Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

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Soft, chewy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies with brown butter. Fast to make, no need to chill the dough or even wait for the brown butter to fully cool. These fabulous bakery-style cookies are a crowd pleaser! Freezer friendly.

Prep Time25

Cook Time10

Total Time35

Servings:

Author: Bri Beaudoin

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)

US Customary - Metric

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.

Nutrition