I tested 14 versions of Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies before landing on the best one. They’re soft, chewy, and easy to make. No chill time required! Brown butter adds rich flavor, with melty chocolate and toasted pecans in every bite. My family and friends keep asking for the recipe, so I figured it was time to write it up and share.
As a professional recipe developer, I don’t stop testing until a recipe feels just right. I spent months perfecting Brown Butter Walnut Cookies for my cookbook. This recipe builds on that—with a streamlined method for the best homemade chocolate pecan cookies.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Tested Until Perfect: After 14 rounds of testing, this Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie recipe is a winner. Soft, chewy, and packed with chocolate and pecans. These cookies have it all!
- Fast (no fridge time needed): Unlike other recipes, you won't need to wait for the brown butter to fully cool. And you don't have to chill the dough before baking.
- Deep, bakery style flavor: Brown butter adds rich, nutty flavor that makes these cookies taste extra special. Pre-toasting the pecans makes them even better.
- Not too sweet: Some cookies are overly sweet. These aren’t. The flavor is balanced and just right.
- Make ahead friendly: You can make the dough ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer. Dough balls can be baked straight from the freezer, just like my Cardamom Sugar Cookies.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
Here are the ingredients you'll need for this Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe:
- All Purpose Flour: When baking, it's important to measure flour as accurately as possible. For best results, use a kitchen scale. Otherwise fluff the flour, gently spoon it into a measuring cup, then level it off with the back of a knife.
- Butter: Unsalted butter gives you the most control. But I've also tested this recipe with salted butter and it works in a pinch.
- Egg: One large egg is all you need. For this recipe, there's no need to bring the egg up to room temperature. Fridge cold is fine, because the butter will still be slightly warm.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and flavor. Make sure to pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup—or use a kitchen scale.
- Cinnamon: We're using a tiny bit of cinnamon to round out the flavors—but not so much that it'll taste like "cinnamon cookies".
- Pecans: Quickly toasting the nuts helps enhance their flavor and aroma. I like to do this while the oven pre-heats, so it's quick and hands-off. You can substitute walnuts.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Since the dough isn't overly sweet, I found semi-sweet chocolate chips to bring the perfect sweetness. You can substitute chopped semi-sweet chocolate (from a bar), rather than chocolate chips.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
How to make Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
This recipe is made for when you want cookies now. You don’t need to let the brown butter fully cool and you don’t have to chill the dough. So you can enjoy warm cookies in just over 30 minutes!
But you can make the dough up to 24 hours in advance and let rest it in the fridge.
Here's how to make my soft and chewy chocolate pecan cookie recipe:
1. Brown the butter in a saucepan. (Light colored pan recommended, see Tips).
2. Beat brown butter with sugars, then mix in egg and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add dry ingredients and mix half-way, then add toasted pecans and chocolate.
4. Optional - Refrigerate dough for 1-24 hours. (Or, proceed to bake).
5. Scoop dough into 3-tablespoon portions. Arrange on parchment lined baking sheet.
6. Bake on the middle rack until the edges are golden but middle is still slightly soft.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
As you'll see below, I did a lot of cookie testing! Here are my tips for how to bake the best chocolate and pecan cookies in your own kitchen.
- Best pot for browning butter: A light-colored pot makes it easy to see the butter change color. It browns fast, so watch closely! I prefer stainless steel, since enameled cast iron holds more heat which'll keep browning the butter after you remove it from the stove.
- Bake by weight if possible: A kitchen scale makes baking easier. Weighing is faster, more accurate, and creates fewer dirty dishes. I publish baking recipes in both volume and weight, to accommodate everyone's needs. To see ingredient weights, simply select "Metric" on the Recipe Card.
- Don't over mix: Add the chocolate chips and pecans when there's still streaks of flour in the dough. This prevents you from over mixing, so your cookies stay soft and tender.
