This melt-in-your-mouth butter pecan cookies recipe is the perfect cookie anytime and, of course, a delicious addition to your holiday dessert platter. Nutty and buttery, crunchy and chewy, they are so delicious!
If you need just one more incredible dessert to complete your Christmas cookie recipes spread, butter pecan cookies are for you! They’re as quick and simple as our favorite spritz cookies and as refined as pfeffernusse cookies; and as beloved as Biscoff cookies. Plus, you can finish them however you want. I love the classic half-pecan topping!
Let’s bake these yummy cookies!
What I Love About This Butter Pecan Cookies Recipe
- Whips together in 30 minutes!
- Holiday classic
- Nine simple ingredients
- Delicate and decadent!
Butter Pecan Cookies Ingredients List
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Pecans
Butter Pecan Cookies Recipe Notes
Believe it or not, this butter pecan cookies recipe uses only NINE ingredients! And I guarantee you have most of them in your cupboard already. Here are some tips!
- Toasting the Pecans: This step is so important for the final flavor! Don’t forget to monitor the nuts closely to avoid scorching them or the butter. Frequent stirring helps with this, and also with even baking and distribution of butter. If you are oven-averse, the nuts can be browned on the stovetop as well.
- Eggs: If you are an old hat at baking, this step is something you have done hundreds if not thousands of times! But for my new bakers out there, there are a few easy ways to separate egg yolks from egg whites:
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- Use your hand! Crack the egg over a bowl, catch the yolk, and let the white slip into the bowl. Just be sure to wash thoroughly afterward to avoid cross-contamination!
- Use a pasta spoon with holes. Let the white slide through the holes into a receptacle.
- My favorite method of all is using the eggshell itself – no extra dishes! Crack the egg, catch the yolk in one half, and tip it back and forth between halves until all the whites have drained. This is how I separate my eggs.
- Crunchy vs. chewy: There are two sorts of cookie lovers: those who swear by the old crunchy standard, and those who go bananas over melty, doughy circles! The classic butter pecan is a little chewy in the center and crisp around the rim, which can keep both camps happy. If you want to push the needle further to one end of the scale, however, here’s how.
- For crunchy, cut back a tiny bit on the flour and brown sugar, and keep them in the oven for one to two extra minutes.
- For chewy butter pecan cookies, add a little more brown sugar and remove the cookies from the oven a minute or two early. Remember that cookies harden as they cool, so gauge your baking time accordingly!
- Design variations: If you want to test out a few different designs to add that extra pizazz to your cookie plate, try drizzling white icing across half of the batch, dusting some with powdered sugar, omitting the pecan on a few, or sugaring some of the pecans before baking. You can sugar the pecans on the stovetop using butter, brown sugar, and a little cinnamon.
- Butter pecan cookies with maple frosting are also on point. Maple frosting is made with butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cream, and powdered sugar. For salty sweet butter pecan cookies, try decorating with sea salt flakes and a little orange zest.
Storing +Freezing + Make-Ahead
The best way to store the cookies is the same as all cookies: cooled completely! You MUST cool cookies before storing them. Warm cookies bring moisture, which will break down the structure of your cookies over time. No one wants that!
- Storing: Once your cookies are cooled, store them in airtight containers at room temp for up to 4-5 days.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! This butter pecan cookies recipe freezes beautifully. In that same airtight container, freeze your cookies for up to six months.
- Make Ahead Tips: This recipe comes with the tried and true cookie step: chilling! You gotta chill that dough so the butter solidifies. So, if you’d like to make the dough ahead of time, you can extend the chilling time for up to two days.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
Serving Recommendations
Go full-on Santa with a cold glass of milk or warm up with some hot tea or coffee. Or want a more adult spin? Try eating these cookies with my rich, decadent pumpkin pie martini or my apple pie moonshine!
You can also serve my easy-peasy rich, crockpot hot chocolate or my adult-only spiked hot chocolate or Keoke coffee!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes To Love!!!
The more, the merrier when it comes to Christmas cookies! Check out all my Christmas cookies.
- Italian Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Crack
- Christmas Butter Cookies
- Candy Cane Cookies
- Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies
- No Chill Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Sour Cream Cookies
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Butter Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter~divided
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 egg separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups pecans chopped
- 1 cup pecan halves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add 1 cup butter and brown sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Stir in egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, place chopped pecans and remaining 1 tablespoon butter on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until toasted and browned. Set aside and cool.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Roll dough into 1-in. balls, then roll in toasted pecans, pressing nuts into dough. Place on ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg white until foamy. Dip the bottom of pecan halves in egg white, shaking off excess, then gently press one into each ball. (Be neat with egg white as excess foam will remain after baking and not be attractive)
- Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.
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[…] Super Buttery Butter Pecan Cookies. I am now officially a fan of toasting nuts in butter, thanks to this lovely recipe. Simple, yet delicious. […]
I’ve made this recipe twice. Love it.
Fiest time I didn’t brown the pecans. Cookies were good. But second time I browned the pecans and oh my goodness…the difference is amazing. Will diffently make again.
Hey, Bonnie! That’s wonderful! It’s very different, right? We’re glad you baked these cookies. Thanks for the positive feedback and 5 star rating 🙂
I made these cookies & they were awesome!!! Buttery & not to sweet just great!! Will have to make more batches for my friends & family.
Hi, Rocky! Thank you! I’m glad you love these cookies. Happy baking! 🙂
I didn’t know a butter pecan cookies can be this delicious! YUM!!!
Indeed. Thanks, Miel! 😀
These cookies are delicious. Buttery and not too sweet. I halted the recipe and it turned out well. I didn’t place the halves on either but still just used the yolk in the batter. Highly recommended.
Thank you Kathy. So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I made these gluten free by using GF flour and gave them to some gluten eating friends. They raved about them and said they were the best cookies they’d eaten. It was high praise from an experienced baker and a former bakery owner. I have some in the oven right now! I don’t add the pecan half on top and they’re still fantastic. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Jayne. So glad you enjoyed. The GF option sounds wonderful 🙂
interesting post, its really good event its only an old post. thanks, added to my list
Thank you for this recipe… I made them as part of my Christmas platter for my family, and these were the favorites of the bunch! They'll definitely stay in the rotation next year as well.
yumm! headed to check out the post now
Hi Kathleen! We are back 🙂 It was a great trip but glad to be home. Thank you for your guest post, and I will be trying your cookies!
Definitely a new blog for me!
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