Soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are loaded with sweet chocolate chips and crunchy pecan pieces. These cookies are best enjoyed warm with a cold glass of milk and are absolutely delicious any time of year!
Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans are one of the most irresistible treats!
The combination of earthy, buttery, and sweet flavors from the pecans with the smooth chocolate morsels is so perfect, but it's even better when they're freshly baked.
We all love Pecan Pie at the holidays, and I always end up making my Pecan Pie Bars at some point in the fall.
Pecans aren't just for the holidays though, and neither are these cookies.
This recipe takes regular chocolate chip cookies to the next level. It's truly a cookie recipe to try.
Pecans seem like a pretty basic addition, but they work so well with the sweetness of the cookie dough and chocolate chips.
If you love the combination of chocolate and nut flavors, then you'll love my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, German Chocolate Cookies, Almond Joy Cookies, or these No Bake Avalance Bars!
Shopping List
Wet Ingredients. Butter, Vanilla Extract, Egg
Dry Ingredients. All-Purpose Flour, Granulated White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cornstarch, Salt
Chocolate. Chocolate Chip, Chopped Pecans
How to Make the Best Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 F Degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat and set aside
Cut cold Butter into cubes, and cream together Butter and Granulated Sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy.
This will take about 2-3 minutes on medium or high speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer. I use a paddle attachment with my stand mixer when creaming ingredients together.
Add Egg and Vanilla Extract, and cream until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure you're using all the ingredients.
Mix in Brown Sugar and continue to cream for 2-3 additional minutes.
Add the flour mixture of All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
Stir Chocolate Chips and chopped pecans into the cookie dough using a wooden spoon. Don't over mix this bit.
I like to use a rough chop pecan who larger pieces of nut. But feel free to chop in small pieces if you wish.
Scoop cookie dough into cookie dough balls using a #24 cookie scoop which is about 3 tablespoons of cookie dough.
TIP: Add additional chocolate chips and pecans on top of the cookie dough before baking or you can poke additional chocolate chips and pecans on top of baked cookies for the best visual appeal.
Bake at 350 F Degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are set. Centers will still be soft.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
How do cookies bake differently with nuts added?
Often times recipes with nuts tend to bake a little quicker than the same recipe without nuts.
Let me explain. When the nut heats up it acts like a little mini oven inside the cookie dough and will bake the cookie dough quicker from the center out.
For this reason make sure to watch the baking time with cookies with nuts that you do not over bake the cookies.
When the edges are set and the center is no longer glossy it's time to remove the cookies from the oven.
Storage & Freezing
Store: Store your chocolate chip pecan cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock bag once they have completely cooled. Cookies will stay fresh for up to 7 days, but they are best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
Freeze: These cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months, which is perfect for preparing for the holidays! Store cookies in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap between each cookie to prevent them from sticking together.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add more flavor. Sprinkle some sea salt on top of the cookies to enhance the flavors and add more contrast to the sweetness in the cookies. You could also use Almond Extract or Lemon Extract instead of Vanilla Extract for a different-flavored cookie.
- Use any baking chips. Use white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or even semi-sweet chocolate chips to add extra sweetness and a smooth chocolatey texture to the cookies. You can also try butterscotch, peanut butter, or caramel chips to change the flavor.
- Try different nuts. Why not try using different kinds of nuts for a different flavor? Walnuts, peanuts, or macadamia nuts would work well.
- Chocolate or Peanut Butter cookies. Add some cocoa powder to the cookie dough to make Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies, or some Peanut Butter to make Peanut Butter Pecan Cookies.
Pro Tips
What makes a good cookie? Does it have a soft center and crispy edges, and is it chewy? Each of these makes a great quality cookie. To make perfect cookies every time here are some pro tips.
Weighing Ingredients.
