Chewy Pecan Butter Cookies

Name: Chewy Pecan Butter Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 78 min
Ingredients: 1 cup salted butter (softened); 1 cup brown sugar (lightly packed); 1 cup granulated sugar (plus 2 tablespoons for topping cookies); 1 cup pecan butter (room temperature); 2 large eggs (room temperature); 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla; ½ teaspoon almond extract; 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled); ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¾ teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup pecans (finely chopped or ground into panko crumb consistency)

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These Chewy Pecan Butter Cookies are soft with a chewy texture, nice crisp edges, and exploding with pecan flavor! The incredible taste of butter pecan wrapped up cookie form!

In my opinion, there really isn't anything better than a soft chewy cookie recipe. They are perfect for just about any occasion. Great to share as a gift, enjoy for game night, or your favorite holiday cookie exchange!

Up close image of a stack of pecan butter cookies on a wire baking rack.

Crumbly edges
Packed with flavor
Extra soft and chewy center
Crisp sugar coating

This post is sponsored by Millican Pecan Company in conjunction with #FallFlavors week. All opinions are my own.

We love all things pecan around our house and when I received this wonderful box of joy from Millican Pecan Company, who have been in business in Texas since 1888! Yep — That is right, 1888. And you can certainly tell!

The pecan halves and pieces were so fresh and delicious. And I have to say the jar of pecan butter was the best I have ever tasted!

I knew right away I had to put this jar to test with my soft and chewy pecan butter cookies! Oh my, they are the best batch I have made yet!

These soft and chewy pecan cookies aren't too thick, have crispy edges, and have a super soft chewy center! They have all the flavors of butter pecan ice cream wrapped in a cookie.

Ingredients

Butter: Butter keeps the cookie tender adds flavor and moisture. I use a salted butter and skip the salt in this recipe. If you have unsalted butter use it and add in ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Brown and Granulated Sugar: The mix gives just the right amount of sweetness, softness and texture to the cookie. I like to use dark brown because of the extra molases content. However, light brown sugar will work as well.
Pecan Butter: This gives flavor and a creamy texture to the cookies. I have found not all pecan butters are exactly alike. When I use the Millican Pecan Butter I never open the jar to find that oily residue on the top. It's nice and creamy with a little texture of the pecans. If you find that there is excess oil on the top of your jar, I recommend pouring some of it off and then stirring the pecan butter before measuring it out.
Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. The eggs bind the cookie together and add moisture.
Vanilla & Almond Extract: The extracts add flavor and depth to the cookie. I like to sneak in a little almond extract for a surprise something you can't quite put your finger on, while making the cookies amazing.
Flour: All-purpose flour spooned and measured will ensure you get the correct amount of flour you need. I don't find it necessary to sift if you use a good quality flour, but you can if you want to.
Baking Soda and Powder: These are levening agents for the cookies and help give it the texture and a little lift. This combination gives these cookies perfect bite.

Pecan butter cookie on a wooden tablescape with jar of Millican Pecan Butter in the background.

How to Make These Cookies

✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and instructions!

These soft and chewy pecan cookies comes together in about 10 minutes!

Step 1 | Prepare Pecans

Collage image of pulsing pecans into a panko crumb like consistency.

In a food processor, pulse pecans until ground. I like to make them about the consistency of panko crumbs. You can also use a good blender or a knife to cut them.

If you prefer a larger piece of pecan you can chop them into the size you like. It really is a matter of preference and they are delicious either way.

You can even toast the pecans first for more flavor. It's super easy too do!

Step 2 | Cream Butter

Collage image of creaming butter and sugar and then adding in eggs and extract.

In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs and extracts.

Step 3 | Add in flour mixture and ground pecans

Add in flour, baking soda, and baking powder and combine. Then stir in ground pecans.

Step 4 | Chilling the Dough

This step is very important to keep the cookie from spreading too quickly while cooking. You want to be sure the dough is firm to the touch and well set.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-hour. You can place it in the freezer for 30 minutes to speed up the time or can make it ahead up to 3 days before.

Step 5 | Preheat Oven and Bake

Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet. Use a small cookie scoop to form a 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inch scoop. You can also use a heaping tablespoon measuring spoon or roll it into a ball (each ball has about 1.5 tablespoons of dough).

