These brown butter pecan cookies have a rich, buttery flavor and are packed full of candied, buttered pecans and lots of caramely brown sugar. Our butter pecan cookies have crispy edges, soft and chewy centers, for the perfect cookie.
In a large pot, over medium heat, place your butter (for the cookies) and let it melt. Brown the butter until it reaches a deep amber color. Pour into a bowl and place in the fridge or freezer until the butter returns to a solid state.
While the butter is chilling, butter the pecans.In a frying pan, over medium-high heat, melt 1 ½ tablespoons of butter. Addpecan halves and stir around until coated in butter.
In a small bowl mix together the sugar cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle over the pecans and stir until the pecans are coated evenly. Continue to cook over medium to medium-high heat until the sugar has melted and caramelized. Be careful to not let the sugar burn.
Remove the pecans from heat and pour on to apiece of parchment paper to let cool.
Separate out 20-24 pecan pieces for topping your cookies with. Then, finely chop the remaining pecans for adding to the cookie dough.
Once the brown butter has returned to a solid, room temperature state, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add butter, sugar, and dark brown sugar to a mixing bowl or stand mixer. Cream together for 1 minute.
Add in eggs and vanilla and cream together on high for 3 minutes. The mixture should be pale and light and fluffy.
Add in the cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and flour to the creamed mixture. Mix until just barely incorporated and evenly dispersed.
1. Stir in chopped pecans until evenly dispersed. Scoop¼ cup of dough into a ball. Roll dough in sugar before placing on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper, a silicone mat, or greased. Leave plenty of room for the cookies to spread (I usually place 6 on a baking sheet).Top dough balls with a pecan half and bake for 9-11 minutes. Let cookies cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Yields 20-24 cookies.
Notes
Storing at Room Temperature
I like to store my cookies on the counter, loosely coved. They’re freshest if eaten within the first 2 days.
Storing in the Freezer
Feel free to freeze these cookies to enjoy later! Cool the cookies completely before transferring to an airtight container. I like to put them in a freezer gallon bag and squeeze all the air out. Let the cookies thaw completely before eating. They are best eaten within 3 months.Can I make these butter pecan cookies smaller?These buttery brown sugar pecan cookies are designed to be big. Big cookies give you the perfect ratio of crispy edges and soft, chewy centers. By making the cookies smaller, you will lose some of the soft, chewy centers. If you decide to make them smaller anyway, you will need to adjust the bake time.