Butter Pecan Cookies

Found these incredible butter pecan cookies last week when I was craving something different from my usual chocolate chip recipe. Made them three times since then (my family keeps requesting them!) and finally got them exactly how I want them – perfectly crispy edges, chewy centers, and that amazing brown butter flavor that makes everything better.

This Recipe Just Works

After testing a bunch of pecan cookie recipes, this one’s the clear winner. What makes it special is browning the butter first – it adds this deep, nutty flavor that regular butter just can’t match. Plus, toasting the pecans in butter beforehand makes them extra flavorful. The cookies turn out crispy on the outside but stay perfectly chewy in the middle.

The Key Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Buttered Pecans:

1¼ cups pecan halves (go for the freshest ones you can find)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (trust me, unsalted works best here)

For the Cookie Dough:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch (this is my secret for extra tender cookies)
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk (take them out early so they’re room temp)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Let’s Make These Cookies!

First thing’s first – let’s toast those pecans. Melt your butter in a skillet over medium heat, toss in the chopped pecans, and stir them around for about 4-5 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when your kitchen smells amazing and they’re golden brown. Set these aside.
Now for the fun part – browning the butter! Melt both sticks in a saucepan over medium heat. Keep stirring and watch it carefully – it’ll foam up, then start turning golden. Once you see little brown specks at the bottom and it smells nutty (about 5-7 minutes), take it off the heat right away. Pour it into a bowl to cool.

The Method

While the brown butter’s cooling, grab a big bowl and whisk together your flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Don’t skip the cornstarch – it makes these cookies extra tender.
Once your browned butter’s cooled down a bit (still liquid but not hot), stir in both sugars until well combined. The mixture might look a bit grainy, but that’s perfectly fine. Add your vanilla and eggs one at a time, mixing just until they’re combined.
Gently fold in your dry ingredients – I usually do this in three batches so everything mixes evenly. Then fold in those buttery toasted pecans. Your dough will smell incredible at this point!

The Important Wait

Now comes the hard part – waiting! Cover your bowl and let it chill in the fridge for 4 hours. I know it’s tempting to skip this, but trust me, it makes a huge difference. This time lets the flavors develop and helps your cookies keep their shape while baking.

Time to Bake

Heat your oven to 375°F – slightly hotter than usual for cookies, but it gives us those perfect crispy edges. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon balls (I use a large cookie scoop). Space them about 3 inches apart – these spread a bit. Press a pecan half on top of each one if you’re feeling fancy.

Bake one tray at a time for 10-11 minutes. They should be golden around the edges but still look slightly underdone in the middle – they’ll set up as they cool. If the edges spread too much, just gently push them back with a spatula right when they come out.

Tips From My Kitchen to Yours

Store your pecans in the fridge – they stay fresher way longer
Don’t overbake! They might look a bit underdone at first but will firm up perfectly
Room temperature eggs really do make a difference here
These freeze beautifully – you can freeze the dough balls or baked cookies

These cookies stay fresh for 3-4 days in an airtight container, but honestly, they’ve never lasted that long at my house! Perfect with coffee, as an afternoon treat, or slightly warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.