Drop into a bowl of granulated sugar and roll around or sprinkle to coat the cookie dough.

Place pecan butter cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

Bake and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to finish cooling. (If you can resist eating them)

Overhead shot of pecan butter cookies on a wire baking rack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the most commonly asked questions about this recipe. If you don't find the answer to yours leave a comment below, I'll get back to you with an answer.

What is softened or room temperature butter?

Setting out your butter for about 1 to 2 hours will bring it to room temperature. You want it to come to about 65°. If you touch it with your finger, it will make an indention but won't sink through.

How can I quickly bring butter to room temperature?

If you happen to forget you can also place a cup of water in the microwave and bring it to a boil. About 1 to 2 minutes. Slice butter and quickly put it in the microwave for about 10 minutes along with the cup of water. The residual heat will evenly bring the butter to a softened state.

Why do you spoon and level flour?

This allows an accurate amount of flour to be used. If you pack your measuring cup too much you get more flour than the recipe calls for. To spoon and level you simply take a spoon and fluff the flour in the container. Then take the fluffed flour and spoon into a measuring cup. Then level off (to be even with the top of the measuring cup) with a knife or the handle of the spoon.

Stacked soft chewy pecan butter cookies on a wooden tray with scatter pecans and sugar and milk in background.

Variations

Make these with peanut butter and ground peanuts instead of pecans. So good too.
Add ½ cup of chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, or toffee bits into the batter for a little something extra.
Put 1 tablespoon of cinnamon in the sugar you roll the cookie in. For a snickerdoodle like flavor.

Tips

Want more intense flavor toast pecans before adding them to the recipe.
Make sure the dough is well chilled. It is so important to get a nice chewy center. It also doesn't allow the cookie to be too flat!
Don't overbake them! When the cookies come out of the oven they should be a light golden brown, still soft in the middle. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, they will finish baking as they cool. This will keep your cookies soft and chewy. If you wait until the center is firm, the result will be an over-baked hard cookie.

Metal tray with pecan butter cooked set on top with a orange and white checked cloth underneath.

Storage Instructions

Make Ahead Instructions:

You can make the dough for these soft and chewy pecan cookies and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Just before serving roll in sugar and bake.

Freezing Tips:

Place scooped cookie dough or balls without sugar-coating on a baking tray in one layer in the freezer and allow cookies to completely freeze. Remove cookies from the baking tray and place them in a freezer-safe plastic bag. Let frozen cookie dough balls sit on the counter for 15 - 30 minutes, roll in sugar, then bake for an extra minute. No need to completely thaw.
Unbaked cookie dough balls, without sugar-coating, freeze well for up to 3 months.

Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to eat, allow the cookies to thaw on the counter at room temperature until softened through.

Room Temperature Storage:

Keep baked soft and chewy pecan cookies in a sealed, airtight container or ziplock bag on the counter for 3 to 4 days.

Stacked cookies on a dark wooden table with a tray of cookies in the backdrop

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CAN YOU SMELL THAT AROMA? FALL IS IN THE AIR!

I am so excited! It's that time of year! Time for Fall Flavors Week! A week where multiple food bloggers, like myself, share fall-inspired recipes, and offer a fantastic giveaway, too!

We have a group of sponsors that have donated some amazing prizes, and you can enter to win them right here on this blog post. Check it out below!

More #FallFlavors Recipes Below:

Appetizers and Snacks

Fall Charcuterie Board from The Fresh Cooky

Breakfast and Baked Goods

Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes from SueBee Homemaker
Pecan Butter Bread with Apple Cider Butter from That Recipe

Soups and Salads

Gullah Chicken Stew from Family Around The Table

Side Dishes

Air Fryer Carrots from Devour Dinner
Sweet Potato Gratin from Palatable Pastime

Main Dishes

Autumn Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner from Jen around the world
Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Cipollini Onion Taco With Hatch Chili Cream from Magical Ingredients

Desserts

Apple Cider Caramel Dip from The Spiffy Cookie
Butter Pecan Cake from Lemon Blossoms
Chewy Pecan Butter Cookies from Soulfully Made
Chocolate Chip Pecan Truffles from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Fresh Peach Pie from Hostess At Heart
Honeybun Cake from House of Nash Eats
Pecan Sandies from Eat Move Make

Chewy Pecan Butter Cookies

Ingredients