These Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are soft and chewy cookies with the rich flavors of creamy butter, sweet chocolate chips, and hearty pecans. It's a delicious twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie.
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Combining the timeless taste of chocolate chips with the rich texture of pecans, these cookies are a delightful twist on a classic favorite. Perfect for those who love a traditional cookie with a nutty crunch, each bite is a blend of sweet and savory that's sure to please your sweet tooth.
Oh, and before you go picking through the recipe and say where's the baking soda, these cookies are made without baking soda OR baking powder. And yes, the recipe works. And they are DELICIOUS.
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What You'll Love About This Recipe
- Irresistible Flavor: The combination of chocolate chips and pecans creates a taste that is simply irresistible.
- Perfect Texture: These cookies offer a delightful crunch from pecans paired with the soft, chewy texture of classic chocolate chip cookies.
- Versatile: Great for any occasion, be it a casual get-together or a festive celebration.
- Easy to Make: With straightforward instructions, this recipe is perfect for bakers of all skill levels.
- Customizable: Easily adaptable with various nuts or chocolate types according to your preference.
Ingredients
Unsalted Butter: The base of our cookie dough, unsalted butter makes the cookies rich and flavorful. Ensure it's softened to room temperature for easier mixing.
Light Brown Sugar: This sugar adds a lovely caramel-like sweetness and moisture to the cookies, giving them a chewy texture.
Egg: The egg binds the ingredients together and helps the cookies to rise slightly when baking.
Vanilla Extract: A hint of vanilla adds depth and warmth to the flavor profile of our cookies.
All-Purpose Flour: This is the structure of our cookies. It's important to measure it correctly; too much flour can make the cookies tough.
Salt: Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients and balances the sweetness.
Crushed Pecans: Pecans add a delightful crunch and nutty flavor to the cookies. You can also add a few on top for decoration.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: These are the star of the show, melting slightly to create gooey chocolate in every bite.
Granulated Sugar: Sprinkling a bit of sugar on top of the cookies before baking adds a nice texture and a bit more sweetness.
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop: Ensures uniform size for your cookies. Alternatively, a tablespoon can work.
- Cookie Sheet: A flat baking sheet is essential. No cookie sheet? Use can use regular baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Wire Rack: For cooling the cookies. If unavailable, any cool, flat surface works.
Instructions
Begin by heating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. This ensures your oven is at the right temperature when your cookies are ready to go in.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of softened unsalted butter with ⅔ cup of light brown sugar. Add in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix these together until the mixture is smooth and well-blended.
It's important for the butter to be at room temperature so it creams together nicely with the sugar.
In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon of salt. This step is crucial for evenly distributing the salt and avoiding lumps in your dough.
Gradually add your flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Do this in batches to make sure everything combines evenly without overmixing. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies, so just mix until you see no more flour.
Gently fold in ½ cup of cthe pecans and the of semi-sweet chocolate chips into your dough. Folding means to stir gently, bringing ingredients from the bottom of the bowl to the top.
This method helps to evenly distribute the pecans and chocolate chips without deflating your dough.
Use a tablespoon or a cookie scoop to make small balls of dough. Place these on a cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each.
The space is important as it allows the cookies to spread out without sticking to each other.
For an extra pecan flavor, gently press a whole pecan into the top of each dough ball.
Place your cookies in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on them after the 10-minute mark. They are done when they start to turn golden around the edges.
Once out of the oven, if you like a bit of extra sweetness, sprinkle the cookies with a pinch of granulated sugar. This is optional but adds a nice touch.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. This allows them to set and makes them easier to move without breaking. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling on a rack prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy.
Top Tip
To get the best Chocolate Chip Butter Pecan Cookies, make sure your butter and egg are at room temperature before you start mixing. Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly, resulting in a more even dough and better texture in your cookies. This one step will make a huge difference in getting soft, chewy cookies.
Substitutions
Dark Brown Sugar: For a deeper molasses flavor, replace light brown sugar with dark brown sugar.
Walnuts or Almonds: Not a fan of pecans? Try walnuts or almonds instead.
White or Milk Chocolate Chips: Substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips with white or milk chocolate for a different taste. Or even chop up a chocolate bar for chocolate chunk pecan cookies.
Variations
- Double Chocolate: Add cocoa powder to the dough for an extra chocolatey treat.
- Nutty Delight: Mix in a variety of nuts like almonds, walnuts, and pecans.
- Holiday Special: Incorporate spices like cinnamon or nutmeg for a festive twist.
Storage Instructions
Have left over cookies? Here's how to keep them fresher, longer.
Room Temperature Storage: Once the cookies have cooled down completely, store them in an airtight container. They'll stay fresh for up to a week. Keeping them in a cool, dry place prevents them from becoming soggy.
Freezing Dough: You can freeze the cookie dough for later use. Roll the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a ziplock bag and store for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Fully baked cookies can also be frozen. Once cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. They can be stored for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or gently reheat in the oven or microwave.
Reheating: If you prefer your cookies warm, reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds or in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes.
Note: Avoid storing cookies in the refrigerator as it can cause them to dry out.
Recipe
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Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans + extra for topping
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup granulated sugar optional for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together the butter, light brown sugar, egg and vanilla until well combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour and salt together and then slowly add it to the wet mixture. Fold in the ½ cup pecans and the chocolate chips.
- Scoop balls out around 1 tablespoon in size, or use a medium sized cookie scoop. Place onto a cookie sheet 2 inches apart and push a pecan into the cookie top.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, sprinkle with a little sugar when they are done.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
Yes, you can use salted butter in place of unsalted butter. However, if you do, you'll want to adjust the added salt in the recipe. Since salted butter already contains salt, reduce the additional salt to just a pinch or eliminate it altogether. This helps to ensure your cookies don't end up overly salty while still benefiting from the rich flavor of the butter.
Chilling the dough is not mandatory for this recipe, but it can have some benefits. If you have the time, chilling the dough for about 30 minutes before baking can help enhance the flavor and texture of the cookies. It also prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, leading to a thicker, more consistent cookie. If you're in a rush, you can skip this step, but if you want to experiment with texture, chilling is a good option.
Yes, you can easily substitute the pecans with other nuts like walnuts, almonds, or even macadamia nuts. Each type of nut will bring its unique flavor and texture to the cookies. It's a great way to customize the recipe to your taste or to use what you have on hand.
The cookies are done when they start to turn golden around the edges but still look a bit soft in the center. This typically takes about 10-12 minutes in the oven. It's important to remember that the cookies will continue to cook and firm up a bit as they cool on the baking sheet, so it's okay if they seem a little underdone when you first take them out of the oven.
Yes, this recipe doubles very well. Doubling the recipe is a great idea if you're baking for a crowd or want extra cookies for later. Just make sure to bake the cookies in batches if necessary, so they have enough space on the baking sheet to spread out properly.
You can definitely use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to cream the butter and sugar, and to mix in the other ingredients. This can make the process faster and ensure that the ingredients are well combined. However, when folding in the pecans and chocolate chips, it's best to do this by hand with a spatula to avoid breaking the nuts and chips, and to prevent overmixing the dough.
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