Pecan Pie Cookies
These Pecan Pie Cookies are thick chocolate chip pecan cookies with a gooey pecan pie filling spooned into the center of each one. You get the brown sugar and pecan topping from a classic pecan pie sitting on top of a soft, thick cookie, then a chocolate drizzle over the whole thing.
The dough needs an hour in the fridge, so these are not a last minute bake. That chill is what keeps them tall instead of flat, and it gives you time to cook the pecan topping while the first tray is in the oven. My Biscoff Stuffed White Chocolate Cookies chill the same way if you want another big bakery style cookie. And if caramel and pecans together are your thing, my Turtle Thumbprint Cookies use the same pairing in a smaller bite.
Why you’ll love these Pecan Pie Cookies
The Best Pecan Pie Cookies for Thanksgiving, Holiday Cookie Trays, and Fall Baking
Pecan pie is a Thanksgiving standard, and these give you the same flavor without plates and forks. They travel well, they hold up on a dessert table for hours, and one batch makes about 16 cookies, so there is enough to go around.
Georgia has historically been the biggest pecan growing state in the country, so pecan desserts turn up everywhere around Atlanta once fall hits. These sit nicely next to an Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe on a Thanksgiving table, and they hold their own on a December tray of Easy Christmas Cookies.
Ingredients Needed for Pecan Pie Cookies
- For the cookies
- Butter: Softened, not melted. Softened butter creams with the sugars and traps air, and that air is part of what makes these thick.
- Brown sugar: Brings moisture and molasses flavor that works with the pecans.
- Granulated sugar: Helps the edges crisp while the centers stay soft.
- Eggs: Two large eggs, added once the butter and sugars are light and creamy.
- Vanilla extract: A full tablespoon. It sounds like a lot. It is not, and it rounds out all that brown sugar.
- All purpose flour: Spoon it into the cup and level it off rather than scooping straight from the bag, or the cookies turn out dry.
- Baking soda: One teaspoon for lift and browning.
- Salt: Keeps the sweetness in check.
- Cornstarch: One tablespoon. This is the quiet hero for soft, thick cookies that do not spread flat.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips: Folded in at the end so they stay whole.
- Pecans: Chopped fine for the dough so the cookies still scoop cleanly.
- For the pecan topping
- Butter: The base of the caramel.
- Dark brown sugar: Dark gives a deeper pecan pie flavor than light brown. Use dark if you have it.
- Heavy cream: Makes the topping creamy and spoonable instead of hard candy.
- Corn syrup: Keeps the filling glossy and smooth instead of grainy.
- Pecans: Chopped bigger this time so you can actually see them in the topping.
- Vanilla extract: Stirred in off the heat so it does not cook away.
- Fine sea salt: Balances the brown sugar and keeps the topping from tasting flat.
- For the chocolate drizzle
- Chocolate melting wafers: Wafers melt smooth and set firm on their own, so there is no tempering involved.
How to Make Pecan Pie Cookies
**For more detailed instructions, please refer to the printable recipe card below.**
Mix the wet ingredients. Beat the softened butter with both sugars until light and creamy, then add the eggs and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch, and mix just until a dough forms.
Fold in the chips and pecans. Stir the semi sweet chocolate chips and finely chopped pecans through the dough by hand.
Scoop, chill, bake. Scoop the dough into 3-ounce balls, place on lined baking sheets and chill for 1 hour. Bake for 14 minutes.
Cook the pecan topping. Boil the butter, dark brown sugar, heavy cream, and corn syrup for 30 seconds, then stir in the chopped pecans, vanilla, and sea salt off the heat.
Fill and drizzle. Spoon the warm topping into the cooled cookie, let it set for 30 minutes, then drizzle with melted chocolate.
Variations
- Swap the chocolate chips: Dark chocolate chips cut through the sweetness of the topping, and milk chocolate leans the whole thing toward turtle candy. Chunks work too if you want bigger melted pools.
- Toast the pecans first: Spread them on a dry sheet pan at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes before chopping. It is five extra minutes and it deepens the flavor in both the dough and the topping.
- Finish with flaky sea salt: Sprinkle a little over the topping right after you spoon it in. It sticks while the filling is warm and it makes the caramel taste more like caramel.
- Make a maple version: Use pure maple syrup in place of the corn syrup. The topping sets a little softer and less glossy, so give it the full 30 minutes. My Maple Pecan No Bake Cookies use the same flavor pairing.
- Make them smaller: Scoop 1½ ounce balls, bake for 9 to 10 minutes, and press the wells with a regular teaspoon. You will get roughly twice as many cookies.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with cold milk: These are rich and sweet, and a glass of cold milk is the easiest way to balance them out. It is also the fastest way to get kids to the table.
- Pair one with coffee: The brown sugar and pecans taste even better against something bitter. A Tres Leches Iced Latte is a good match if you want to keep it iced.
- Warm one for 10 seconds: A quick zap in the microwave loosens the pecan topping and softens the chocolate chips again. Do not go longer or the filling runs.
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream: Put a warm cookie in a bowl, add ice cream, and you have a plated dessert with no extra work.
- Build a fall dessert board: Set them out with Butterscotch Pecan Fudge and Carrot Cake Cookies for a spread that covers chocolate, caramel, and spice.
Storage and Freezing
- How should I store Pecan Pie Cookies?
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Lay a sheet of parchment between layers so the topping does not stick to the cookie above it. The filling is cooked, so they do not need to go in the fridge. - Can I freeze Pecan Pie Cookies?
Yes. Freeze the filled cookies in a single layer until solid, then stack them in a freezer bag with parchment between layers for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. If you want them looking their best, freeze them before the chocolate drizzle and add it after thawing. - Can I make Pecan Pie Cookies ahead of time?
The dough keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours, which is already built into the recipe. You can also freeze the scooped dough balls and bake them from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes. Make the pecan topping the day you plan to fill the cookies, since it firms up as it cools.
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Tips & Tricks
- Do not skip the chill: An hour in the fridge is the difference between thick cookies and thin, greasy ones. If your kitchen is warm, go closer to 90 minutes.
- Press the wells the second they leave the oven: Wait even two minutes and the cookies start setting, and the middles crack instead of dipping. Have the measuring spoon ready before the timer goes off.
- Time the 30 second boil: Use an actual timer. Any longer and the topping turns into hard caramel that shatters when you bite it.
- Chop the pecans two different ways: Fine for the dough so the cookies scoop cleanly, and rougher for the topping so you get real pecan pieces on top.
- Let the cookies cool before you fill them: Warm cookies soak the topping straight in. Cool ones hold it in the well where you want it.
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Looking for more meal inspiration?
If you are planning out the week or hunting for your next bake, my Latest Recipes page has everything new in one place, dinners and desserts both.
Pecan Pie Cookies FAQ
Pecan Pie Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1¼ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
Pecan Topping
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Chocolate Drizzle
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. Mix just until a cookie dough forms.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and finely chopped pecans.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cold dough into 3-ounce balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each one.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are golden.
- The second the cookies come out of the oven, press a rounded 1-tablespoon measuring spoon deeply into the center of each cookie to create a well.
- Let the cookies firm up on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
- Add the butter, dark brown sugar, heavy cream, and corn syrup to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter has melted and the ingredients are combined.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and let it bubble for only 30 seconds.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped pecans, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt.
- Spoon generous mounds of the warm pecan topping into the cooled cookie wells.
- Let the topping cool and set for about 30 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervils and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies.
