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    Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes » Brown Butter Pecan Cookies

    Brown Butter Pecan Cookies

    Published: Nov 30, 2021 by Lynn Polito · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

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    Jump to Recipe

    Nutty, chewy, and oh so delicious, these brown butter pecan cookies will become a new holiday favorite! A crisp outside gives way to a chewy inside that is hiding lots of toasted pecans!

    Twelve brown butter pecan cookies are on a wire rack

    Making cookies for the holidays is one of my favorite things to do! These have become a new staple along with brown sugar and mini walnut tarts, and peppermint bark brownie cookies.

    These cookies have the extra flavor bump of browning the butter. It's an extra step, but it is so worth it!

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love These Cookies
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • What Is Brown Butter?
    • Equipment
    • Let's Make Brown Butter Pecan Cookies!
    • Why We Toast The Pecans
    • Tips and Tricks
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Other Recipes You'll Love
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love These Cookies

    • You don't have to chill the dough! Many cookie recipes out there require you to chill the dough before baking. These don't! You can mix up the ingredients and bake them off right away.
    • They are great for the non-chocolate lovers! I love a good chocolate loaded cookie, but for some, they want a change from a chocolate chip cookie. These cookies check all those marks!
    • They keep really well! Since they don't have any chocolate or jelly, these cookies are perfect to add to a holiday cookie tin because they aren't a mess. They are simple and delicious, a true crowd pleaser!
    The brown butter pecan cookies are on a wire rack with pinecones and bells

    Ingredients You'll Need

    Most of the ingredients in these cookies are your standard ingredients for cookies, plus pecans!

    • Butter- 2 sticks. I like to use salted butter, I know I know, some people swear by unsalted butter. I just prefer salted butter, but unsalted would work as well.
    • All Purpose Flour
    • Brown Sugar- To give an even more nutty flavor to the cookies
    • Granulated Sugar
    • Vanilla
    • Eggs- You'll need two eggs plus one egg yolk
    • Pecans- Toasted slightly

    What Is Brown Butter?

    Brown butter is simply butter that is cooked enough so the milk solids toast and brown slightly. You can use brown butter in sweet desserts or savory dinners. It's easy to make and adds so much to the recipes it is added to. Brown butter adds an irresistible nuttiness and depth of flavor to whatever you add it to!

    When making brown butter, stay close to the stove! You don't want to walk away from the pan, because the butter will go from browned to burnt in a matter of minutes!

    A close up of nine brown butter pecan cookies

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Ice Cream Scoop for equal sized cookies
    • Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat
    • Baking Sheet

    Let's Make Brown Butter Pecan Cookies!

    In a saucepan, place the two sticks of butter and turn the heat on medium. As the butter melts, swirl the saucepan and continue stirring the butter. After 5 minutes, the butter will start giving off a nutty smell and turning brown. When it starts to turn brown, turn the heat off and set the saucepan aside to let the butter cool completely. Stay close to the stove. The butter goes from brown to burnt in a matter of a minute.

    The butter is in a saucepan ready to be browned

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and bake them for 5 minutes. Stay close to the oven, you don't want to burn the pecans. When they are cool enough to handle, chop them into small pieces and set them aside.

    The pecans are ready to be toasted

    Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. When the butter has cooled, place the brown butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar to the butter and cream the mixture for one minute on medium speed. Add the eggs and egg yolk and mix well.

    The sugars are added to the brown butter
    The eggs are added to the brown sugar and brown butter mixture

    In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

    Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture. Turn the mixer on low speed and mix until combined. Add the chopped pecans and mix one more time.

    With an ice cream scoop, scoop equal sized dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are just slightly browned. Cool the cookies on a wire rack, sprinkle with powdered sugar if you would like, and enjoy!

    The cookies are scooped onto a baking sheet

    Why We Toast The Pecans

    Toasting the pecans will enhance the pecan flavor and will make the pecans more nutty. Stay close to the toaster or the oven when you are toasting them. Nuts burn so fast! They go from perfectly browned to burnt in a matter of seconds. When you can start smelling the nuttiness of the pecans, they are done!

    Tips and Tricks

    • Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the dough. That will give you equal sized cookies.
    • Make sure the butter is cooled before you add it to the sugars. If the butter is too warm, it will cause the cookies to be greasy and it might cook the eggs.
    • Make them slice and bake! Place the dough in a piece of parchment paper and shape the dough into a log. When ready to bake, cut the dough into the size cookies you would like.
    • Add chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or dried cranberries for an extra pop of flavor!
    A close up of the brown butter pecan cookies and some bells

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make these cookies ahead of time?

    Yes! You can make the dough up to 24 hours in advance and keep the dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake. You can also freeze the dough by putting it in an airtight container. The cookies freeze beautifully once they are baked. Bake them and let them cool completely. Add them to an air tight container and freeze them for up to three months.

    Can I use another type of nut?

    Yes! Chopped walnuts or chopped almonds would work in this recipe.

    Do I have to brown the butter?

    Browning the butter adds an extra nuttiness to compliment the pecans. If you don't want to brown the butter, you don't have to. Use softened butter and cream it with the sugars. These cookies will still be delicious!

    There is a bowl of brown butter pecan cookies and more cookies on a wire rack

    Other Recipes You'll Love

    Did you love these Brown Butter Pecan Cookies? I'd so appreciate it if you would give this recipe a 5-star review! That will help other hungry readers find my recipes!

    And don't forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!

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    📖 Recipe

    Twelve brown butter pecan cookies are on a wire rack

    Brown Butter Pecan Cookies

    Nutty, chewy, and oh so delicious, these brown butter pecan cookies will become a new holiday favorite! A crisp outside gives way to a chewy inside that is hiding lots of toasted pecans!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes
    Servings: 36 cookies
    Calories: 145kcal
    Author: Lynn Polito

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer

    Ingredients

    • 2 sticks Butter Browned
    • 1 cup Brown Sugar
    • 2 teaspoon Vanilla
    • ½ cup Granulated Sugar
    • 2 Large Eggs
    • 1 Egg Yolk
    • 2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
    • ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 ½ cups Pecans Chopped
    • ½ teaspoon Salt

    Instructions

    • In a saucepan, melt the butter and gently brown it. Turn the stove to medium heat and swirl the butter in the pan for 5-7 minutes. When the butter turns a brown tint, the butter is done. Cool completely.
    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. When you can smell the pecans, they are done. Do not overbrown them as they burn easily. When the pecans are cool enough to handle, chop them into small pieces.
    • Lower the oven to 350 degrees.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cooled butter and the sugars. Turn the mixer on and mix for 1 minute.
    • Add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla to the mixer and mix again.
    • In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
    • Slowly add the flour to the stand mixer and mix until well combined.
    • Add the chopped pecans and mix again.
    • With a cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Leave at least an inch of space between each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are just slightly browned. Cool on a cooling rack.

    Notes

    • The ice cream scoop will make a domed cookie, if you would like a flatter cookie, press the top of the cookies when they are on the cookie sheet to flatten them.
    • Make sure the brown butter is completely cooled before adding it to the sugar and eggs.  Too hot and the cookies will be greasy and cook the eggs.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Hey there! I'm Lynn and I'm based just outside of Boston. I'm a wife and mom of two with a passion for cooking and creating homemade food for my family.

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