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Brown Butter Pecan Cookies

Thick, soft and chewy bakery style Brown Butter Pecan Cookies are full of nutty browned butter and lots of pecans. They’re perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 36 cookies

Ingredients

Toasted Buttered Pecans

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup pecan halves roughly chopped

Cookies

  • 1 cup butter cubed (2 sticks)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup pecan halves finely chopped, for topping
  • 36 pecan halves for topping

Instructions

  1. To make the toasted buttered pecans, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add roughly chopped pecans and toast while stirring constantly until the butter turns frothy, starts to brown and the pecans are toasted, about 3 – 4 minutes. Watch them carefully as they can burn fast. Immediately transfer nuts and butter residue into a small heat proof bowl to cool.

  2. To brown the butter for the cookie dough, add butter to a light colour medium saucepan (so you’ll be able to see the colour of the butter) and melt it over medium heat. Keep stirring often for about 3 minutes often until the butter starts to bubble and foam. Continue cooking while stirring often until the butter turns golden, brown flecks form, and there is a nutty aroma, about 2 - 3 minutes more. Do not let it burn. Remove saucepan from heat immediately. Scrape butter and all the browned bits into a medium heat-poof bowl and let cool slightly for 10 - 15 minutes.

  3. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl with the cooled brown butter and whisk well. Then add vanilla and eggs and whisk until smooth and combined.

  4. In a large mixing bowl mix together flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda and make a well in the centre. Pour in wet ingredients and stir just until combined and all the flour is absorbed.

  5. Fold in buttered pecans and all the butter residue and stir until fully incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to allow the melted brown butter in the dough to set.

  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three large baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

  7. Place the ½ cup finely chopped pecans for the topping in a small shallow bowl.

  8. Form dough into 2 tablespoons sized balls then press each ball into a thick disk. Dip the top of each cookie into the finely chopped pecans and press slightly so they adhere. Then lightly press a pecan half on top of each cookie. Arrange cookies pecan side up on the baking sheets, spaced out at least 3” to allow for some spreading. Bake for 9 – 11 minutes, until the cookies are just lightly golden, very soft on top but firm on the bottom. Do not over-bake.

  9. Remove from oven and leave cookies on the baking sheet to set for 2 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

  1. Follow the directions accurately for browning the butter as it can burn quickly.
  2. Be sure and slightly cool the browned butter before using it.
  3. Chill dough for 1 - 2 hours before forming the cookies. If chilled longer, remove from fridge about 30 minutes to 1 hour before using.
  4. Make the cookies a good size, at least 2 tablespoons of dough or more as you need that volume of dough to achieve a thick, soft and tender cookie. Using a cookie dough scoop helps.
  5. Bake the cookies just until lightly golden and soft on top and let them set on the baking sheet for at least 2 minutes before removing them to a rack to cool.