Baking is a science and adding too much or too little of any of the ingredients will alter the recipe. Weighing and measuring dry ingredients properly makes a world of difference. Investing in a kitchen scale is ideal. When a kitchen scale is not available, make sure to stir and lift ingredients before scooping them into a measuring cup.
| Volume | Ounces | Grams | |
| All Purpose Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Bread Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Granulated Sugar | 1 Cup | 7 Ounces | 200 Grams |
| Brown Sugar | 1 Cup | 7½ Ounces | 213 Grams |
| Confectionary Sugar | 1 Cup | 4 Ounces | 113 Grams |
Crisp Edges.
The secret to getting crisp edges and soft centers at the same time is to bake your cookies in a preheated, hot oven for a shorter amount of time. The longer you cook your cookies, the harder they will be. It's always best to underbake cookies than overbake them.
Cookie Scoop.
Using a cookie scoop keeps each ball of cookie dough the same size, which is essential for ensuring even baking.
Baking Sheets.
You can use an ungreased cookie sheet if you prefer. I like to use Parchment Paper to line baking sheets or a Silicone Mat for easy cleanup.
Baking Time.
Every oven heats a little differently. I recommend doing a test batch of 1-3 cookies to test the baking time for a perfectly baked cookie before baking the remaining dough.
Cookies.
Cookies are perfectly baked when the edges are set and the centers are no longer glossy.
Cooling Rack.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Kitchen Scale. I use this for accuracy in measuring, and it's a lifesaver when it comes to consistent baking.
- Wire Rack for cooling cookies. I like to have at least two cooling racks.
- Mixing Bowls. A Large Mixing Bowl for mixing ingredients and small and medium mixing bowls for other ingredients.
- Cookie Sheet. Most recipes will take two batches to bake. It's great to have multiple baking sheets available.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat. Line the Cookie Sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cookie Scoop. A small #60 Cookie Scoop or a Medium Cookie Scoop #50 are great choices for uniform drops of cookie dough.
- Storage Container. An Airtight Container to store cookies or a Ziploc Bag works great too.
- Additional supplies. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons along with a silicone spatula, are all helpful.
To find out more, check out my Pro Tips Guide for making the best cookies every time!
Have you tried this Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie recipe?
Let me know what you think of this recipe! Tag @bestcookierecipes on social media so I can see how great your cookies turned out! I would also love to read your comments below. Let me know what you think of these cookies. It really does help!
More Chocolate and Nut Cookie Recipes
- Buckeye Bars
- Peanut Butter S'mores Cookies
- Monster Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies
- Peanut Butter Kisses Cookies
- Easy Reese's Pieces Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter Cold, Cut into Cubes
- ½ cup Brown Sugar 106g
- ¼ cup White Sugar 50g
- 1 Egg Large
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspooon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 3 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour 180g
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips
- ½ cup Pecans Chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F Degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat and set aside
- Cut cold Butter into cubes, and cream together Butter and Granulated Sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy. This will take about 2-3 minutes on medium or high speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Add Egg and Vanilla Extract, and cream until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to include all ingredients together.
- Mix in Brown Sugar and continue to cream for 2-3 additional minutes.
- Gradually add dry ingredients: All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cornstarch and Salt to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Stir Chocolate Chips and chopped pecans into the cookie dough.
- Scoop cookie dough into cookie dough balls using a #24 cookie scoop.
- TIP: Add additional chocolate chips and pecans on top of the cookie dough before baking.
- Bake at 350 F Degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are set. Centers will still be soft.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store: Store your chocolate chip pecan cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock bag once they have completely cooled. Cookies will stay fresh for up to 7 days but are best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
- Freeze: These cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months, which is perfect for preparing for the holidays! Store cookies in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap between each cookie to prevent them from sticking together.
Annette
The cornstarch isn't mentioned in the recipe directions.
Rebecca Johnston
So sorry, it's updated now. I add cornstarch with the other dry ingredients.
Annette
I have been baking for 46 years and this recipe is the best chocolate I have ever made! Thank you Rebecca
Rebecca Johnston
I love hearing this Annette! I think it's a perfect cookie too!