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These irresistibly soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are a perfect option when a cookie craving hits. Only about 15 minutes to prep filled with toasted pecans and all the chocolate chips. A new family favorite cookie you will love!
There is NOTHING that beats freshly baked homemade chocolate chip cookies. These pecan chocolate chip cookies are a delicious soft and chewy cookie with some extra crunch and a sweet salty nuttiness thanks to the toasted pecans.
We love our chocolate chip cookies around here, so check out my small batch chocolate chip cookie version as well as these peppermint chip cookies for other delicious treats! And if you are up for more cookie baking, these are other favorites: Nutella Thumbprint Cookies, Key Lime Cookies and Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies.
And if you want to add to your holiday recipes, try these Ginger Cream Cookies, Cream Cheese Pecan Snowball Christmas Cookies or these favorite of mine, Pumpkin Spice Molasses Cookies.
Why You Will Love These Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies:
- They are super soft and chewy. The chewiness comes from melting the butter and then chilling the dough after prepared. Corn starch helps with softness and gives them some extra lift. And plenty of brown sugar gives these cookies moisture for the perfect soft and chewy cookie.
- A simple twist on everyone’s favorite cookie. Nothing wrong with the classic, but if you are craving something a little more, adding toasted pecans makes for a sweet and slightly salty, crunchy cookie that you will love.
- These cookies are LOADED! All the melty chocolate chips and big chunks of toasted crunchy pecans. If you like your cookie recipes packed with extras, these chocolate chip pecan cookies are going to be a big hit!
- Freezer friendly. You can easily freeze the dough or the cookies–your choice! That helps for later when a chocolate chip cookie craving comes on strong.
Recipe Ingredients:
- pecans: raw pecans are ideal. Pecan halves or chopped pecans are best. You can chop the halves into smaller pieces. I highly recommend toasting the pecans for the best cookies possible.
- butter: unsalted is what I used. Salted will work, just lessen the amount of salt you add to the cookies by half.
- sugars: regular granulated white sugar and light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar should work fine instead of light, the color of the cookie will end up darker and have a bolder flavor.
- eggs: large eggs, at room temperature for best results
- vanilla: use vanilla extract versus imitation vanilla if possible for the boldest flavor.
- flour: all purpose flour, measured by weight if possible, or spooned and leveled
- baking soda: make sure it’s fresh for the best cookies
- sea salt: my preference over table salt, but either will work
- corn starch: this adds a softness to this pecan chocolate chip cookie recipe. If possible, don’t skip this. However, the cookies will still work if you don’t have any
- chocolate chips: I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips but your favorite chocolate chips are fine! Milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, use what you have and love!
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- The key to these chocolate chip pecan cookies is all in the pecans. Take about 5 minutes to toast them up for a richer flavor that goes beyond just tossing a scoop of pecans into your cookies. In a nonstick skillet, heat the pecans for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat, or until they become fragrant. Don’t overcook them as they will still cook more in the oven. You can sprinkle a bit of sea salt over the pecans if desired. Set them aside to cool.
- While toasting the pecans, melt the butter. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes or so, just make sure it’s not super hot. Whisk together the flour, salt, corn starch, and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat the ingredients until smooth and incorporated. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until incorporated. You can use a hand mixer or stir here but I find the mixer to be much easier.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and toasted chopped pecans. From here, you will need to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes but ideally at least 2 hours.
- If you are only have time to chill for 30 minutes, you can add an extra 1/4 cup of flour for less spreading, so that would make the cookies 375 grams versus the 340. I still find these come out much better chilled much longer to allow the melted butter to solidify once again.
- If you are able to chill the chocolate chip pecan cookie dough for long enough, you will want to scoop them and roll them into balls with a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop. I like to roll them into balls versus just scooping as they will spread a bit less and come out thicker and chewier. If the dough is too warm to roll, you can chill the bowl of dough for about 30 minutes before rolling into balls.
- Once the dough has chilled thoroughly, remove them from the refrigerator and allow to soften for just a few minutes before baking. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies for about 9-12 minutes or until the edges begin to become slightly golden brown. The center may look a bit too soft, but they will be just fine and continue to set a bit on their own.
- Allow the baked cookies to cool for about 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- One the cookies are cooled, enjoy! (But also, everyone knows that we all burnt our mouth not being able to wait to take a bite, right?!)
Recipe Tips
- I recommend weighing your flour for best results. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, stir the flour to aerate before measuring. Then spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level with a knife. Don’t scoop your measuring cup straight into the flour as this can cause you to measure much more flour than needed and your cookies will not spread and be dry.
