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.
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.
Jump to:
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Kitchen Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Glass mixing bowls
- Large cookie scoop
- Extra large baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Oven thermometer
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.
More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
Leave a STAR REVIEW below if you try this recipe! Tag me on Instagram @treatsbytalija and for more ideas, check out the other desserts on my blog!
PrintBrown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
These brown butter pecan chocolate chip cookies are super flavorful thanks to the brown butter and maple-roasted pecans!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 8 cookies 1x
- Category: cookies
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Maple-Roasted Pecans:
- 70 grams chopped pecans
- 10 grams maple syrup
- 10 grams unsalted butter, melted
For the Brown Butter Cookie Dough:
- 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 15 grams water
- 125 grams light brown sugar
- 30 grams granulated sugar
- 60 grams egg yolks (from about 3 large eggs)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 155 grams all-purpose flour
- 10 grams cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, roughly chopped
Instructions
Roast the Pecans:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Spread pecans on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle over butter and maple syrup and toss to combine. Bake for 8-10 minutes, shaking pan halfway through baking, until the pecans are lightly browned and have a nutty aroma. Keep a close eye on them at the end of baking because they will go from perfectly roasted to burnt very quickly. The maple butter coating will harden as the pecans cool.
Make the Cookie Dough:
- Start by browning the butter. Cook the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it develops an amber color and nutty aroma. It will first melt, then bubble and sizzle, before it browns. This will take a few minutes. Immediately pour into a large bowl, making sure to scrape the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Cool for 15 minutes.
- While the brown butter is cooling, combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the water to the brown butter and stir. Add the brown sugar and white sugar and whisk vigorously until the mixture lightens in color.
- Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold until a thick cookie dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chunks and roasted pecans.
- Portion the dough into 7-8 large cookies. Place on a small baking sheet or a plate and cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to a day, before baking.
Bake the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Line 2 medium or 1 extra large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the chilled cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-17 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are a little underdone. The cookies will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet as they cool, so pull them before they look fully baked.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then enjoy them warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Chopped baking chocolate creates large, melty pools of chocolate. You can use chocolate chips instead, but your cookies will spread less. If they look too thick after baking, slam the pan against your counter right out of the oven and flatten the tops with a spoon or the back of a measuring cup.
- You can swap the pecans for walnuts, or any other type of nut. For plain chocolate chip cookies, try my brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 432
- Sugar: 28.1 g
- Sodium: 237.2 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.6 g
- Protein: 5.4 g
- Cholesterol: 56.3 mg
Keywords: pecan chocolate chip cookies, brown butter pecan cookies, easy cookie recipe
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