- Don't doubt the cookie size: I call for 3-tbsp portions of dough. It makes a larger cookie, which stays moist (especially since they're a bit lighter on sugar). I like to use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop for even, round cookies
- How to get perfectly round cookies: While the cookies are still hot, you can use the edge of a flexible spatula to round out the edges. You can see a photo of me doing this in my Single Serve Oatmeal Cookie recipe.
- Extra toppings: For an extra pretty finish, you can also add extra chocolate chips and/or pecans to the tops of the cookies while they're hot from the oven. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt is delicious too!
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Recipe FAQ's
Although it's not necessary for this recipe, refrigerating the dough helps develop the flavor slightly. The flour hydrates more. The result is the cookies spread less, so bake up a bit taller.
The impact of refrigerating depends on how long they are refrigerated: it took 6 hours for most to notice some difference, with 12-24 hours being more noticeable I don't recommend refrigerating more than 24 hours, since you then face the risk of the dough drying out.
Yes, you can scoop and freeze the raw cookie dough. The frozen dough balls can be baked from frozen. I recommend baking frozen cookie dough at a slightly lower oven temperature for longer, so they don't get too brown. See Recipe Card for full details.
Best enjoyed within 3 to 4 days. I prefer to store them in a resealable freezer bag, so you can remove as much air as possible to keep them fresh. But an airtight container works too.
You can freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months and defrost on the counter as needed.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (see note 1)
- 1 cup all purpose flour (see note 2)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup pecans
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃), with rack in the center position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make brown butter: Melt ½ cup unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat (see note 4). Using a silicone spatula, stir frequently to scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Once the butter begins to foam, 3 to 5 minutes in, stir constantly until golden brown and smells nutty. Immediately transfer all the brown butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl, if using electric beaters). Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Toast nuts: Scatter ½ cup pecans on the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Roughly chop nuts then set aside to cool.
- Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Wet ingredients: To the bowl of slightly cooled brown butter, add ⅓ cup dark brown sugar and ⅓ cup granulated sugar. Mix at medium speed, until the sugars are incorporated and the butter has cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Add 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, mix until completely smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes.
- Mix: Add dry ingredients to wet, mix on low speed until faint flour streaks remain. Scatter in pecans and ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, mix on low just until incorporated (don't overmix). (Refrigerate dough, if desired - see note 5).
- Scoop & Bake: Scoop 3-tablespoon portions of cookie dough (golf-ball sized). Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) between them. (I usually bake 6 cookies on a 18 x 13-inch baking sheet). Bake until the edges are golden but the centres are still slightly soft, 10 to 12 minutes. If desired, sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for best results. In a pinch, you can substitute with the same quantity of salted butter.
- Flour: Weigh flour if you can (see note 3). Otherwise, fluff the flour in the container with a fork, spoon into a cup, and level with the back of a knife.
- Baking by Weight: To see ingredient weights, make sure "Metric" is selected on the Recipe Card (rather than "US Customary").
- Tip for Browning Butter: A light colored pan makes it easier to see the butter changing color. If you can, choose stainless steel over cast iron. Cast iron holds a lot of heat and keeps browning the butter after you remove it from the stove. If using cast iron, take the butter off while it's a bit lighter and transfer it to the bowl quickly.
- Refrigerating Dough: These cookies are delicious baked right away. (This is what I usually end up doing). But you can refrigerate the dough up to 24 hours, if you'd like. Rested dough will have slightly improved flavor and cookies bake up taller (won't spread as much). Make sure the dough is in an airtight container so it doesn't dry out.
- Storage Tips: Once cooled, store cookies in a bag or airtight container for 3–4 days. You can also freeze baked cookies and thaw at room temperature.
- Freezing Dough:Scoop dough into balls and freeze on a parchment lined tray until firm. Transfer frozen dough balls to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake frozen dough straight from the freezer. For best results, use a slightly lower oven temperature (325℉/165℃) and bake a couple minutes longer.
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