Soft Butter Pecan Cookies — Buttery soft dough with big chunky pecans in every bite! Salty-and-sweet and so hard to resist!!
Easy Fall Cookie Recipe
I loved this cookie dough so much that it was hard to even bake it because I just kept nibbling on it. But I’m so glad I did.
The butter pecan cookies are super soft, buttery, full of rich pumpkin flavor and there are plenty of pecans in every bite.
I used a dough base I haven’t used since I made Candy Corn Cookies last fall. I’ve also used it for Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies and Maraschino Cherry White Chocolate Cookies. It calls for 2 tablespoons of cream or half-and-half. The cream really tenderizes the dough and it just melts in your mouth.
The dough is slightly sweeter, creamier, and tastes more buttery than my trusty chocolate chip cookie dough base and is the perfect contrast to the crunchy, preservative-free Fisher Pecans I used.
Between the pumpkin pie spice and the scent of pecans baking, you’ll be ready for fall in no time. Salty-and-sweet, soft and chewy, and so hard to resist. I loved these. One of my personal favorites of the year.
What’s in Butter Pecan Cookies?
To make this butter pecan cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Cream
- All-purpose flour
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Fisher Pecan Halves
How to Make Butter Pecan Cookies
Cream together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla, then add in the dry ingredients. Fold in the pecans last.
Scoop the cookie dough into balls and chill for at least 3 hours.
Once the dough has had time to chill, bake until the edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center.
Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
Yes! Do not bake with unchilled dough because the pecan cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
How to Store Butter Pecan Cookies
Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Tips for Making Butter Pecan Cookies
Make sure to buy raw pecan halves, not roasted salted pecans.
When placing the cookie dough onto the baking tray, I recommend strategically placing a few pecans on top of each mound of dough by taking pecans from the underside and adding them to top.
Pecans that bake directly on the baking sheet on the undersides of the cookies could become overly browned, so try to shield them with dough or relocate to tops/sides.
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Buttery Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cream or half-and-half
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste (if your nuts are already salted, keep this in mind when adding salt)
- 2 cups Fisher Pecan Halves
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cream, and beat on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, corn starch, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the pecans, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 14 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly. ** (see tips below)
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet).
- Bake for about 10 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Fall Cookie Recipes:
Soft and Puffy Pumpkin Spice Honey Cookies — Super soft cookies that just melt in your mouth! You’re going to love these puffy cuties!
Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are bursting with chocolate chips in every bite! They’re thick, hearty, perfectly chewy, and not at all cakey.
Candy Corn and White Chocolate Softbatch Cookies — These Halloween cookies are PACKED with candy corn and white chocolate chips. They’re easy to make and are always a hit with the kids!
Sea Salt Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies – Super soft, perfectly chewy, SALTY-AND-SWEET chocolate chip pecan cookies that are AMAZING!! An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe!!
Chai Snickerdoodles — The chai spices give the cookies so much depth of flavor. Cozy, comfort-food cookies that warm you up inside.
Soft and Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies — Dense and not at all cakey, with the perfect balance of chewy edges and soft, tender, pillowy centers!
Soft & Chewy Molasses Gingerdoodles — These soft molasses cookies taste like a cross between chewy gingerbread cookies and crinkly snickerdoodles. An unbeatable holiday cookie recipe!
This post was brought to you by Fisher Nuts. Recipe, images, and opinions expressed are my own. #thinkfisher
I would have eaten all the dough too. I would have also eaten all the baked cookies. This is fabulous!! Pinned all over town. :)
Thanks for the pin-fest :) The dough was…incredible!!! I snacked on frozen dough a few times last week after the cookies were gone.
I wish my kiddos liked nuts, these look amazing
Thanks, Heather, and 99% of my other cookie recipes don’t have nuts…so you’re safe :) You can make them and skip the nuts or these are great too https://www.averiecooks.com/soft-and-puffy-pumpkin-spice-honey-cookies/
These look amazing! Love the combo of pecans and pumpkin spice. I am in fall mode, and these are going on my baking list! Pinned.
