Sea Salt Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

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!!

Homemade Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

If you haven’t jumped on the browned butter cookie trend, you need to get on this train because you’ve been missing out. The nutty, rich flavor of the browned butter is divine. I love making browned butter cookies not only for the incredible taste, but also because I don’t have to drag out my mixer and can stir everything together by hand in one bowl.

Add in some Fisher Pecans for extra nutty flavor and lovely bits of texture throughout, and you’ve got yourself a winner. This is my fifth year working with the Fisher nuts brand. I choose to work with Fisher nuts because Fisher nuts are fresh out of their shells, have no preservatives, and are non-GMO Project Verified.

Fisher has nine varieties of recipe nuts certified as Heart Healthy by the American Heart Association. The stand-up bag is designed for convenience and it is resealable so your nuts stay fresh longer.

We have to talk about the flaky, slightly crunch sea salt on top of these pecan cookies. I love salty-and-sweet treats and even if you don’t think you do, you probably do. Just humor me, okay. The flavor of chocolate is totally elevated with the simple addition of sea salt.

Because you’re starting with melted rather than creamed butter, the cookies are wonderfully chewy while cornstarch keeps them soft for days. Because they stay soft for days, they’re a perfect cookie for holiday cookie exchanges. Plus, they’re unique and not like every other red-and-green spritz cookie or sugar cookie cutout. I wish I was in a cookie exchange where these were floating around because I adored these browned butter chocolate chip cookies.

The cookies are loaded with chocolate chips and the crunchy Fisher Pecans are a wonderful contrast to the soft, chewy dough and melted chocolate chips.

What’s in These Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies? 

To make this homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe, you’ll need: 

• Unsalted butter
• Egg
• Light brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Cornstarch
• Baking soda
• Kosher salt
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Fisher pecans
• Flaky sea salt

How to Make Pecan Cookies 

To make these chocolate chip pecan cookies, you’ll first need to brown the butter. Once that’s done, combine the butter, egg, vanilla, and sugars and whisk to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients, then gently fold in the pecans and chocolate chips. 

Scoop the cookie dough into balls, then place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Once chilled, place the dough balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking tray and bake until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center.

Let these brown butter chocolate chip cookies cool slightly before enjoying them alongside a big glass of milk. 

How to Store Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies 

These homemade chocolate chip cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Also, 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. If baking straight from freezer with frozen dough, you don’t have to thaw it. Bake straight from freezer, possibly adding 1 to 2 minutes to baking time if necessary.

Do I Have to Brown the Butter? 

Technically, no. But I highly recommend doing so as the browned butter adds a depth of flavor to these pecan cookies you won’t get from plain melted butter. 

Tips for Making Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

You can use either whole pecans that you chop yourself or go with the pre-chopped variety. I had whole pecans on hand and used those. I don’t find it necessary to toast the nuts before using them in the cookies but if you do, add them to a dry skillet over medium-low heat and toast until they’re aromatic.

Also, salt varies wildly from table to kosher to sea salt, and it can take some experimenting to know which salt to use for what purpose. For the dough, I used kosher salt and for topping the cookies I used flaky sea salt. Both are available in mainstream grocery stores, no special trips required. Use your favorite brands and add to taste. A generous pinch on the top of each cookie works for us.

Note that since the butter is melted rather than creamed, the dough may seem oily yet crumbly, which sounds paradoxical but it’s possible. The chocolate chips and pecans tend to slide out of the raw dough mounds, but just keep pushing them in.

Lastly, it’s mandatory that the dough be chilled for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before baking – no exceptions or the cookies will bake flat, thin, and spread like crazy. Don’t overbake them because they taste better a bit underbaked.

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5 from 5 votes

Sea Salt Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

By Averie Sunshine

Super soft, perfectly chewy, SALTY-AND-SWEET chocolate chip pecan cookies that are AMAZING!! An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe!!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 cookies

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Ingredients  

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• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, browned
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• ▢ ¾ to 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping each cookie
• ▢ ½ cup Fisher Pecans, chopped
• ▢ flaky sea salt, to taste

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• 1. Brown the butter (<—click for a detailed tutorial) by cooking butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan until it’s amber to brown in color, about 5 minutes depending on pan size. I swirl the pan in the last minute or so to make sure I can really see the color changes. Butter will go through stages of hissing, sputtering, and making noise until the water cooks off at which point the browning occurs. Butter will smell nutty and aromatic.
• 2. Pour butter into a large mixing bowl, making sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan with a spatula and transfer any browned bits (they have wonderful flavor) from the bottom of pan into the mixing bowl. Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it.
• 3. Add the egg, sugars, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
• 4. Add flour, cornstarch (keeps cookies soft) baking soda, kosher salt, and stir to combine. Dough may seem crumbly yet oily, this is okay.
• 5. Add the chocolate chips, pecans (lightly toast them if desired over medium-low heat in a dry skillet until aromatic; however I didn’t toast and didn’t miss it), and stir to combine.
• 6. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, or your hands, form approximately 16 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten about halfway. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips and pecans on top for a visual pop.
• 7. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
• 8. 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 use a half-sheet pan and bake 8 cookies per sheet), and evenly sprinkle each with a generous pinch of sea salt, or to taste.
• 9. Bake for about 10 to 11.5 minutes (if your cookies are smaller than mine, reduce baking time) 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.
• 10. 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

Storing the 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.

If baking straight from freezer with frozen dough, you don’t have to thaw it. Bake straight from freezer, possibly adding 1 to 2 minutes to baking time if necessary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 221kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 163mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fisher. The opinions and text are all mine.