Salted Chocolate Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
These brown butter pecan cookies are full of candied pecans, dark chocolate, and a touch of bourbon. They are thick, and have a crispy exterior with a melt-in-your-mouth interior. No mixer or chill time required!
It’s time I confess; chocolate chip cookies are my least favorite cookie ever. I often find they have too much chocolate, where I can’t taste the individual flavors and only taste chocolate. Throw brown butter in the mix, and the whole cookie becomes a powerfully over-flavored bomb. Why even bother?
So, you may wonder why I am posting a butter pecan cookie recipe filled with candied pecans, chocolate chips, and a healthy hit of brown butter. Better yet, why you should make it. With every bite, this cookie is an adventure in your mouth instead of a flavor bomb. You get a taste of the candied pecans, then a hint of chocolate and the brown butter subtly sits in the background amplifying each component instead of being the star.
I added bourbon once I began embracing my nonexistent Southern roots and started adding bourbon to anything that hinted at old-school Southern nostalgia. What should be a conglomerate mess, this everything-but the-kitchen-sink Southern-ish cookie has miraculously become a well-curated cookie anyone would welcome any time of day. Bourbon in the morning? I won’t tell.
HOW TO MAKE BUTTER PECAN COOKIES
- In a small pot, dissolve the sugar and water over high heat and add the raw pecans.
- Spread the nuts evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted
- Roughly chop 2 tablespoons of butter and place it in a large bowl. Pour 3 tablespoons of brown butter over the chopped butter. Stir until all butter is melted.
- Add the granulated and brown sugars, and bourbon (if using) to the butter and whisk until combined.
- Add the egg and whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
- Add the chocolate chips and candied pecans to the bowl. Gently stir to combine.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake.
- Bake the cookies until golden and let cool on the baking sheet. Enjoy!
How to Make Brown Butter
- Use a large, wide pan with a light bottom. It is important to see the brown bits falling to the bottom of the pan and how dark the butter actually is. If you use a smaller saucepan, the butter will take longer to brown, and it is harder to tell the color of the butter as well.
- Keep the heat at medium heat the entire time while making the browned butter. At this heat, the butter starts to sizzle, and that is exactly what we want.
- Listen for when the butter stops sizzling; this means that the water has cooked out of the butter, and only the butterfat and milk solids remain. The silence is a clear sign you are on your way to perfectly browned butter.
- The butter has maximum caramel flavor when it looks dark brown but not burnt. There are many dark brown specs at the bottom of the pan when you reach maximum flavor capacity. At this point, the butter smells nutty and sweet.
Possible Substitutions
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR. Substitute the whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour or substitute half of the whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour (50/50 mix).
PECANS. Walnuts or pistachios are a great choice as well!
BOURBON. Skip it completely or substitute pure vanilla extract.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS. Feel free to skip the chocolate chips altogether.
Brown Butter Pecan Cookies: Frequently Asked Questions
This is most likely due to the incorrect amount of brown butter or not enough flour. Make sure to measure the brown butter and use the spoon and level method for measuring flour.
Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to three days at room temperature.
This cookie dough freezes wonderfully. Roll the dough into 2-tablespoon balls, place them 1/2-inch apart on a sheet pan, and put the sheet pan in the freezer until the dough balls are frozen (about 2 hours). Once the dough balls are frozen, store them in an air-tight bag in the freezer until ready to bake. Let the dough balls come to room temperature before baking.
Before you start: A Note on Brown Butter in Cookies
The butter in the U.S. has higher water content compared to European-style butter. Since all the water evaporates from the butter while making brown butter, European-style butter yields more brown butter compared to U.S. butter. The quantity of brown butter used in this cookie recipe is important and accounts for variations in the cookie thickness. Thus, make sure to measure the butter after you brown it to account for any differences in the water content in the butter.
More Small Batch Cookie Recipes to Try
PrintBrown Butter Pecan Cookies
These brown butter pecan cookies are full of candied pecans, dark chocolate, and a touch of bourbon. They are thick, and have a crispy exterior with a melt-in-your-mouth interior. No mixer or chill time required!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 11 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Candied Pecans:
- 2 tablespoons (25g) white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) whole raw pecans
- Sprinkling salt, such as Maldon
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup plus 1.5 tablespoons (140g) whole wheat flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 6 tablespoons (84g) butter, divided
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (75g) light brown sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons bourbon, optional
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) candied pecans, chopped, (see recipe above)
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven for the candied pecans. Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven temperature to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the candied pecans. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the water and bring to a boil over a high heat. Once the sugar dissolves, add the nuts to the saucepan and stir to combine. Spread the nuts evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 8-9 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven and sprinkle with kosher salt. Set aside to cool.
- Start the cookies. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets or one large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Divide the butter. Roughly chop 2 tablespoons (28g) of butter and place in a large bowl.
- Make the brown butter. Heat a 10-12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons (56g) of butter. Cook, stirring continuously, until the butter foams, stops sizzling, and turns a dark amber brown, about 7 minutes. Using a measuring spoon, scoop 3 tablespoons of the brown butter, including the brown bits at the bottom of the pan, into the bowl with the cut-up butter. Stir until all the butter is melted and combined.
- Prepare the dough. Add the granulated and brown sugars, and bourbon (if using) to the butter and whisk until combined. With a vigorous arm, whisk in the egg until the mixture lightens and looks smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until no flour lumps remain.
- Add the mix-ins. On a cutting board, roughly chop the cooled pecans. Add the candied pecans and chocolate chips to the dough. Using a spatula, gently fold in the candied pecans and chocolate chips into the dough mixture.
- Bake. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon (45g) balls and roll the dough between your hands to form an even circle shape. Arrange them 2-inches apart on each baking sheet. Sprinkle each dough ball with kosher salt. Bake one sheet at a time until the edges are a light golden brown and the middle looks soft and gooey. Approximately 11 minutes bake time.
- Serve. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
Notes
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR. If you opt to measure by volume instead of weight, whisk the flour first to aerate it, then spoon into a measuring cup, and then level it off with the back of a knife.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookies
- Calories: 183 calories
- Sugar: 14.6g
- Sodium: 149mg
- Fat: 9.3g
- Saturated Fat: 5.2g
- Carbohydrates: 24.3g
- Fiber: 0.4mg
- Protein: 2.3mg
- Cholesterol: 34mg
Keywords: butter pecan cookies, brown butter pecan cookies, thick butter pecan cookies