Thanks for pinning and if you do make them, LMK!
These look amazing! I can only imagine how good your kitchen must have smelled while baking these.
Thank you for another delicious-looking cookie recipe. I’m sending it to my TX aunt who lives where pecans can be picked up in your yard.
No way!! Wow, that’s pretty cool! There are times in San Diego where lemons just fall off lemon trees on my runs but I’ve never tripped on any pecans :)
PUMPKIN time has arrived!
You know my thoughts on pecans, so I’ll not even mention it. That contest needs to include peanuts!
The first link in the “related” section….soft and pillowing pumpkin spice cookies? YUM. You have too many recipes!
That first link, yes, those were super good! These are very similar, but with pecans. Slightly different dough base but overall, similar in taste. And you can always make these and omit the pecans. The dough base of these, with the pumpkin spice, sooo good!
I didn’t know you’re working with Fisher nuts too! And of course I’m chuckling, because my recipe next week is a Pumpkin Bar with Butter Pecan frosting :) These cookies are lovely, I think I’ll take some off your hands!!
Oh I cannot wait to see your recipe! And I didn’t know that about you and Fisher either!
Yep, this will be my second year with them, LOVE Fisher Nuts (and all their peeps!). I find it so funny how many of us get on that same wavelength :) Yay butter pecan :)
I am so nuts about nuts, especially pecans in the fall. I can almost taste how soft and chewy these are just by looking at the pictures. Beautiful Averie!
Thanks, Erin! :)
These look delicious Averie! I love how your cookies always looks so thick and soft ;-) your pictures speak a million words! pinned!
your pictures speak a million words! <--- well that's my goal so thanks for saying it's working out :) And thanks for pinning!
Love the flavor of these cookies, Averie! Pumpkin and pecans sound like the perfect combination! Can’t wait to try these out!
From the looks of them, those cookies could win ANY contest! I’ve never had a cookie recipe that calls for cream in the dough, that is interesting!
Nor had I until a couple years ago when I first made the cookies that inspired these. The small addition of cream just makes the dough so rich, creamy, and buttery!
Averie, what perfect cookies!! I love all these tasty flavors of fall without the use of pumpkin to mess with the cookies’ texture. And all of those pecans. My favorite little addition. I have to try these cookies!
without the use of pumpkin to mess with the cookies’ texture <--- tell me about it. After writing my pumpkin cookbook, it only took me 1 or 20 times to get decent-textured cookies that incorporate actual pumpkin puree. Once you add it, it can turn into a cake-fest. Not exactly how you and I like our cookies. So this was the safe route :) And I know you love nuts in baked goods so I bet you'd dig these!
Love all these flavors together and pecans are probably my favorite nut for cookies. These are great for fall and those big pecan chunks look so good. I’m also excited to see what other recipes you’ve come up with using nuts!
If you need a fall cookie recipe, I loved these Paula. One of my favorites in a long time!
OH YUM…my husband loves cookies with nuts and pecans are his favorite so I will have to make these very soon. I love the taste of pecan sandies but they always seem so dry…these look like they have all that pecan flavor while being incredibly soft and moist…genius….
There’s so much pecan flavor, yes! And not at all dry like sandies (ick!). Love their flavor, despise their texture and these are nothing like sandies!
It’s so creative to use pumpkin spice to give it that flavor without throwing off the dough’s consistency with pumpkin!
I’m excited to make the candy corn cookies again, too. It’s been a year, but it’s getting to be that time!
Enjoy the candy corn cookies again and yes, time flies!
use pumpkin spice to give it that flavor without throwing off the dough’s consistency with pumpkin! <--- Amen because that happens easily!
Oh, these cookies look divine, Averie! The pecans with the soft spiced cookies sound so delicious, completely pinned! :D
Thanks for pinning!