Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

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These brown butter pecan chocolate chip cookies are the most flavorful cookies you'll EVER have thanks to the nutty brown butter and maple-roasted pecans. The contrast in textures between the crunchy pecans, melty chocolate, soft cookie centers and crisp edges take these cookies to the next level.

Chocolate chip cookies arranged on a round black wire rack with crinkled parchment paper underneath

I don't even know where to start with this post. These cookies are so amazing in all ways- flavor, texture, thickness, I cannot even tell you. Massive pools of melty chocolate. Crunchy maple-roasted pecans. Crisp edges. Soft and chewy centers. Caramel and butterscotch flavors from brown butter and brown sugar. Ultra thick and giant. They are butter pecan ice cream in cookie form. All the beautiful cozy fall flavors melding together.

They are absolutely perfect- my #1 favorite cookie recipe- and maybe my favorite recipe period from my blog. And when you run a dessert blog, you know your sweets!!!

(But even though these are my favorite, my brown butter chocolate chip cookies and small batch chewy chocolate chip cookies are a close 2nd and 3rd...)

I'll leave it at this: you have to make these. You just have to.

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Ingredients
Step By Step Instructions
FAQ
Kitchen Equipment
Storing and Freezing Instructions
More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookie pulled apart on crinkled parchment paper

Ingredients

Butter: You will brown a stick of butter for the cookie dough, which only takes 10 minutes to do and gives your cookies an unparalleled nutty, caramel-like flavor. A small amount of butter is also toasted with the pecans.
Sugar: Brown sugar and white sugar create soft and chewy cookies with crisp edges.
Egg yolks: I know it's annoying, but using 3 egg yolks instead of whole eggs is KEY for extra moist, chewy cookies. Use the extra egg whites to make meringue cookies or pavlova.
Vanilla & salt
Flour
Cornstarch: The secret for super soft cookies!
Baking soda
Baking chocolate: My #1 tip to INSTANTLY upgrade your chocolate chip cookies is to use chopped chocolate! Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that prevent them from fully melting down, while baking chocolate doesn't, creating massive pools of melty chocolate. If you use chocolate chips instead, not only will your cookies be less rich and gooey, but they will spread less.
Pecans: I recommend using raw pecans for this recipe since you will roast them in the oven.
Maple syrup: A little maple syrup is added to the pecans for extra flavor.

Step By Step Instructions

STEP 1: Roast the pecans. Toss the pecans with some butter and maple syrup and bake for 8-10 minutes or until they browned and fragrant.

STEP 2: Brown the butter. Browning butter is so easy and instantly upgrades the flavor of any recipe. Just cook the butter over medium heat in a pan, stirring constantly, until it develops a nutty aroma and dark amber color. Pour into a bowl, then cool for 15 minutes.

STEP 3: Whisk the dry ingredients. While the brown butter cools, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.

STEP 4: Whisk the wet ingredients. Stir water into the brown butter, then whisk in the white sugar and brown sugar. Beat the mixture vigorously until it lightens in color, then whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla.

Close-up shot of deep brown roasted pecans on a sheet of parchment paper

Very thick mixture of brown butter and sugars whisked together in a large glass bowl over a beige surface

The egg yolks and vanilla poured into the butter and sugar mixture but not yet combined

Thick, yellow mixture of wet ingredients being whisked together in a large glass bowl

STEP 5: Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold until a thick cookie dough forms. Fold in the chocolate.

Overhead shot of the dry ingredients poured on top of the wet ingredients, about to be folded together using a white spatula

Overhead shot of thick, moist cookie dough being folded together with a white spatula

Close-up shot of the large chocolate chunks and maple roasted pecans being folded into the cookie dough

Close up shot of finished cookie dough in a large glass bowl

STEP 6: Scoop the dough. Scoop the dough into 8-10 large portions.

STEP 7: Chill. Cover and chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours and up to a day. I've found that the dough dries out too much after more than a day or so in the fridge.

STEP 8: Bake. Arrange the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 14-17 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers look a little underdone.

STEP 9: Cool and serve. Let the cookies cool on the hot baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature.

FAQ

When are my cookies done baking?

The #1 rule for baking cookies is to ALWAYS pull them out before they look fully done! The edges should look golden brown and the centers should look just a tad doughy. The cookies will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet as they cool.

Why are my cookies flat?

If your cookies turn out flat, chill the cookie dough before baking, let the brown butter cool before whisking in the sugars (if it's too hot, the sugars will melt), and use an oven thermometer to test how accurate your oven is. If your oven runs cool, your cookies will spread more.

Can I leave out the nuts?

For plain chocolate chip cookies, try my brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe. You can also swap the pecans for an equal amount of walnuts or any other type of nut.

Close-up shot of a single chocolate chip cookie on a black wire rack

Kitchen Equipment

Storing and Freezing Instructions

You can cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for up to 2-3 days before baking, or freeze the cookie dough for up to 2-3 months. The cookies can be baked straight out of the freezer, but they may spread a tad less and take an extra minute or two in the oven. The baked and cooled cookies can also be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.