These are the best chocolate chip pecan cookies that will take your chocolate chip cookie game to the next level. I'll walk you step by step on how to create these gourmet cookies that will impress your loved ones!
With chopped pecans in the soft and gooey center of the cookie and dark chocolate chips throughout, you cannot eat just one! The crunchy pecans, the hint of cinnamon, with a subtle nutty flavor make these a nice twist to your classic chocolate chip cookie.
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In my opinion, chocolate chip cookies are good any time of the year. However, this specific recipe is ideal for fall with the addition of pecans and its richer flavor. On that note, one of my other favorite fall cookie recipes are these pumpkin chocolate chip bars.
If you don't love pecans (or have nut allergies) you can try this chocolate chip cookie recipe without vanilla extract or these crisco chocolate chip cookies as well.
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Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour acts as a stabilizer in cookie dough and allows cookies to keep their shape.
- Cornstarch: Added to cookies, cornstarch adds structure to the cookie and adds softness to it as well.
- Baking Soda: Delays the setting process of the cookie, allowing them to spread.
- Salt: Brings out the flavor of your cookies.
- Cinnamon: Adds a nutty and distinct flavor to the cookies.
- Unsalted Butter: I prefer unsalted butter because you can control the amount of salt that goes into your cookie recipe.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar will make the cookies lighter and give them a slightly crispier texture.
- Light Brown Sugar: Creates a dense and moist cookie.
- Eggs: Eggs are a binder for liquids and fats and help to bring the dough together.
- Vanilla: Don't sleep on the vanilla! Use pure vanilla extract for the best possible flavor in your cookies. Casa Bella Vida Vanilla is my favorite!
- Dark Chocolate Chips: I used dark chocolate chips for these cookies as I wanted a rich and bold flavor to balance with the nutty flavor of the pecans. However, you can use other types of chocolate chips instead.
- Pecans: The pecans add a nice texture and crunch to balance the softness of this cookie!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper and set aside. I love using silicone mats because they allow the cookies to bake evenly, they are reusable, and they are quickly washed in the dishwasher.
Melt the butter and allow it to almost completely cool. If you get whole pecans, you'll need to crush them a bit. An easy way to accomplish this is by putting them into a Ziploc bag and smashing them with a rolling pin, a meat tenderizer, or really any object that you can use as a hammer. I like to smash until you have a nice mixture of fine ground pecan pieces and some larger pieces to give the cookies a nice crunch.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk the dry ingredients well.
Pro Tip: Measure out the flour by lightly spooning flour into a measuring cup until it is overflowing. Use a knife to scrape off the top and even out the flour to the top of the measuring cup. Too much flour could make the cookies dry.
Divide pecans, saving about ¼ cup to the side. Stir in the cup of pecans and chocolate chips until evenly dispersed through the dough. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all chips, pecans, and flour have been fully incorporated.
With a medium cookie scoop, portion out cookie dough balls onto prepared baking trays (about 50g).
Sprinkle the tops of each ball with the remaining crushed pecans.
Bake cookies at 375 for 9-11 minutes. The cookies are done when the bottom edges are golden brown and the middle still looks slightly doughy.
Let baked cookies sit on the tray for at least 5-10 minutes before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to completely cool
Substitutions
Dark Chocolate Chips: You can use semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or even white chocolate chips with this recipe. I personally like the flavor of dark chocolate but feel free to substitute if it's not your cup of tea!
Light Brown Sugar: You can use dark brown sugar in place of light brown sugar. This won't dramatically alter the flavor, though it may be just a bit richer.
Pecans: If you don't like pecans, you can substitute for walnuts as well!
Equipment
Electric hand mixer or Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Storage
Pecan chocolate chip cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for about 4-5 days. You can also freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
Top tip
Make sure to sprinkle a few crushed pieces of pecans on top of the cookie dough ball before baking. Press a few of the bigger pecan chunks in to ensure they stick. This topping not only gives the cookies an amazing crunch but also makes the final cookie look extra pretty with the texture of the pecans.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
The Best Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Tsp Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (melted and cooled)
- ⅔ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 ¼ Cup Pecans (divided )
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° degrees and line a baking sheet with silicone mats or parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt the butter and allow to cool.
- Crush pecans (if you have whole pecans) by placing them in a Ziploc bag and smashing them with a rolling pin or something that will crush the pecans into smaller pieces.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on high for about 30-60 seconds.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla and continue beating with an electric mixer until the wet ingredients are fully mixed and cohesive.
- In small amounts, about ½ cup at a time, add in the dry ingredients and beat on low between each addition. Once the flour mixture is completely incorporated stop mixing.
- Stir in the dark chocolate chips and 1 cup of crushed pecans.
- Scoop cookie dough balls (about 50g) onto the cookie sheet, ensuring the dough balls are at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the remaining pecans on the top of the unbaked cookies.
- Bake time for cookies is 9-11 minutes or until the bottom edges are golden brown and the top is slightly doughy.
- Allow to cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes and remove with a spatula, placing them on a wire rack to fully cool.