- Make sure your baking soda is fresh. Expired or baking soda that isn’t fresh can cause flat cookies and no one wants that! Test your baking soda using this method.
- Because these chocolate chip pecan cookies use melted butter, chilling is a MUST. The wait will pay off in the end as the melted butter is a big reason for the chewy texture. If you don’t chill the dough, they will definitely spread.
- It is better to under bake these cookies. If you are worried about the cookies being too soft on top, you should be okay pulling them out once the edges become golden. The cookies still bake slightly even when pulled from the oven.
- To date, I have not tested this recipe with a gluten free flour. However, I have had lots of luck with King Arthur’s and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free baking flour in other cookie recipes.
Storage Instructions:
These pecan chip cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for about 4-5 days. Adding a slice of white bread to your air tight container can help keep them at their softest.
To freeze, make sure the cookies are completely cooled and then freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
To freeze the cookie dough:
Spoon and roll into balls. Line evenly on a plate or tray to allow the dough to flash freeze. After about 2 hours, transfer to a freezer safe sealed container. Store the cookie dough for up to 3 months.
Allow the dough to completely thaw before baking or bake frozen and add about 1-2 minutes at the most to baking time if baking frozen cookie dough. Mine cooked perfectly in just over 12 minutes.
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Variations:
These cookies are amazing as is, but here are some other ways to vary them:
- vary the chocolate chips. Use dark or milk chocolate or add in some chopped chocolate for an elegant look.
- add a sprinkle of sea salt fresh from the oven for a sweet and salty flavor
- stir in a teaspoon of espresso powder for a mocha flavor cookie
- Toss in some M&Ms. If you are looking to make these pecan chip cookies more festive, red and green are great during the holidays!
- Add a few tablespoons of sprinkles
- dried cranberries or raisins are also great
Other Cookie Recipes:
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
- Lucky Charm Cookies
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Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
These irresistibly soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are a perfect option when a cookie craving hits. Only about 15 minutes to prep filled with toasted pecans and all the chocolate chips. A new family favorite cookie you will love!
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 c all-purpose flour , (340 g)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted (2 sticks), slightly cooled
- 1 c light brown sugar
- 3/4 c sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- 1½ c chopped pecans
- 2 c chocolate chips
Instructions
- Note: This cookie dough needs to be chilled.
- In a skillet, toast the pecans for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently until the pecans are lightly toasted and begin to become fragrant. Set them aside to cool. (Make sure they are cooled or they will melt the chocolate chips in the dough.)
- Whisk together the flour, sea salt, baking soda and corn starch. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat together the melted butter and sugars until smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. (You can use a whisk for this part but I prefer the mixer.)
- Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Don't over mix. Just mix until the flour is incorporated. You can use a hand mixer or spoon for this part. Then fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans.
- Chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours and up to about 2 days. For ease in forming the cookies, chill the dough for about 30 minutes and then use a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop and roll into balls. Arrange on a parchment lined dish or container and chill for the remaining time.
- Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Allow the cookie dough to sit out for about 5-10 minutes to slightly soften before arranging 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 9-12 minutes or until the edges become golden. The top may look undercooked, but they will still set. Better to under cook than over cool.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to fully cool. Store for about 4-5 days in an air tight container at room temperature.
Notes
- I recommend weighing your flour for best results. If you don’t have a scale, stir the flour to aerate before measuring. Then spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level with a knife. Don’t scoop your measuring cup straight into the flour as this can cause you to measure much more flour than needed and your cookies will not spread and be dry.
- Because these chocolate chip pecan cookies use melted butter, chilling is a MUST. The wait will pay off in the end as the melted butter is a big reason for the chewy texture. If you don’t chill the dough, they will definitely spread.
- It is better to under bake these cookies. If you are worried about the cookies being too soft on top, you should be okay pulling them out once the edges become golden. The cookies still bake slightly even when pulled from the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 205kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 76mg, Potassium: 42mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 196IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question?Leave a comment below!
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I wish I could post a picture of how well my cookies turned out! This is an excellent recipe! My husband said these chocolate chip pecan cookies are the best he’s eaten! Trust me…this recipe is a keeper!!! – Gina W.
Gina thank you so much for taking the time to share this! Made my day!
Delicious! I’m in butter chocolate pecan heaven! Thank you!
That is what I am talking about! Amazing to hear!
These were delicious. My boyfriend can’t stop eating them lol
Ha, they have a tendency to be that addicting–glad they were a hit!