Who can resist a classic cookie recipe? Not me that’s for sure. I kind of have a thing for old-fashioned cookie recipes like these snickerdoodles without cream of tartar and these brown sugar shortbread cookies. You can’t go wrong with tried, tested, and true!
Chocolate chip pecan cookies are a beloved treat that combines rich chocolate with the nutty crunch of pecans. The history of the cookies can be traced back to the 1930s, when Ruth Wakefield, owner of the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, added broken pieces of chocolate to her butter drop cookies. The addition of pecans brings a new level of flavor and texture to the classic chocolate chip cookie.
These cookies are not the large, rippled, bakery-style cookies you see all over the Internet. Instead, they are small and thick, like my Mum used to make. I prefer to remove the cookies from the oven when they are slightly underdone; This makes for a super soft and chewy cookie. If you like crispier cookies, leave them in the oven a few minutes longer.
You can serve chocolate chip pecan cookies warm, right out of the oven, with a cold glass of milk, however, they also freeze well for later. Whichever way you enjoy them, this recipe will never, ever go out of style.
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💞 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
✔️ You probably have everything you need to bake a batch right now!
✔️ The cookie dough is made in one bowl in about 10 minutes.
✔️ Pecans help balance out the richness of the chocolate chips.
📋 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Pecans—You can use whole pecans and chop, or buy pecan pieces.
- Chocolate Chips—Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the traditional choice.
It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavor may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options if you are looking to change the original recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Butter—You can substitute unsalted butter, however, you may have to increase the salt in the recipe. You can also substitute a good quality dairy-free butter.
- Chocolate Chips—Feel free to substitute dark or milk chocolate chips. You can also chop up a chocolate bar to make chocolate chunk cookies if you prefer.
🎬 Recipe Video
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
👩🍳 How To Make Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
STEP 1—Combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl.
STEP 2—Use a hand or stand mixer to mix everything together until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time and mix. Add the vanilla and mix.
STEP 3—Sprinkle the flour, salt, and baking soda into the bowl.
STEP 4—Switch to a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula and stir the cookie dough together about halfway.
STEP 5—Add the chocolate chips and pecans to the bowl.
STEP 6—Stir everything together until the chocolate is well-distributed and the flour is just mixed in.
STEP 7—Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough directly onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
STEP 8—Bake the pecan chocolate chip cookies until the edges are set and the middles are still a bit underdone. Gently press a few more chocolate chips and pecan pieces on top of each baked cookie. Cool.
🗣 Expert Tips
1. I recommend using a kitchen scale and an oven thermometer for accuracy and consistency.
2. For crispier cookies, bake the cookies for 2 to 4 minutes longer.
3. Try adding some dried cranberries, dried cherries, or dried apricots.
📝 Recipe Notes
- Use the best quality ingredients you can afford as quality can make a huge difference in flavor and texture.
- Don’t over-mix the cookie dough. Stop stirring when a few streaks of flour are still visible, however, make sure you scoop and mix in all of the dry flour from the bottom of the bowl.
- Using a cookie scoop will give you consistent-size cookies; I use a 2-tablespoon scoop for this recipe. If you don’t own one you can either weigh 28-gram portions on a scale or just eyeball the amounts. If using a scale or dividing the portions by hand, rolled the dough into balls before placing them on the baking sheets.
- You can make larger or smaller cookies with this recipe, however, the baking times will change. Just keep your eyes on the cookies in the oven. Look for lightly golden edges and slightly underdone middles.
- You can pre-scoop the dough and refrigerate or freeze the scoops for later.
- Some people like to age their cookie dough in the refrigerator overnight and for up to 48 hours. I personally don’t find this makes a huge difference in flavor but you can do it if you want to.
- I like to store chocolate chip and pecan cookies in a large zipper-top freezer bag in the freezer. Simply thaw at room temperature and eat.
🙋♀️ Recipe FAQ
A few factors influence cookie texture—first, the amount of fat in the recipe. More fat equals more chew. Second, the amount of sugar is crucial. Cookie recipes with more granulated white sugar tend to be crunchier, whereas cookies with more brown sugar tend to be chewier. And lastly, baking time. For super chewy cookies, consider removing them from the oven when they are slightly underdone.
Of course, the ingredients you use play a huge role in chew-factor, however, an easy way to ensure chewy cookies every time is to remove them from the oven when they are still slightly under-cooked in the middle.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips have been the traditional choice for chocolate chip cookies, however, the best chocolate chips for cookies are the ones you like and/or can afford.
Did you make these chocolate chip pecan cookies? Please rate the recipe and tell me how it went in the comments below. Also, stay in touch with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more delicious food and recipes!
🖨 Recipe
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
- Baking sheet(s)
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- Hand or stand mixer
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- Cookie scoop optional
- Wire cooling rack(s)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¾ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for the tops of the cookies (optional)
- 1 ½ cups pecan pieces, plus extra for the tops of the cookies (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butter and both sugars in a mixing bowl. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat together until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add one egg and mix well. Add the second egg and the vanilla. Mix well.
- Sprinkle the flour, salt, and baking soda evenly over the wet ingredients. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir the cookie dough by hand until about halfway mixed.
- Add the chocolate chips and pecans. Stir everything together until the chocolate and nuts are well distributed and the flour is just mixed in. Be sure to incorporate all of the dry flour from the bottom of the bowl.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough directly onto the prepared baking sheets. Place the sheets in the oven and bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes (or until the edges are pale gold and the middles are still slightly underdone). Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Optional step—gently press a few more chocolate chips and pecan pieces on top of each hot cookie. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Use the best quality ingredients you can afford as quality can make a huge difference in flavor and texture.
- Don’t over-mix the cookie dough. Stop stirring when a few streaks of flour are still visible, however, make sure you scoop and mix in all of the dry flour from the bottom of the bowl.
- Using a cookie scoop will give you consistent-size cookies; I use a 2-tablespoon scoop for this recipe. If you don’t own one you can either weigh 28-gram portions on a scale or just eyeball the amounts. If using a scale or dividing the portions by hand, rolled the dough into balls before placing them on the baking sheets.
- You can make larger or smaller cookies with this recipe, however, the baking times will change. Just keep your eyes on the cookies in the oven. Look for lightly golden edges and slightly underdone middles.
- You can pre-scoop the dough and refrigerate or freeze the scoops for later.
- Some people like to age their cookie dough in the refrigerator overnight and for up to 48 hours. I personally don’t find this makes a huge difference in flavor but you can do it if you want to.
- I like to store baked cookies in a large zipper-top freezer bag in the freezer. Simply thaw at room temperature and eat.
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