Pecan Pie Cookies

4.89 from 17 votes

Pecan Pie Cookies are a fun twist on classic Pecan Pie! Thick & chewy cinnamon cookies are filled with luscious pecan pie filling. Drizzle with chocolate for a fun twist!

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pecan Pie, Thanksgiving

Servings: cookies

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough

1 cup + 2 tbsp salted butter start with 254 grams. You'll want 206 grams left after browning. See note below.
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed 163 grams
3/4 cup granulated sugar 156 grams
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out 390 grams
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

For Rolling the Dough:

1/2 cup granulated sugar 105 grams
1 tbsp cinnamon

For the Pecan Pie Filling

1/2 cup salted butter 113 grams
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed 220 grams
1/2 cup heavy cream 120 grams
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp maple syrup 40 grams
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 and 1/2 cups pecans

For Drizzling

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted optional! 113 grams

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brown the Butter: Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter, stirring occasionally. Once it's melted, turn the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking the butter, stirring frequently. The butter will get foamy and bubbly, then turn a deep golden shade with a nutty, caramely aroma. (This will take about 4-6 minutes once the butter has melted.) Pour into a large bowl, making sure to scrape in the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and allow this to cool in the fridge while you gather the other ingredients. (See note below if you want to skip this step.)
1 cup + 2 tbsp salted butter
Make the Cookie Dough: Make sure your butter is warm but not hot before beginning. Add the sugars to the mixing bowl of butter, and whisk to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and combined, about 30-45 seconds. Stir in the dry ingredients, using a little elbow grease to get all the dry bits incorporated (yes, it will come together into a nice moist dough).
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 3/4 cup granulated sugar , 2 large eggs, at room temperature , 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out , 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon
Scoop, Roll, & Chill Cookie Dough: Stir together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl for rolling the dough balls. Scoop the dough into balls 65 grams in size. Roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Then, chill dough balls in an airtight container in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
1/2 cup granulated sugar , 1 tbsp cinnamon
Bake Cookies: Preheat oven to 365 ℉ and line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place 6 cookies on each sheet, allowing room for them to spread. (I prefer to bake one pan at a time, and keep the remaining dough in the fridge or freezer so it stays cold.)
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes (they will take 12 if frozen). Cookies will appear a little bit puffy on top and the edges will appear just set. Don't over bake them - they will set up to the perfect soft-baked texture as they cool. Immediately place a round cutter around the outside of each cookie and swirl the cookie within it to "scoot" them into perfect circles. This also helps them appear thicker.
Let cookies cool on baking sheet placed on a wire rack for a few minutes before using the back of a tablespoon measuring spoon to make an indent. Let cookies cool completely before filling them.
Tip: If a little bit of gooey dough is showing inside of the indents, that's fine! The inside of the cookie will always appear a tad underdone when it's right out of the oven. They will set up as they cool.
Make the Pecan Pie Filling: Melt the butter and brown sugar in a pan over medium heat. Let it start bubbling, then reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, and the remaining topping ingredients. Stir the pecans around to get them all coated in the mixture, and then cook for a minute longer before removing the pan from the heat. Let it set for a few minutes to thicken up a bit (speed this up in the fridge).
1/2 cup salted butter, 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 1/2 cup heavy cream , 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract , 2 and 1/2 cups pecans
Serve & Store: Spoon pecan filling into the cookies and enjoy! Drizzle over melted chocolate if desired. Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted
Make-Ahead Tips: Cookie dough can be rolled into balls & refrigerated up to 48 hours, or frozen up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, following the cues above for doneness. Baked & cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 24 hours before filling & serving. The filling can be made a day in advance, cooled at room temperature, then stored in the fridge. Gently reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave before using.

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