate chips and the nutty crunch of pecans. So have your turkey and stuffing then stuff yourself with these oh-so-perfect cookies.

chocolate chip pecan cookies. top down view of cookies scattered on a baking rack. cookies are topped with melty chocolate chips and chopped pecans. frame is styled with orange fall flowers.

Before sharing the recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, here are a few tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips and Tricks

Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping flour is a no-no. That technique overpacks flour into the measuring cup which will result in dry, dense cookies.

Eggs need to be at room temperature before beginning. If you’ve forgotten to take yours out of the refrigerator ahead of time then speed up the process by placing it in a bowl of warm water. Don’t use hot water; we want to warm the eggs, not hatch them.

Preparation Tips and Tricks

Browned butter takes approximately seven minutes from the time the butter initially melts until completion. If you’ve never browned butter before, it is simple. First, melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Next, stir constantly with a wooden spoon, taking care not get distracted. (There’s a fine line between browned butter and burned butter. Do not cross that line or you will be buying a new saucepan.) The butter will get foamy and release a nutty aroma. After that happens, you will begin seeing browned bits forming on the bottom. Right after that, remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool.

Chilling dough for a minimum of 4 hours is mandatory, therefore, do not skip this step! I prepare mine in the evening then refrigerate overnight, but dough can be chilled up to 2 days before baking.

How to Store Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Baked cookies freeze well, simply place them in a freezer bag and store up to 3 months.

Cookie dough balls are also freezer friendly, just place them in a freezer bag and store up to 3 months. No need to thaw before baking, just add an additional minute to the baking time.

chocolate chip pecan cookies piled on a gray plate and garnished with fall flowers

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. Please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of the blog when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you love combining chocolate chips and pecans then check out this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie. Toasted pecans, brown sugar, a splash of bourbon and dark chocolate give this classic pie a modern twist.

chocolate chip pecan pie. top down view of pie in a glass pie dish. there are 4 slices of pie and a few are missing. background is distressed brown wood and fall flowers.
chocolate chip pecan cookies. close up view of a hand holding a cookie topped with melty chocolate chips and chopped pecans.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Heather Wolf
Give your favorite cookie a nutty upgrade with this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. Soft, chewy and crunchy in every bite, these brown butter cookies are a trifecta of textures.
5 from 12 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Chill 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 31 minutes
Course Cookies and Bars
Cuisine American
Servings 26

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour unbeached
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt fine
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract pure
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Topping

  • 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Instructions
 

  • Brown butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for approximately 7 minutes or until the butter gets foamy and releases a nutty aroma.
  • Once browned bits begin to form on the bottom of the pan, remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, beat browned butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy — approximately 1 minute.
  • Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated.
  • Reduce mixer speed to low then add dry ingredients to wet, mixing until almost combined and flour is still visible.
  • Using a wooden spoon, mix in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips and 1 cup of chopped pecans until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
  • Using a large, 2 1/2 Tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop cookies onto parchment lined baking sheets, spacing cookie balls 2 inches apart.
  • Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap then chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 2 days. (Mine chilled overnight.)
  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Remove plastic wrap from baking sheets and bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the cookie edges are set but the centers are still soft. Avoid overbaking.
  • Remove cookies from oven then press 1/3 cup of chocolate chips and 1/3 cup of chopped pecans into the tops of warm cookies.
    Note: Cookies may spread a bit as they bake. To reshape, place the rim of a large drinking glass over cookies while they are still on the baking sheet then gently swirl the glass in a circular motion until each cookie is symmetrically round.
  • Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.
Keyword chocolate chip, cookies, pecan


4.5 4 votes
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Caroline
Caroline
2 years ago

Thanks for the ingredients and how to make the Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies instructions. I’ll definitely give it a try.

Danni Torr
Danni Torr
2 years ago

5 stars
Interesting that the eggs need to be at room temperature for best results. I’ve always prepared cookies by using eggs straight out of the fridge! The cookies look amazing!

Talya Stone
2 years ago

5 stars
Oooh come to mama! These look SO good. I love how they combine two of my favourite things…chocolate chips and pecans!

Manali Oza
Manali Oza
2 years ago

5 stars
I love this cookies, chocalate chip pecan cookies are an universal favourite. Anyways, loved the recipe. Thanks for sharing!

Cristina Petrini
2 years ago

5 stars
They are really enjoyable and I like them as a Christmas idea, maybe for the morning when the presents are opened!

Beth
2 years ago

5 stars
These cookies look great and delish. I also blog about food and share my recipes but I really love yours!

Heather
2 years ago

Yum! Chocolate chips and pecans are the perfect cookie combo! I can’t wait to try these.

Ntensibe Edgar
2 years ago

5 stars
Whew! Just my favourite cookies, I must say. I’ll have a couple of these, anytime of the day.

Elise Ho
2 years ago

5 stars
This looks incredible. We are making cookies for friends this year so it will come in very handy.

Shar
Shar
1 year ago
Reply to  Elise Ho

Why 5 stars if you haven’t made them yet?

Gunel Ibadova
Gunel Ibadova
2 years ago

You have explained the whole process in easy way. They look very appetizing, especially I plant to try it in New Year! . Many thanks for this recipe!

Marysa
2 years ago

I don’t think I have ever had a combination like this before. It sounds delicious and I will have to give this recipe a try.

Thena Franssen
Thena Franssen
2 years ago

5 stars
These are my favorite cookies to make for the holiday season! They’re the best and they literally melt in my mouth!

Rosey
Rosey
2 years ago

5 stars
These do look tasty good. And yes!! the price of groceries (and gas!) are so high right now! Akin to Tiffany’s indeed!

Jennifer Prince
2 years ago

5 stars
Yes, please! I am definitely adding this to my holiday baking list. They look AMAZINGLY delicious!!!

Blair Villanueva
Blair Villanueva
2 years ago

5 stars
I am so glad that I have zero allergies to any type of nuts, and definitely having chocolate chip pelican cookies is something that I would love to enjoy. The recipe instructions are easy to follow!

Jei Laine
2 years ago

This looks so yummy! My kids loves making cookies. We will make this on weekend. Thanks for sharing.

Sharon
Sharon
2 years ago

5 stars
The best cookies ever.