Buttery brown sugar cookie dough is filled with white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and chopped pecans. The cookies bake with lightly golden edges and tender centers, while a touch of cinnamon adds subtle warmth.
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Chill Time: 3 hours | Servings: 36
If you are looking for the ultimate bakery-style cookie to add to your rotation, these Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are exactly what you need. They are thick, chewy, and packed with both white and semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus plenty of crunchy chopped pecans. The dough is enriched with brown sugar and a touch of cinnamon, giving the cookies a deep, warm, and irresistible flavor.
The secret to their incredible texture is the melted butter and the chilling time. Melting the butter creates a denser, chewier cookie, while chilling the dough allows the flavors to meld and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe relies on a few key techniques to create the perfect cookie. Using melted butter instead of softened butter gives the cookies a richer, chewier texture. The combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour provides structure while keeping the centers tender. Dissolving the baking soda in hot water ensures it distributes evenly through the dough, creating a beautiful rise. The generous chill time allows the dough to hydrate fully, resulting in a deeper flavor and a thicker cookie.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Melt the butter in the microwave. Pour it into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and let it cool until it is no longer hot but remains fluid.
- Add the packed brown sugar and granulated sugar to the melted butter. Mix for 4 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the whole egg and mix well. Add the egg yolk and mix again until fully incorporated.
- Stir the baking soda into the hot water until dissolved. Add the dissolved baking soda and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, then mix until combined.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix only until the flour is incorporated and no dry streaks remain.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and chopped pecans with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cover the pan securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line additional baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Arrange the chilled dough portions on the prepared baking sheets, leaving approximately 2 inches between them.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
- Let the cookies rest briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer them carefully to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tips for the Best Results
Let the melted butter cool. If the butter is too hot, it will melt the sugars and cook the eggs, ruining the texture of the dough. Let it cool until it is fluid but no longer hot to the touch.
Don’t skip the chill time. Three hours is the minimum, but overnight is even better. Chilling the dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much and deepens the flavor.
Use a cookie scoop. A medium cookie scoop ensures all the cookies are the same size, so they bake evenly.
Don’t overbake. Pull the cookies out when the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look soft. They will continue to set as they cool on the pan.
Toast the pecans. Toasting the chopped pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes before adding them to the dough brings out their natural oils and adds a deeper, richer flavor.
Storage and Serving
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They also freeze beautifully—place baked cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature. The raw dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months; just scoop it onto a baking sheet, freeze until solid, and transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.
Rich, chewy, and packed with chocolate and pecans, these Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are a fantastic recipe to keep in your rotation for easy baking.